The guide to lowering kits
Sure, lifted rigs may dominate dirt paths and rocky roads, but a lowered vehicle gets the attention and admiration on big city streets and beltway highways. Besides all the looks you'll get, a lowering kit can change your relationship with the road and with driving in general. The closer you are with the ground, the more in-tune you become with its texture, condition and capabilities. When you take a sharp corner in your lowered vehicle, it's hard not to feel like Michael Schumacher pulling ahead to yet another victory in his Formula One Ferrari.
Lowering kits are the ideal suspension modification for:
Ever wonder why sports cars ride so low to the ground? No, it's not so they can zigzag beneath a big rig's trailer or fly under a cop's speed trap radar. The real reason for the short stature is to lower the center of gravity. With a dropped frame, your chassis runs into less gravitational resistance as you hit the curves. What does all this physics mumbo-jumbo translate into? Simply put, you'll be able to hug the apex of corners like an Andretti racing for the checkered flag.
Another way that lowering kits improve your handling is with stiffer shocks and springs. Spongy dampeners and pliant coils may deliver a smoother ride, but they leave a lot to be desired in terms of performance. Stiffer suspension components boost steering response, reduce nose-dive during hard stops and rear-end squat durning rubber-burning accelerations. The only draw back to firmer dampeners is a harsher ride. Of course, progressive-rate coils and road-sensitive shocks lessen this problem by providing varying degrees of stiffness based on compression.
From classic rat rods to contemporary cruisers, lowered rides attract a lot of attention. Slammed vehicles, with their streamlined profile and aggressive stance, are true works of automotive art, and they turn more heads than a Lamborghini in the parking lot of a county fair. Best of all, you can choose the size of your lowering kit to transform your vehicle into almost any type of dream machine. Take it down a hair for that sharp NASCAR posture, or go way low for a one-of-a-kind custom look.
Lowering kits are also ideal for showcasing your custom wheels. Big 20" chrome wheels and low-profile tires are wildly popular, but huge gaps in the wheel wells may have a diminishing effect. Dropping your vehicle reduces this space, amplifying the clean, mean style of your sharp rims.
With all the variants in suspensions, it's no wonder that there are so many different ways to cut them down to size. Here is a brief explanation of the most common lowering techniques out there today:
- Coil Springs:
- One of the most common, and least invasive, ways to shed a few inches off your height is with shorter coil springs. Generally, these springs are tighter and stiffer than stock ones. Not only does this tautness let the springs respond more rapidly to road conditions, it also limits suspension travel to prevent bottoming out.
- Leaf Springs:
- Trucks and SUVs often have leaf springs in the rear, and there are a couple of ways to lower this type of suspension. One technique is to modify the shackles and hangers to reduce the gap between the leaf spring and the frame. For bigger drops, a whole new leaf spring pack may be needed.
- Spindles:
- spindles connect the steering linkage to the wheel hubs. Mounting a shorter spindle brings your wheels closer to your frame—in other words, lowering your ride. The upside of this type of lowering method is that your suspension travel remains the same.
- Control Arms:
- Like spindle swaps, new control arms take your vehicle down a few inches without diminishing your suspension travel. You can even couple new spindles with control arms for even deeper drops in your ride height.
- Flip Kits:
- Another option is a flip kit, one of the more complex lowering techniques around. This involves rearranging the relationship between the axle and the leaf springs. Normally, the leaf springs sit on top of the axle, but the flip kit reverses this setup. Moving the axle above the leaf springs not only shaves off a couple of inches, but it allows for even deeper drops. Flips do require a C-notch or C-section on your frame for axle clearance.
When it comes to choosing the right lowering kit for your vehicle, there are really only 2 questions you need to ask yourself:
There's a big difference between lowering your vehicle a tad and shaving a full 5" off. You'll want to take this information into consideration:
- For enhanced handling and more agile cornering, you do not need to go down very far. An inch or 2 is all you need to bring down your center of gravity. You will want to get stiffer springs and shock absorbers for the ultimate steering performance, though.
- When you want to erase the empty space around your slick wheels, then a mild to moderate drop is right for you. You might be able to use lowering springs alone, or you might need a complete lowering kit. Measure the distance between the peak of your wheel well's lip and the top of your tire. Use this measurement to determine the maximum amount of lowering space.
- If you want to go all the way down, then a complete lowering kit is the only solution. More than just springs and shocks, a full-blown lowering kit comes with all the extra odds and ends you need for a complete suspension makeover.
While most lift kits will take a serious bite out of your savings account, there are more shades of gray along the lowering kit price spectrum. Let's investigate:
- For the most economical lowering solution, just go with lowering springs. These chopped replacements take the place of your stock coils for a short drop that's big on performance. Plus, you can reuse the shocks you already have, as long as they are not worn out.
- The mid-range lowering kits will include both the shorter coils and a set of performance shocks. Together, they deliver a double dose of spry handling and solid dampening.
- For the ultimate suspension slam with track-worthy handling, then the only choice is a complete lowering kit. It's chock full of premium springs, choice shocks and all the extra components you need for a total transformation.