Ok all y'all I need advice on lowering! I want to lower my stang for one thing, look. I don't track my car and I don't drag race. Basically my question is can I just put the springs in with out any other suspension modifications? Is it safe for my car and will it cause damage in the long run??

 

Yes you can just change the springs but its best for your car and the ride quality if you change the shocks and struts too. Youll be lower, handling will be much sharper, and ride quality will be light years better than the stock ride. I would reccomend bilstein shocks/struts and H&R super sports. Theres one guy on this site who is a suapension guru but i forget his name. Ask around, shouldnt be hard to find

 

That is what I have basically done only as well....just springs....though you will need a wheel alignment and possibly camber bolts. Depending on how low you go, you may need an adjustable panhard bar to help re-center the back end. I did also replace the OEM strut mounts with GT500 ones, but in hindsight it probably really was not necessary.

The ride on my car is very decent and better than stock. One other thing to note is my car is driven only in the summer, so I do not put on a lot of miles. I also have an 85 GT which I have only replaced springs and it seem to drive perfectly fine for street use.

 

Don't forget a bump steer kit with that. You will most likely need the adj panhard rod and def camber kit, so just plan ahead and get them all at once.

What kit are you getting? I was very impressed with my Eibach and adjustable Tokico D spec setup.

 

Don't forget Sam Strano has the Koni's on sale at the moment ...

 

To make it easy on you, buy these:

http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetai...D=64&ModelID=5



http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetai...D=75&ModelID=5



Then address other issues (camber bolts, panhard bar, strut mounts, etc) only if the need arises (ie can't get near neutral camber, rear end isn't centered, popping noise on turning, respectively).

 

Now I don't track my car...I simply just drive and want to lower for cosmetic reasons. Is buying all that necessary?

 

No, all that's not necessary. You're welcome to get the springs alone, install them, wear out your stock shocks that aren't designed for the lowering springs (and are generally crap in the first place, honestly), watch the ride deteriorate further, then get the shocks and go through the hassle of the entire install process again in 6-12 months. If you do the work yourself, no biggie, if you pay for it being done, that's a fair amount to pay twice

So really up to you, the route you take.

 

I'm only looking at lowering an inch or so.Nothing insane. I hear if you don't go to low that the shocks will hold up just fine

 

Depends on the age of the shocks, and how willing you are to have a bad ride. The stock shocks aren't great and don't last incredibly long regardless, lowering even one inch will accelerate the process.

It's your car, though, so try just the springs first, see how you like it, if not you can always due the other stuff later.

You were asking for advice, so you got some, don't have to take it though.

 

Thanks for it all though. I just trying to figure out how to get the power to the ground. Figured suspension work will help. Appriciate it

 

I'd say this advice is built on other people having done the just springs route, then not liked the results down the road, and ended up getting some of the other pieces. Though not everyone's been that way, some are happy with just the springs.

Only problem doing it piecemeal is having to repeat the install work several times, potentially.

 

This is good advice. Do this and see how it sits and add the panhard rod if needed. The shocks make a huge difference when you lower. My stock shocks were killed after lowering. You might want to get the gt500 strut mounts while you are at it, I used the Steeda ones because I wanted more camber but you won't need them. If you just pay more now and do it right the first time you will be happier later.

Also, I bet you won't even need camber bolts. Most of the time lowering only and inch will put you at about -1.3 camber if I remember correctly and that is good for street driving as long as you take corners quickly.

 

+1 on the springs + dampers. The two really need to complement each other for the best possible ride and performance. Besides, dampers can be shot in as little as 40-60k (I've heard stock vette dampers going out in as little as 25k)

Aside from provisional suspension stuff (camber adjusters, ball joints to correct front suspension geometry, bumpersteer correction, ect). The rear suspension seems to suffer more than the front, but the fix is as easy as getting some LCA relocators to make sure the rear lower control arms are parallel with the ground and maybe making sure the pinion angle is correct (the latter is more invovled since it either requires an adj UCA or adj LCAs)

There should be a sticky at the head of the forum discussing the what fors and the why so's of messing around with lowering an S-197.

 

I've got some H&R springs for sale right now... basically brand new if you're interested

 

I would take these off Your hands in a heart beat. Honestly I would but I wrecked my stang Monday. Got bills to cover:/

 

Aww man I'm sorry... I hope you can fix it up.

 

Hey Z, when you are ready, I can set you up with those as well