My goal is a lowered car with a "decent" ride(I understand that ride suffers when the car is lowered so I'm not gonna have a stock ride). I'm running 18" wheels so the tires aren't a super low profile, 45 front/ 40 rear. I know the Eibach springs and the FRPP springs are the same so both should lower the equally, what I'd like to discuss is ride quality. My thoughts are that Ford tested the m2005fr3 package extensively before they decided to use it on a production car(Shelby GT) knowing that ride quality was important. On the other hand the Dspec shock/struts have an excellent reputation. Soooooooo, tell me what you guys think. I'd like to hear from ALL, those with the Dspec setup, those with the FRPP package, and those with other setups. Thanks

 

My understanding is that the d-specs are better than the ones that come with the eibach kit.

I'm installing a set of d-specs and eibach pro's in the morning on my car...

Having had a pro-kit on a previous car, i'd say the ride quality is not much worse than stock... (which i consider kinda bumpy anyway)... with a good set of dampers, it should be much better..

I have no opinion on the ford m200 kit as I've not driven a car with it.

sorry it's one sided.... I jsut have no experience with the other.

 

IMO D-specs will give you a better ride than stock depending on how you set them. I have the D-spec and eiback pro-kit and the set-up is very nice. I probably would not want another car like this without adjustable dampers once I have tried them.

 

06GTwBOOST thanks for your post, I'd really appreciate your thoughts once you drive your car with the new setup.

simple06 great information, did you need the adj camber bolts when you had the car aligned and did you need an adj panhard bar?

I've read a lot of posts on this subject and I'm leaning towards the Eibach/Dspec setup but wanted to see if I could get feedback from all those with lowered cars to speak about how they like or dislike their suspension setup.

 

I did need the camber bolts and I also had the steeda adjustable panhard bar and panhard bar brace. With the eiback pro-kit it looked like most everyone had to have the rearend centered (mine was around a 1/4 inch off) and most needed the camber bolts for alignment.

 

Did you ever Install your set of d-specs and eibach pro's??? If so, what are your thoughts... I just installed eibach-pro kit. and I am thinking its gonna be a stiff ride...I may look into upgrading the shocks to help sofen the ride...

thanks...

Adam

 

yes..any more info comparing eibach/d-spec vs. frpp would be great.

im about to pickup my car but i want my dealer to install lowering springs/shocks before i pick it up.

thanks very much! happy new year!

 

I've decided that it's kinda bumpy and sometimes annoying with my setup... all these wonderfull taxes and yet still all these ****ty los angeles roads.

The dampers are set on 2 turns out and the ride is a little bumpy at times, but handles and responds like a car should. I'm sometimes annoyed at how bumpy it is, depending on my mood.

I think if I loosened up the dampers a few more turns it would soften the ride, but I like to feel the road, so I'll deal with it.

It's not a bad combo seriously.

 

I will be installing Tokico D-spec and Eibach or Steeda springs shortly. I will report back.

 

I think there is more to perceived ride quality in the shock set up than influence by stiffer springs for lowering. Anyone who thinks a stock Mustang GT is smooth riding needs to get their sensors rechecked. I am pretty sure the guy who tuned the shocks for the Mustang GT came from the Ford truck division.

The adjustable shocks are great because of the tuneability for all aspects of your particular suspension set up. But firm adjustment settings should be applied judiciously. The Spec D's vary both bounce and rebound dampening at the same time with the single adjuster. The tendency for some users is to go firmer because of the subjective interpretation of the road feel feedback. However as you increase rebound dampening you can easy reach a point where there is too much and the wheels don't get a chance to fully rebound before it hits the next bump. With excessive rebound dampening, if you encounter a bunch of bumps in rapid succession the car actually gets lower and lower because the wheels never fully rebound and then you are soon into the bump stops because there is less available suspension travel after each successive bump. Lots of rebound damping gives a false sense of 'firmness' because it’s slow to let the chassis rebound ... so it feels like really firm. The best setting is just enough firmness to provide wheel control for the conditions expected. Subjective conclusions are likely not correct nor will yield the best handling. Of course with stiffer springs, a little more rebound is required for good wheel control. So these adjustable shocks should not be used like a boom box volume control ... e.g. don't just crank it up. Do some scientific testing and analyze the handling objectively.

 

I put on the Saleen/Racetrak kit last night. It took us 8 hours, partly because of the vert stiffening bars in the back that had to be removed so we could get the axle down far enough to get the old springs out. Plus, the top mount nut for the shocks in the rear were a real pain. Had to cut the dust covers on the old ones and grip with a vice grip to get them out.

After it was all done, the ride height went from 29" from ground to the top of the wheelwells to 28.5". (This is an average, as all 4 wheel measurements seemed to be slightly different by 1/8" or so.) Saleen claims it will go down another 1" or so within first 1000 miles.

We drove it around a combination of hwy (80 mph) and country roads. Quite a difference in spring rates and flatter through all of the turns. More like a road racer than before. Not really that much harsher than the original ride, but a lot better. I test drove a Saleen with the same set-up when I was in Irvine a couple of months ago and I liked the feel of it.

 

I'm going this route with the D-spec and FRPP handling pack.The dampners are designed for lowered vehicles and add a much better ride.A friend with an S197 GT has this set up and it rides better than stock and cuts corners really nice.When the roads and weather clears up I'll send the car off for a much needed lowering We are having a second blizzard here in Denver,CO and should end by SundayI do like the time off work though

 

how does the steeda setup compare?

i want a car lowered but i need comfort in day to day cruising...

thanks!

 

Here's another option.

http://forums.bradbarnett.net/showthread.php?t=58328

 

i have steeda ultra lights & d-specs i usually run the d-specs at 4 in the rear & 5 up front and find this a great combo for the street. i can not be happier with this setup. the car handles and looks like a different car.

 

Has anyone confirmed that the spring rates for the FRPP springs are the same as the off the shelf Eibachs?

 

hi tx2005gt,

do you have pics of your car? im torn between ultra lights and eibach sport....i think the eibach lower just a tab bit more...

thanks very much!

 

I have attached pics of the before and after with the Eibach-Pro setup. I know the pictures look like crap and I apologize in advance. However, i think its good enough for you guys to get idea just how much this kit actually dropes the car... Eibach says the Pro-kit allows a 1 inch drop on the front and a about 1.5 inch drop in the rear, however the front seems to be more like 1.5 inches.

Installatation was very easy!

-Adam

 

I have the same Steeda spring and D-Spec shock setup and am very happy with it. I run the front and rear on 5 for daily driving and turn it down to 3 frt and 4 rear when I want to play. I think the drop is perfect here are some side shots that may help your decision.

Earl

 

hi retfr8fly, your car looks amazing! it does sit very nice!
are those the ultra light steeda?

man..steeda or eibach?? seems like both are GREAT...

making the decision and shopping for this is 1/2 th fun!