Originally Posted by shotzy

Here are some better pics of the FRPP 1inch drop. I am getting more impressed with the ride everyday as they are now settling in. I really think this is how the car should have come stock.

Originally Posted by GJM20115.0

Do you think 0.5 inch spacers would help? I have the same wheels that I want to keep after I lower, but as it is now, about a 1 inch gap to the fender lip.

Originally Posted by Minicobra

So are you going to cut the bumpstops then? or leave them stock height?

Originally Posted by Digital_Synapse

Eibach Sportlines with the new bumpstops they provide. I had the Pro-Kit on my last stang, and I wanted to go lower... this is lower, lol.

Oh young grasshopper. I own 2 sets of wheels, these stock 19's and the Bullitt Motorsport 20's, both have been on this car multiple times to compare ride at stock height and lowered, and I assure you, there is a large difference. You are failing to take into account rubber compounds associated with a performance 20" tire vs the stock tire. The rim diameter isn't the only thing changing, the rim width changed also, and with that the tire profile and make up are different. The 19x8.5 has a taller side wall and is more rounded of a profile from the contact patch when compared to a 20x10 wheel with a tire designed to keep the over all tire height the same +/-a few mm. The tire on the 20 has a shorter sidewall and goes straight up from the contact patch so ther is less meat in vertical as well as diagonal to absorb the impacts the road throws at it. Also, taller side walls with narrower contact patches have more give than a shorter sidewall with a larger contact patch. Think smashing a sphere vs smashing an oval of similar volumes both secured at points on the lateral ends, the sphere will have more vertical travel and spring vs the oval, but the oval will have less lateral travel. That's the point of getting wider and taller rims, to increase the amount of wheel that is metal, not rubber, to prevent flex under heavy driving, Like autoX, which 18s and 19s work, but 20's are too tall becaus they dont flex enough. Drag racing uses short rim height and wider wheels to allow tire flex and hook up on large contact patches. You need to think in 3d and take into account more variables than just 2d and one single variable changing, its not that simple. Again, I'm no professional at wheels/tires/suspension... but I used to be pretty **** good at Math, Physics, and Chemistry back in my college days. When I get home from work tomorrow I'll draw a pic and show you what I mean, it's kinda hard to describe.

Originally Posted by Freshmeat

I follow you quite well. My entertainment is based on more of an apples to apples comparison, stock contact patch to stock contact patch. By going wider in both wheel and tire selection, of course things change. My thought process is based on things being more in line from the 19" to the 20" as far as tire geometries, even with losing sidewall from the slightly larger wheels.

I have base 18s and nickel 19s; both sets are wrapped with stock Pirelli tires and the difference is negligible to say the least.

Originally Posted by nemosgt

Sorry for the double quote above. Having a lot of trouble trying to post on this site for some reason. That was the fourth time composing that reply. The others were longer.

A few other points talked about on this thread:

Don't purchase a panhard bar until you finish lowering the car. You may find that the off-set is right on or close enough to make no nevermind. Save your money.

Yes, lowering will slightly increase the negative camber but this is not such a bad thing. with a mild drop you will probably be close to spec in any case. It will improve the look and stance of the car as well as improve the handling for only a small increase in tire wear. After a while you can invert the fronts left to right if the wear pattern bothers you. Camber bolts are a cheap fix if you really want to get back to original specs. But not if you track the car. The lower strut bolts that you replace have some issues in themselves and I would not replace these with the cheap camber bolts except as a DD only. Camber plates are a better solution but note the caveat about using the 2010 spring isolators on the 2011s in my previous post.

Can anyone explain why you would cut or remove bump stops if not required to? Lowering springs are shorter but are they not stiffer. I imagine that hitting the frame rail from an off-track excursion would be catastrophic to handling, not to mention body or frame damage.

Cheers.

Originally Posted by crescent_wrench

My 2010 didn't need a new panhard after lowering. It's centered. Don't know why, but it is. I understand its supposed to shift to the left. Maybe mine was actually a little to the right to begin with. Oh well.

Originally Posted by Digital_Synapse

borrow someone's 20s for a weekend.

Originally Posted by Freshmeat

Pff! 20s are WAY too big. It would look like crap.



(Please note the sarcasm.)