Motormania Performance Centre -A1 performance, performance car parts, performance exhausts, induction systems
  Home | Search By Product | Search by Brand | Buy Online | Store Finder | What's On | LinksContact Us   

We are stockists of a wide selection of air filters and induction kits

We stock a wide varity of exhausts, including, pico exhausts, scorpian exhausts, jetex and Janspeed

We also stock a wide range of body kits

 

 Tsection - Great places to visit on the net!

Navigation:  Home >> Articles >> Lowering Springs

Lowering Springs

Lowering springs are true performance lowering springs, not just a shorter stock spring. They are designed the way performance springs should be, with the correct spring rate and ride height for each specific application. Minor modifications or camber kits may be required.

Lowering springs improve a vehicles handling by lowering its centre of gravity and providing a firmer, more precise ride quality for precision handling usually reserved for exotic sports cars

These are really a cheap fix, if like me your a bit poor, you'll still be using the standard shocks or some slightly uprated items and the springs will just be slightly shorter and harder so as to lower the car and its center of gravity thus giving better handling. But there has been rumours that if things aren't done right with lowering springs they can fall out of place at times such as when you take the brow of a hill to quickly and the car leaves the ground, so you can imagine what might happen when the car comes back to earth with springs not where they should be. lowering springs give your car superior handling performance and an aggressive stance with an extra smooth ride

lowering springs improve a vehicles handling by lowering its center of gravity and providing a firmer, more precise ride quality for handling usually reserved for sports cars. Advance Automotive has Eibach lowering springs for most popular import and domestic applications.

Buy Lowering Springs Online now at The Performance Centre.

The fundamental purpose of springs is to provide a degree of comfort to the occupants and to maintain contact between the tyre and tarmac. There is a trend towards excessive lowering on many road vehicles. This can cause very wayward handling on bumpy surfaces and if the car bottoms out damage to body or chassis. It is especially important to ensure that springs are not uprated without ensuring the right dampers are fitted. If the dampers are in good condition and only a moderate reduction in ride height is desired then they may be retained.

The usual modification of springs is an increase in stiffness and often lowering of ride height through lowering springs. The effect is increased roll stiffness through corners which usually improves response and feel. It is important to select the right set up for the use of the vehicle. A car that is towed to a circuit and only used on smooth tarmac events can run much stiffer springs and lower ride height. A car that gets driven to a circuit may well require a set up that is a compromise which might mean that certain B-roads are likely to cause bottoming out.

It is also worth bearing in mind the sprung weight of the vehicle. If your car is about to commence a diet with removal of interior trim and glassfibre panels the sprung weight reduction will increase the natural frequency of the suspension. This has the same effect as stiffening the spring. The opposite is also true.

Traction is influenced by springs. If your vehicle is used in straight line events you will gain traction by having a higher rear end and softer springs. Not ideal for corners though!

In essence the general guidelines for springs are that an increase in spring rate will reduce roll but increase weight transfer on the chosen axle. This will increase the load on the tyre and consequently reduce grip. For instance increasing front spring rate will usually result in more understeer (on a car that has a relatively stiff spring) and increasing rear spring rate will increase oversteer. This is not a law though and in many instances the positive benefit of reduced body roll, better feel and perhaps a reduction in positive camber effects from roll steer, often mean the car will generate more grip and consequently go faster through bends. Add to this the fact that the transient response (the speed of reaction especially through S-bends) will also improve and the spring rate can be seen as an effective way to tune the handling. The best advice is to select carefully depending on the use the car will receive.

Buy Koni, Powerflex, G Max, Eibach, Pi Suspension, Apex Spring Online

 

Back to articles

Or Phone Our Sales Hotline

01376 515114
Mon - Sat 0900-1800
Sun           0900-1630

Website best viewed @ 1024x768 pixels

Stockists of:-

Lowering Springs

Performance exhausts

Suspension Kits

Induction Kits

Performance Filters

Rally Clothing

Fuel Pumps

           Or Visit One of our MotorMania Stores

MotorMania Store Colchester
 
Colchester
01206 799174
MotorMania store Ipswich
 
Ipswich
01473 270004
The Witham MotorMania Store
 
Witham
01376 501515


Webmasters - To get a link on this site e-mail mskemp@essex.ac.uk

 

News Forum | Whats newClub links | Customer cars | Articles | Motormania

 

 

Google
WWW www.a1performancecentre.co.uk