Is it wise to just use lowering springs

[theviking]

Hi want to possibly lower my a4 avant 98 but limited cash is it wise to just bang a set of lowering springs on iv done it on a golf b4 ? bit rougher ride but looked beter it kinda tractor like now want to lower 40mm cheers

 

[CMD]

If your shock's have load's of mile's on them then no.. You will notice a big difference if you buy a shock and spring combo as both will be new.

 

[phoenixv6quattro]

Yeah I can vouch for that. Lowered my v6 on new oe sports struts. 40mm drop over the sports springs. Tiny bit hard, but overall very nice ride...

 

[B5NUT]

1.8T I recently purchased had been lowered without the shocks being replaced had the most appalling ride, I could not live with it, as I prefer my spine in one piece. I would try and look for a S/H set of springs & shocks.

 

[slepy]

Depends what springs you get.
I had HR's in beemer and almost lost my teeth.
Had weitec in focus and was brilliant.
But another thing is that after driving with standard shocks and sport springs for a while,
you will have ride going harder and harder, and your shocks will die quicker. So at the end of the day, if you
don't change them now, you will have to do it later.

 

[Matt82]

what has been said about shocks dying faster is true. putting uprated springs on the wrong dampers is a bit pikey imo because ive seen how bad the results can be. putting uprated springs on old tired dampers is just plain stupid, you can turn your car into a total death trap

 

[aragorn]

Still less of a deathtrap than the twonks who chop half their springs off, and put washers on the sub axles to "camber up" their wheels though...

 

[Matt82]

with stretched tyres...

 

[Oranoco]

Oh Lord not on here as well. World War 3 has started on PassionFord.com over a Mk1 Golf Rabbit with stupid camber etc.

I ran stock dampers on 30mm Eibach springs and found no problem at all. However I did notice one of the dampers leaking and due to one of teh front dampers knocking I replaced the whole lot with an AP coilover kit. To be fair the dampers did have a good few miles under their belts when I fitted them and it was only ever intended as a stop gap

 

[phoenixv6quattro]

I'm guilty of being a "twonk" as someone above put it...When I was 18 me and some of the lads bought an old saab 9000 aero. We chopped the springs almost in half because we wanted the money that should have been spent on springs for beer tokens instead. The rear springs were so bad they used to fall out of the locating cups and out onto the track!!!! So we got banned from the trackday we were on by the marshalls. Our fault, very stupid, very young and back then we were the original pikey modders!! We even used a drainpipe once for air induction, and a beer can for an oil catch tank.....,.

 

[Matt82]

nothing wrong with that, just the spring dislocating. ive cut springs in the past with fantastic results. i used a lucozade bottle for a catch tank (but the plastic went brittle..)

its not pikey, its initiative because they were functional. unfortunately tired dampers on uprated springs end up with some very dodgy damping efffects. my brothers pikey clio used to launch itself off the gound on certain bumps

 

[aragorn]

Oranoco: Heh i was reading that thread too, i'm "Turbo Transit" over there, think i posted a few times on it actually

 

[theviking]

thanks kinda side traked but i get it! better sel a kidney for dampners and springs .EGGS

 

[floyd 1.8 turbo]

with stretched tyres...

Oh oh hear we go again hahaha