To lower or not to lower....
 

Hey guys!!! Quick question, any one know how much a decent set of coil overs costs and benefits other than how sexy this beast is going to look when lowered?? Lol I don't want to lower it too much I wanna be able to drive and not worry about hitting anything.... Thanks!

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Lower it! Coilover prices all depend on what your goals are for the car. They can go from about $950 all the way to $5000+. Hop over to the suspension section and you'll find lots of useful information on the pros/cons of other members set ups

I am driving the car at stock height, and the parking garage I park in has a really steep slope going from the ground floor to the second floor and I always gently scrape my front bumper going up. So just make sure you don't have to park anywhere with any hills/slopes and you will be fine.

dont. if youre on the fence, do the cheaper option. you will always be able to drop it later. lowering a car wont make it handle better. its a lot of the other things coilovers do that give an advantage.

Yeah... the car at stock height is already pretty low

Lower it! I pulled the trigger on a set of ground control coilovers, which essentially make the OEM struts into coilovers giving you a ride height adjustment between 0 and 1.6" and for half the cost of a set of coil overs.

I agree with @HD86 and Drive ...... the suspension is set up pretty darn good from the factory, for average driving.

Why limit where you can drive your car by making it lower ..??

How many people are going to exclaim ..... oh, that car sits awful high .. ??

Or, look at that unsightly wheel gap ... ??

As they carry 2x4s around so they can pull into their own driveway .... http://www.runemasterstudios.com/gra...images/doh.gif

humfrz

There is the right way and the wrong way. A mild drop enhances the look of the car. Choose the right spring or coilover set you will improve the handling of your car.

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how well does it work?

im on the same boat, i think imma enjoy this car with stock engine/suspension/wheel till the warranty expires

If you want to lower the car but can't decide what you want, get some cheap coil overs. Raceland has them for the FRS/BRZ for less than $500. They drop in between 0.0" to -4.0".

If I were you, I wouldn't lower the car. Subaru and Toyota spent TONS and TONS of money on engineering the suspension to create that perfect balance. I wouldn't want to ruin that.

If you don't want to spend a lot then either Eibach Pro-Kit or Sportlines are good. I have Sportlines and it looks great but if you don't plan on upgrading the shocks as well then I'd go with Pro-Kit. My ride is noticeably harsher on Sportlines.

in the same boat. What i want is a lower rider height and eliminating the body roll.

On the other hand concern that replace the suspension bit even with a set of V3 is actually doing more harm than good to the already factory tuned setup

Don't read too much about "body roll" on this forum ... ??

Wonder why not .. ??

humfrz

Hmm definitely need to think this out more... Too many do its and don't do it lol

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i personally dont want to drop it until i opt for 18"s
im satisfied with how low it is from the floor (if not too low - its my dd) .. the gap isnt the best imo though and could lost half an inch or so

They spent tons of money to ensure it fits budgetary goals and appeals to 95% of their target audience while meeting regulations and warranty requirements. They absolutely could have engineered better suspension. It's not bad, but it's designed for a 25k car.

/thread

So in noob terms stickerier tires first and than a mild drop with soft coilover/springs?

Yeah, worry about tires first. I went to 18" rims and Falkens. No desire to lower the car. The damn thing is one of the lowest cars I've owned -- I can't believe street drivers want to mess with the suspension more. To each his own, but I'm putting mod money elsewhere.

At the same time !

tbh any tires is automatically stickier tires from my POV :lol:

What would be a good set of suspension for street driving than? Maaaybe the occasional track?

I'm not too sure... you might want to check the reviews. According to Moto.. you want a softer suspension when lowered and also stickier tires.

I guess find a coil over set up where you can adjust the dampening. I'd get some 235 wide tires too lol

Idk what to really do myself... I want to just get rid of the wheel gap... But maybe I should wait and buy wheels then decide

I would just get springs with a mild drop (1 inch) and try them out for a few months. That way you can go back to stock if lowered wasn't for you without burning a whole in your wallet. If you wanna go lower/higher and care about all the adjustability then you can invest in coil overs but I think 1 inch is perfect for this car :w00t:

I'm going to get blasted by all the coilover fanboys for this but.. If you simply want the car to ride a little lower but maintain its driving characteristics, then your best option is a decent set of springs.

Unless you are VERY in tune with your car's handling (lots of track/autox time) you likely wont have any problem with upgraded springs. Most guys with eibach pro kits or similar set ups will tell you the handling is nearly the same as stock only a bit sharper, the ride is nearly as comfortable and the drop is perfect if youre looking for a "factory" look. RCE yellows are also a good choice however the spring rates dont mimic the stock springs like eibachs do and they will change the handling a little more. I'm sure others can suggest lowering springs that mimic the stock ride as well.

Unless you are a suspension wiz, and you plan to adjust your set up often for different situations, coilovers are not justified or needed. The tuner world tends to hate on lowering springs because on most cars, they're not a good option. However the fr-s being nearly perfect in stock form works well with springs alone. Don't listen to anyone who suggests coilovers, then tells you to get the cheap set that's barely adjustable...*Cough* stupid *cough*

The best part is, its a small investment. Dont like it and you can go back to stock with little loss.

Sounds like the One American center. I am in there all the time (used to work there also). Any chance I am right? lol

Thank you both for saying this and in this way. This is stuff I would've liked to have said, too, but you guys took the words right outta my mouth and some. For my purpose, I'll be heading down this route.

Agreed with many here... Unless you plan on tracking the car a lot and fine tuning it (or want to slam the car), just go for springs. I have to say that adding the pro-kit to my FRS along with 18's and stickier 225's has made it grip a little better in corners and has allowed it to keep that 50/50 balance that you can control with your right foot. The grip increase is almost completely due to the tires, though. The springs really made a minimal difference. They just make it look nicer and reduce a little bit of the (already minimal) body roll. With springs it will ride a touch stiffer though. If the roads you like driving on are generally rough, I would consider staying with stock ride height.

Nope, I would tell you which parking garage it is, but don't quite want to reveal my exact location in Austin :D

haha I do understand. I was just taking a wild guess! :cheers: I do have a few other guesses but I understand not wanting to reveal specifics about your whereabouts on an open forum haha

Yep, the Feds are watching ...... :confused0068:

humfrz

So is 1 inch drop the lowest you can go without significantly scraping or can you go slightly lower?

FYI since it hasn't been posted:

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49511

All the posts in the thread seem to be lowered 2+ inches since you're only doing it for visuals any problems will be much less severe.

Noob question: When lowering the car ... doesn't that change the steering geometry (camber, toe-in/out, alignment) of the car? Just curious.

Yes of course. Remember that when installing new coilovers, you should give it about a day or so to settle before getting it aligned, or else you will just have to get it aligned, again! It also never hurts to buy new controls arms, toe arms, trailing arms, etc. - There are some pretty great aftermarket products that have a wider range of motion then the factory.

I am personally about to buy some RS*R's. I am super psyched. Also going to get some AP Control Arms with it :w00t:

Thanks guys. I'm not re evaluating my mod priorities

If you're worrying about where you can and cant drive your car, why not just get a 4x4 truck, or a vehicle made for off-roading?

I personally think the stock height is still pretty high. Many people like to make their car stanced and show it off at car meets or shows (because it looks super sexy in their eyes). But for obviously it depends on how low you want to go.

hmmm ? any more info on this ?