why aftermarket struts with lowering springs? - Suspension and Brake Forum

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why aftermarket struts with lowering springs?
Monday, March 31, 2008 8:15 PM
alright dont flame me for this question.

i have been reading around and i have noticed that you arent supposed to put lowering springs on stock struts.

now whats the big difference between the aftermarkets and stock ones when it comes to the height? anything? is that the reason you shouldnt use stock struts? or is the dampening and rebound the reason?

im guessing the stock struts are the same height as the aftermarket ones correct?

Re: why aftermarket struts with lowering springs?
Monday, March 31, 2008 8:25 PM
the aftermarket struts im assuming your referring to are needed because they have been DESIGNED to handle the drop of a lowering spring. stock struts were designed for stock springs, nothing more.

in a nut shell, they handle the drop and stock cannot.



Re: why aftermarket struts with lowering springs?
Monday, March 31, 2008 8:33 PM
for the most part it has to do with the spring rates. Lowering springs have higher spring rates than stock, the stock struts just aren't strong to control that high of a spring rate and they end up blown....

Picture it like this, take 2 little kids, put them about 5 feet apart and have them pass (picture basketball chest pass) a miniture basketball back and forth... no problem. Not take away that mini basketball and give them a 5 lb. medicine ball and tell them to do the same.... not gonna work real well and one is gonna end up hurt. You need to get a couple big guys to pass the medicine ball back and forth.

The kids are your struts, the mini basketball is stock springs. You through in a medicine ball (stiffer springs) and the stock struts can't control them. You need to upgrade from little kids to big guys.

Corny example I know but that should make sence.



Re: why aftermarket struts with lowering springs?
Monday, March 31, 2008 8:53 PM
Darkstars wrote:for the most part it has to do with the spring rates. Lowering springs have higher spring rates than stock, the stock struts just aren't strong to control that high of a spring rate and they end up blown....

Picture it like this, take 2 little kids, put them about 5 feet apart and have them pass (picture basketball chest pass) a miniture basketball back and forth... no problem. Not take away that mini basketball and give them a 5 lb. medicine ball and tell them to do the same.... not gonna work real well and one is gonna end up hurt. You need to get a couple big guys to pass the medicine ball back and forth.

The kids are your struts, the mini basketball is stock springs. You through in a medicine ball (stiffer springs) and the stock struts can't control them. You need to upgrade from little kids to big guys.

Corny example I know but that should make sence.


haha..very well done..but did you just come up with that out of the blue? either way..good example.

coming from experience..lowering a car on stockies may not be so bad for about 3 months..but once they blow..beware..i feel like im driving inside a bouncy ball at the moment..thankfully, i just ordered dspecs..after time, you'll eventually get sick and tired of it..you might as well just do it at the beginning when you lower it..so you dont have to worry about it again.






Re: why aftermarket struts with lowering springs?
Monday, March 31, 2008 9:00 PM
i was prolly going to go with a different strut with my lowersprings i just wanted to know why.


very good example lol.

we just installed H&R lower springs on my buddy's 07 GT mustang. the sports and they lowered it 2 inchs. rides like @!#$. go over a bump and it bounces everywhere. he thinks its perfectly fine lol.
Re: why aftermarket struts with lowering springs?
Monday, March 31, 2008 9:02 PM
LOL yeah I just made that up off the top of my head



Re: why aftermarket struts with lowering springs?
Monday, March 31, 2008 10:24 PM
wait...I thought DTP was supposed to be the one with little kids on his brain!



Go Go OG Traction!!
Re: why aftermarket struts with lowering springs?
Monday, March 31, 2008 10:32 PM
its funny I saw your name as the last reply and my first thought was Paul <3 little girls LOL



Re: why aftermarket struts with lowering springs?
Monday, March 31, 2008 10:51 PM




Go Go OG Traction!!
Re: why aftermarket struts with lowering springs?
Tuesday, April 01, 2008 3:40 AM
jmccormick wrote:i was prolly going to go with a different strut with my lowersprings i just wanted to know why.


very good example lol.

we just installed H&R lower springs on my buddy's 07 GT mustang. the sports and they lowered it 2 inchs. rides like @!#$. go over a bump and it bounces everywhere. he thinks its perfectly fine lol.


you cant compair another cars suspension to your suspension.



Re: why aftermarket struts with lowering springs?
Tuesday, April 01, 2008 4:23 AM
StrippedCav98 (Now Quotable) wrote:
jmccormick wrote:
we just installed H&R lower springs on my buddy's 07 GT mustang. the sports and they lowered it 2 inchs. rides like @!#$. go over a bump and it bounces everywhere. he thinks its perfectly fine lol.


you cant compair another cars suspension to your suspension.


I guess in this case, he can. That pretty much covers how it would work on our cars too, aside from the added step where a J-body owner complains after the struts blow, then replaces them with stock struts two or three more times.




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Re: why aftermarket struts with lowering springs?
Tuesday, April 01, 2008 5:50 AM
I like the metaphor.

Or how 'bout this... you've got two kids passing a basketball back and forth between them. One kid is the strut, and the other kid is the spring. Now replace one kid with Shaq in a blindfold and tell him the other kid is Hulk Hogan and bet him that he can't throw the ball hard enough to hurt him.

Shaq is now the spring...




Re: why aftermarket struts with lowering springs?
Tuesday, April 01, 2008 6:10 AM
Stock strut: Wuss
Aftermarket lowering springs: Bully
"Stop hitting yourself, stop hitting yourself..."




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Re: why aftermarket struts with lowering springs?
Tuesday, April 01, 2008 10:48 AM
StrippedCav98 (Now Quotable) wrote:
jmccormick wrote:i was prolly going to go with a different strut with my lowersprings i just wanted to know why.


very good example lol.

we just installed H&R lower springs on my buddy's 07 GT mustang. the sports and they lowered it 2 inchs. rides like @!#$. go over a bump and it bounces everywhere. he thinks its perfectly fine lol.


you cant compair another cars suspension to your suspension.


i guess i just did, didnt i. cuz obviously the mustang with drop springs does the same thing as a cavalier with drop springs on stock struts..........
Re: why aftermarket struts with lowering springs?
Tuesday, April 01, 2008 11:20 AM
jmccormick wrote:
StrippedCav98 (Now Quotable) wrote:
jmccormick wrote:i was prolly going to go with a different strut with my lowersprings i just wanted to know why.


very good example lol.

we just installed H&R lower springs on my buddy's 07 GT mustang. the sports and they lowered it 2 inchs. rides like @!#$. go over a bump and it bounces everywhere. he thinks its perfectly fine lol.


you cant compair another cars suspension to your suspension.


i guess i just did, didnt i. cuz obviously the mustang with drop springs does the same thing as a cavalier with drop springs on stock struts..........


sorry i forgot you knew everything about everything. my point im making is not all car suspensions act the same. his struts could of been blown to begin with. different cars have different struts that can handle different things. some cars actually have really good stock struts and can be lowered on, ours however arent. all im point out is dont go basing your opinions on someone elses car that isnt a j.



Re: why aftermarket struts with lowering springs?
Tuesday, April 01, 2008 12:08 PM
^^ well said, mike. its fact.



Re: why aftermarket struts with lowering springs?
Tuesday, April 01, 2008 1:02 PM
Give the guy a break. It's one thing to draw faulty conclusions based on suspension from other cars, but all he's done is point out an obvious and believable similarity. The horror -- a Mustang dropped 2" on stock shocks sucks too, but let's miss the point and chew him out for suggesting such a thing could be relevant.

You can't always compare suspension on different cars, but cheaping out will come back to bite you no matter what you drive.




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