 How
LOW Can You GO?
The first steps to
modifying any project car are wheel and suspension adjustments. Both
help to improve the car's handling a great deal - once they are done
correctly.
Rim and tyre size are
very important. Selecting the wrong dimensions could actually lead to
a drop in acceleration. This could also occur if the rims are heavy.
Although big ass rims may look super cool, a performance drop may be
noticed. They can also do damage to your suspension with prolonged
use. Also, it is important to be selective about your rim style. Rims
with adequate space between the spokes will allow the brake discs to
breathe - hence better braking.
A drop in ride height
is a must. Standard ride height will cause the car to lean excessively
in corners, squat under acceleration and dip under hard braking. A lower suspension with help to correct these problems. There are 3
common ways to achieve this.
- Cut Springs
- Clamps
- Lowering springs/Coilovers
Cutting springs and
using clamps are very dangerous and should be avoided if you plan to
attack the tarmac. These techniques make the car even more unstable
and can lead to a harsh ride. If you ever saw a car bouncing like
crazy after hitting a pothole, those springs were probably cut.
| Lowering
springs are recommended as the design allows for a smoother ride
on roads like the ones we have. Bear in mind though, the lower
you drop the car, the harder the ride will be. These mods should
also be accompanied by quality performance shocks.
Coilovers are
great if you can afford them, since they allow you to easily
adjust the ride height. They can usually cost over $1000US but
this is because they come as a spring-damper set. There are some
cheaper models that fit over the existing damper but the ZHAUST
Team is not sure how safe they actually are. The good thing
about coilovers is that on extreme lowering, the springs still
maintain contact with the top of the shock. Lowering springs may
lose contact every now and then, thus creating a disturbing
clanking noise under your chasis when you hit a pot hole etc.
We're still yet to find out if coilovers give a better ride than
proper lowering springs though. Maybe you can give us some
input. |
Lowering Springs
HKS Coilovers
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