If I install just rear springs will I need an alignment?
By lowering just the rear 1+ inches will I bottom out under normal bumpy road conditions? (how about with 4 people in the car?)
I plan on going with the 18x9 & 18x10 deep dish bullits in the future, and also wonder if this would make bottoming out a possibility after lowering.
I think this may be the way to go without spending a****load of $ on parts just to get that right look.

My questions are really directed to those who have only installed the Steeda Ultralight or Eibach Pro rear springs only.
I've just read through hours of threads on this (lucky I work nights ) and find it astonishing how many questions on this subject never got answered due to hijacking. So don't flame my buttt for asking again.

 

bump

 

I have the Steeda springs all around so I don't know exactly what it'll do with only the rear dropped but you definitely don't need an alignment with just a rear spring swap. I drove around for months after installing my springs without getting it aligned and didn't have any issues.

The one thing I can tell you though is that without replacing the shocks it gets a little bouncy over expansion joints due to the firmer spring rates. I would also suggest an adjustable panhard bar to recenter the rear axle after lowering. It isn't imperative to get one but it is suggested.

Sorry for the bad pics due to the sun/

 

I have ultralite rear only..No need to do anything else.Had mine installed at my local shop for 78.00. The only thing is the front is 1/8 inch higher now.not noticable to average joe but I can tell. I know what you mean about not spending a fortune just for lowering the back though

 

Chuck, got any side view pics? Where did you purchase your rear springs? I wouldn't think that 1/8in would be noticeable at all, you must have a good eye. What are your thoughts on the ride quality?

 

here ya go Dan.I got the ultalites(4 of them,cuz you can'y buy just the rear) at American muscle-formerly mustang tuning for 209 delivered. I have the fronts incase I want to install them later on . The ride quality feels the same.
The rear shot looks crooked but its just the way I took the pic.

 

Keep in mind that with the Steeda springs the rear squats more than the front with the driver aboard, so if the static height is 1/8" lower in the rear it is at least twice that going down the road. It probably looks like you have two passengers in the rear seat.

 

Wow your ride looks great. Are the tires the stock pirelli's? 17"?
I think what I'll do first is get the 270/40 18" first, because it is my understanding that those alone will close the fender/tire gap by an inch without touching the suspension. Then I'll revisit lowering the rear maybe by just 3/4in with the Steeda Sport springs. Whadaya think?

 

the rims are 18"x 9".Tires are the stock 18" 235/50 G-force...after these wear out I'm going with 255/45.sports will give you a 1" drop I'm pretty sure

 

The drop looks perfect, Chuck. Just one more thing you and I did the same.

Dan,
Unless you're just set on the ultralites, or want the front set "just in case" like Chuck did, you can always get the Steeda Sport springs. They sell the rears seperately.

Also, the tire size you mentioned is smaller than stock (26.5" vs 27.1" so it will actually increase your gap by 1/4", but the car will sit 1/4" lower to the ground. And, of course, your speedometer will be off also.

Chuck,
Going from the stock 235/50/18's (27.26" diameter) to 255/45/18's (27.04" diameter) isn't going to to drop your car an inch. More like a tenth of an inch. And, just like the tire size Dan mentioned, it will actually increase your gap. Although it will only be 1/10th of an inch.
Come on, Chuck, you've been on here long enough to understand tire sizes. Am I gonna have to drive down to Tampa to explain this?

But seriously, I hope that helped guys. I'll give you the formula for figuring out the tire diameter if you want it. There are also tire size calulators on some of the tire websites. Some even show you a diagram of two sizes side by side.

 

Yeah.I still need schooling on the tire sizes People start talking numbers and I get flashbacks from College math and soon all i start hearing is yada yada yada. I'm on the nineteenth hole usually by then I'm a visual learner,so the side by side comparison works for me

While were at it Jason, I want a little wider tire without losing any more side wall..What does your magic calculator come up with??

 

The best thing to do is go to Tire Rack and look at the specs for the tire(s) you're interested in. For each tire model they have a chart comparing all the dimensions, including rim width ranges, so you can see exactly what you're getting into. Also, different brands of tires don't necessarily have exactly the same dimensions even when they are the same size.

 

That kind of **** there drives me crazy

 

Yeah, it sux that tire sizes aren't more consistant between manufacturers.

The numbers I'm giving you are simply generalizations. The most important thing to remember (because most people get this wrong) is the first number is the width, and it's in milimeters.

Chuck, to keep from loosing sidewall, all you have to do is keep the size of your wheels the same and the sidewall will stay the same height. Think of it as 2 circles. One inside the other. The circle on the outside, which is obviously the larger one, has to stay the same. That one is your overall tire size, or diameter. If you change it, your speedo will be off. So the only other thing you can change is the size of the inner circle, which is your wheel. As it gets bigger (17", 18", 19") the space between the two circles gets smaller. That space between the two is your sidewall.

Maybe the drawing will.

One problem though is as the tire gets wider and you kep the width of the tire the same, the sidewall will tend to bulge out if it's wider than the wheel itself and can make the sidewall slighty smaller.

 

so I should go with 255/50/18.??..My stock is 235/50/18 ( the rim width is 9")

 

If that's the width you want and you don't want to change the overall height, the first size you said will work. (255/45/18) That's the same size most people are running that upgraded their tires. That size won't change the height of the car, or the gap, or, and most importantly, your speedometer. If you want to go wider, you can do that, but the second number has to be smaller. (it's called the aspect ratio)

 

you said earlier it would increase the gap

 

Yes, but only 1/10th of an inch... and that's with those "general" calculations. Who knows what the real measurements are. Either way, you'd never notice it. Heck there's more of a difference between new tires and worn out (no tread left) old tires.

 

thanks jason..I'm gonna end up getting front spring put in along with Dspecs.Then go with the 255/45.Thanks for helping

 

Anytime, Chuck. I'm thinking about going wider in the rear (285???) and back to 235's in the front. The roads around here are rutted REALLY bad and I'm too lazy to rotate my tires anyway.