Lowered my car - now there's rubbing

**Alpine** · 22-10-2004 10:50 PM

Folks, need some advice. I lowered my '99 Civic Coupe by about 1.5 inches, still using stock shocks. The shocks have about 60,000km worth of mileage on them. Generally everything is OK but on the highway tonight I experienced some rubbing on high speed dips on the highway. Also when cornering left or right and there happens to be a pothole or dip in the corner. I have 17" rims on 205/40/R17 tyres. I was told by many people that rubbing wouldn't be a problem but yet I experience it in these conditions described above. How can I stop it? New shocks?

**bennjamin** · 22-10-2004 11:06 PM

Its the suspension bottoming out so to speak - since on stock shocks , they cannot provide adequete rebound on the current springs...the width of your rims ( 6.5 or 7inches ) and 205 rubber is rubbing during conering too - but this is the price u pay for pushing a car past its designed limits.

I think you should invest in soem decent aftermarket shocks to take such a drop and decent after market springs too.

**Taxi-R** · 22-10-2004 11:31 PM

welcome to the club =P

i'm lowered abt that much in the front and i got koni yellows and eibach prokits. but only my left side on the odd occassion lightly scrubs the insides when i'm turning and there's a pot hole or when i'm facing downhills and i chuck a uwee. even if u change ur shox, u may still rub, it just depends on how low u have it and yeah, how ur sussy setup holds up. slightly stiffer springs and stiffer shox should help.

**aznsiko** · 23-10-2004 12:40 AM

guard rolling mayb an option..

**J-MuN** · 23-10-2004 12:48 AM

alpine, my coupe is dumped on its ass.. cant even squeeze a finger between the guards but i dont get much rubbin.. i've still got the stock em1 rims but i also got D2 racing coilovers which definitely STIFFENS my ride... think bout changing your springs...

**rAySiR** · 23-10-2004 01:13 AM

what springs u using alpine???

cuz when i had 17's, lowered 1.5 inch... but i lipped the gaurds.....
still had my stock shox, done about 100 *** kms plus... and it still went alright.... not much rubbing....

but yeah.... lipping the gaurd does wonders..... but i wouldn't mind getting better shox...

now i'm on oem vti-r rims..... no problems with rubbing....and even when i had 16x7 enkeis.... not a problem what so ever...

**Baopham** · 23-10-2004 02:54 AM

did u get ur car properly balanced? that always helps... if not.. just get urself a nice pair of stiffer springs, ur shocks are fine.. there will always be rubbing, but this will minamize it

**Alpine** · 23-10-2004 08:09 AM

The springs are Pedders SportsRyder springs (stage 1 drop). There's not alot of rubbing probably 95% of the time, it only happens if I am driving fairly fast and there happens to be a sharp dip in the highway or on a tight bend. As I've only had the car lowered for a week, I'm not too familiar if this is supposed to be normal with lowered cars or not (real newbie eh!).

**fusion_VTi** · 23-10-2004 09:53 AM

sounds to me like its ur tyres rubbing on ur guards, have u had them lipped? my civic's dropped by 2 1/2" on 17" and i dont get any scrubbage even with full car + stereo