Cascade Crew

[DBL_TKE]

Every time I walk out to my car, all I can think about is how much I want it to be lower. So I think I'm going to finally lower it. I don't particularly like any of the off the shelf kits, as pretty much none of them have the drop that I want or the springs rates are either too soft or just plain unlisted. I think I'll just order some race springs that way I can fine tune exactly what I'm getting. For the drop, I want to be lowered more than 2" front and rear. I do however plan to do some semi competitive autocrossing next season so the spring rates I was thinking about were 800 front and 180-200 rear. The main problem I'm having is how exactly do I determine how much of a drop a particular spring will give me? I don't think it's as easy as just subtracting 2 1/2" from the stock spring free length (14"?) right? Since the higher spring rate will cause it to not settle as much when loaded.

This is about where I want my stance to be:

[Al Hasse]

You might check into the Ground Control Weight Jacks. IIRC Dewey is using them and has his car sitting almost on the bump stops. If I'm looking at the site correctly, you can specify the spring rates you desire and/or describe your useage. Been thinking about this for some time myself.

http://www.ground-control-store.com/products/description.php/II=20/CA=86

[91RSVert]

The last car is Candys. IIRC it had bags on it.

For v8's, the 800/200-225 seems to be quite popular. I'm sure on tgo or another camaro site, you could get some pics and find the exact measurements your looking for.

But anyway, on the front. Assuming you had the correct rate, you shorten your spring approx half of what you want at the wheel. (this does not apply when cutting, just getting customs made)

Rears, what you remove is fairly close to what you get.

I'm with Al, get some weight jacks so you can set your height and spring. But we warned, this will put you in a different class then what just a set of drop springs will put you in.

[Twilightoptics]

Ground control.

You'll want your drop to be adjustable.

[DBL_TKE]

I just reread the description on Ground Controls site and apparently that price is for all four weight jacks and springs. A much better deal than I previously thought. I just went out to my car and measured distance from the ground to the center of the fender lip and the front is at 27.25" F and 28" R. I want it to be at 25" F and 25.5" rear. GC's 3" of adjust ability fit my needs perfectly along with the ability to order whatever spring rates I please. I wonder how long my KYB's will last going that low?

BTW Both Kandy's car and FlyinLow's (2nd pic) are bagged but the picture of Kandy's was just a photoshop. However, the first pic of Hawaiian's Z28 is with the GC setup and race springs.

I'll sleep on it and order it tomorrow morning probably.

[Outlaw28]

id either get the ground control or go air bags do not just throw in springs to lower it...you'll be rubbing like crazy. when i bought my car the k-member was only 1/2 inch from the ground and i had to drive it from portland to bremerton,wa in the middle of a nasty wind storm...that was one heck of a drive...anyways back to point...it bottomed out so many times...its not worth it to be sitting so low in less you can raise it up when you need to...take out your rubber isolator if you havn't already that will lower you 1/2 inch to and inch...yeah our cars look good low but when you get stuck trying to get into a parking lot not only is it embarrassing but you can seriously damage your car

[DBL_TKE]

I'm well aware of what I'm getting myself into by going this low. All the roads around where I live are in fairly good condition. I already know every where that I'd have to avoid speed bumps and driveways. the whole bottoming out thing is why I think most off the shelf kits are a joke, They're too soft. I don't think I will have much of a problem with that with the spring rates I plan on getting. There's a couple people on here lowered 2" or more without too many problems.

[DBL_TKE]

Aww screw it, I couldn't think of any draw backs to the Ground Control kit so I went ahead and ordered it with 800 front and 200 rear spring rates.. Can't wait for it to show up on my door step.

[Twilightoptics]

800 front eh? Whewwwww

[dlp]

Man, better spend some time under your car clearencing the exhaust, etc. I have two inch lowering srings from Eibach and really have to pay attention to what goes under the car. The Hamburger oil pan on my 87 looks like a friggen golf ball, the 3" y pipe used to be round but is now oval and the bottom of the front ground effects has stress cracked the new paint. I have only put 8K miles on the car since doing most of the work, so it has only been driven recreationelly. I could'nt imagine having to drive it to work.

O'yea, almost forgot about ripping the drain plug out of the transmission pan ( TCI deep pan) in down town Bellevue.

[Outlaw28]

dlp get some umi SFC's they will sit just a tad lower then your ground effects but you wont notice them inless your really far back and fairly low to the ground...they will help protect the gfx and a few other items of importance...better those hit the the gfx..plus they will help the car from bending creating those stress cracks in the paint

[Dewey316]

My car is one of the lower cars in the group. So I will trow in my $0.02.

I am running the G-C kit on my car, with 800/175's on it. To get as low as I am, be prepared to drag/hit lots of stuff. The other thing, is you will have clearance issues with your bump stops. I trimmed mine a bit, but still need to do it more. My car sits about 1/8" from the stock bump stops. You will want more suspension travel than that.

To go any lower than my car, you need to look into drop-spindles. My car is already lower than I probably should have gone, my A-arm geometry is not ideal. The cars in those pictures, I can almost promise you, are not driven with the stances they have. It looks great, but you just cannot functionally go that low on our cars.

[91RSVert]

Dewey, if your 1/8 from the bump stop, then at one time I was lower then you, but it wasnt driveable. So I raised it. I loved the look, but the roads around here are to crappy for it.

I think CH drives his car that low. I know Candy didnt.

DBL, if you would take some pics of the kit and during install. Its something I have looked at, but just cant justify the cost.

[iansane]

You're going to want to go stiffer after you try those 800s. However, youre going to want the accompanying stiffening mods. Those KYBs will be annihilated. Might as well warranty them out now so they at least last a bit at that height. It'd be better if you could splurge for some better shocks/struts though.

Low cars are cool. Wish I had more rear fenderwell so I could go lower!

[Xophertony]

[91RSVert]

[Twilightoptics]

I cut 3/4 coil off the stock IROC springs and got 2.5" lower in the front.

Forget how much I cut off that back. Had to raise it when I put the 9" in to clear the exhaust. At the strip without the sway bar it whacks a bit still! lol

Handles fantastic with KYB front and Koni Yellow in the rear.

[iansane]

[dlp]

[iansane]