Why Is It Dumb To Lower A Vehicle?

[DarkLordFreeman]

Really guys, I do not modify my cars at all.

The man in the video has been a service technician for 45 years now. He says it is not a good idea to raise/lower over a long period of time.

I had one response that says when a car is lowered, it throws the geometry out of whack. You have to strengthen and then get the geometry back within specification. It was a good answer. Also, I did do searches in Google and this forum for my answer.

[Vivek]

You're not taking anyone's advice. Feel free to listen to the youtuber. Also I noticed your first post mentions drivetrain angles which isn't an issue at all. Unless you count the half shafts that are meant to constantly change angle.

[unevolved]

Race Car Vehicle Dynamics, buy it.

Milliken and Milliken is a little bit of overkill for 99% of the stuff on this forum.

[Wh33lhop]

-Suspension (or body) bottoming out
-Keeping your oil pan doing oil panny things and your steering rack doing sealy things
-Roll center changes
-Camber curves/bump steer
-Speed bumps/curbs/dips
-Tires rubbing
-No fat chix
-Having a car that doesn't get stuck on lifts and doesn't require ramps to get a jack under it, or that doesn't require a split flat bed to tow

Quite a few reasons really

[DarkLordFreeman]

You're not taking anyone's advice. Feel free to listen to the youtuber. Also I noticed your first post mentions drivetrain angles which isn't an issue at all. Unless you count the half shafts that are meant to constantly change angle.

Alright. So then if I install a coilover system, whats important is to get the car aligned and the coilover adjusted for proper rebound and compression and everything else? Basically, and that is about it?

[Roysneon]

Why does everyone make such an uproar out of lowering/raising a vehicle?

Thank you. You'd almost have to go out of your way to make it dangerous to raise/lower a vehicle within reason.

Above all else we have to remember that for all the race car theory we will throw around, these are still 20 year old cars that are driven on the street and occasionally tracked (for the most part). It's not going to make that much difference to Johnny BoyRacer with his ESM wheels and cold air intake if he has that extra .3 degrees neg camber when he's doing powerslides in wet parking lots or trying to get all of the 160hp out of his m20 on an empty freeway.

[unevolved]

No. Rebound and compression are terms referring to the action of the shock itself. Get the corner weights adjusted (force applied at each tire), and then a standard 4-wheel alignment.

[Wh33lhop]

Alright. So then if I install a coilover system, whats important is to get the car aligned and the coilover adjusted for proper rebound and compression and everything else? Basically, and that is about it?

Make sure you are at a reasonable height to be in your suspension's stroke of travel, and if you want to get super cereal you would corner balance it before the alignment but that's about the gist yeah.

[hidden_edirty_power]

My car is borderline dumb...

bahaha

[DarkLordFreeman]

Make sure you are at a reasonable height to be in your suspension's stroke of travel, and if you want to get super cereal you would corner balance it before the alignment but that's about the gist yeah.

Excellent.

[Roysneon]

Alright. So then if I install a coilover system, whats important is to get the car aligned and the coilover adjusted for proper rebound and compression and everything else? Basically, and that is about it?

YES. That's all. You're not going to take this car to the 24hrs of Daytona any time soon are you? Spa 12 hours? Buy good coilovers, get an alignment, replace worn 20 year old suspension bushings and strut mounts and you're going to be fine. You're all overthinking things, especially for the intended use of almost every car on this site.

[Brezzi]

hai guise, if I cut my springs will my cars poly bushings wear faster?

K thx.

[Thizzelle]

Formula 1

[Roysneon]

Formula 1

Lotus based their current car off of an E21 so I'd say the E30 is pretty good.

[slammin.e28]

hai guise, if I cut my springs will my cars poly bushings wear faster?

K thx.

NO! By contrast they will get stronger and expand with use/age. You're going to have to get under there with a cutoff wheel every year or so and prune them back.