Need some help picking some springs!
 

Hey Guys, so I’m looking for some springs that will drop me 1inch and that will improve drive feel and maybe even a little performance if possible. I don’t track the car but I do touge the mountains sometimes so I don’t need crazy performance springs but some improvement would be cool.

I don’t know anything about suspension brands and which springs are good and which aren’t so I was hoping you guys could help me out and refer me to some that are best for my buck. Thanks in Advance I really appreciate it!

Eibach Pro-Kit or RCE Yellow's springs are in the ballpark of a 1" drop although the Eibach's are more like 7/8" but also keep the rear biased OEM feel.

A similar thread with more feedback on the two listed:

https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25820

The two have had plenty of positive reviews on this forum so you can't really go wrong with either. Just don't go lower than 1" is my suggestion. If the wheel gap is still too much for your taste with even a 1" drop, just get bigger wheels :)

Happy shopping fellow FT86 driver!

Aren’t those springs more for the tracks though cuz they feel much harder than stock? I want something a little bit softer than stock springs and does do a little bit for performance. Also how come going lower than 1inch is bad? I was gunna get bigger tires but I wanted to keep the speedometer and odometer pretty accurate so I stayed with similar height.

No, those are fine for street and mild tracking. TRD springs, Eibach Pro-Kit, RCE Yellows, Hotchkis springs all lower about an 1" which is not too low and fine for DD. Any lower spring you get is going to have higher spring rates than stock. You can look into the RSR Downs they only lower the car half an inch or so 15mm. I have RCE Yellows and they are great i felt they ride better than stock and are just as comfortable as stock they are amazing springs and i would highly recommend them. Going lower than 1" means you need higher spring rate. lose shock trave, and maybe bottoming it out, and blowing it out your shocks quicker its just not worth it. Here are some RSR Downs for sale. http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=133828

I went with Hotchkis, and they suit me for daily driving, and weekend mountain drives. The spring rates are a little softer than most of the aftermarket springs, but stiffer than OEM. Combined with their ARB's, the chassis can be tuned to fit you.

So there aren’t many springs that actually act softer than OEM then I take most are either the same or stiffer.. Are there any that a little softer then OEM without sacrificing performance?

Yes, that is correct. You cannot have a soft suspension and the performance. When talking performance the suspension does need to be a little stiffer. I really dont think any of these springs will give you too much of a harsh ride these are all great options for staying within 1" lower. Yes, you will feel the road more and the imperfections and bumps, but its really not that bad. The only other spring i can suggest is the new USDM STI springs, but STI never releases their spring rates for some reason.

https://subaruonlineparts.com/subaru...gs-p-4682.html

The USDM STI pink springs also don't lower the car exactly 1" so those might not be what you're looking for. Just a heads up.

If you don't want firmer than stock then definitely don't buy lowering springs. Losing suspension travel can be a bit painful at times depending on road conditions around you.

You might consider spending the bones on coilovers. Do it right and do it once. I tried a couple lowering spring options and was never quite happy with them.
The Tein Flex A are smoother than stock. Plus if you factor in the cost of new dampers since the stockers will wear faster with stiffer springs, it's not THAT much more $$.

RCE superstreets are nice (im biased) on the softer settings, i highly recommend them.

You will not find something that will be cheap, lower your car, be more comfortable than stock, and improve performance.

Even with coilovers you should be prepared to spend a little more $ for better dampers.

Lots of spring options that will provide you with a tolerable ride when you are looking at 1” drop and lots of entry level coilovers that are tolerable as well. But be prepared to compromise and level set your expectations.

Popular spring options: RCE, eibach, TRD
Popular coilovers: tein flex a, bilstein, rce, kw

Don’t rush into picking something up because it’s cheap— having gone through multiple spring and damper setups, and trying various different coilover setups, I think it would be worth it to save just a little bit more and, like @Decep said, do it right and do it once.

For what it’s worth, I’m happy with my Swedish coilovers :thumbsup:

I see so from all the information that you guys are giving me, coils seem to be the best way to go because I change it from very soft ride for daily and then stiffening then when I actually want more performance. Plus they are safer Than springs I’m assuming. So I was thinking of going with the Tein flex z’s I was curious what’s your opinion about these? And also do you guys have any you recommend for around the same price and flex z’s? P.S. Appreciate the info!

Safer, in what regard? a quality lowering spring should have no safety issues.

Technically, the car has coilovers on it OEM, the coil is over the damper :)

If you're sticking with stock shocks, RCE yellows are fantastic. .8" drop, better handling, less body roll and no less comfortable than stock.

If you want the next step up, pair a set of RCE Tarmac springs (slightly more aggressive than the yellows) with a set of Bilstein b6. performance benefits are even bigger, and the ride is FAR better than stock. Same .8" drop.

Quick question then guys, if I had to pick between RCE Yellow Springs or Tein Basis Coilovers. Which one of these two would give me better performance? I’m between these two right now. Thank you!