Lowering Help

hi, i have a 96 RS eclipse and i want to lower it (about 1 to 2 inches). my question is, what way would anyone suggest as the best...? i want to lower the car sorta for looks, but im hoping with a lower center of gravity it will handle alittle better. the problem i have is that i live in ohio so 6 months out of the year its shitty and snowy and icy so i would kinda like something adjustable. i thought about air bags, but after looking into that, decided that its alittle more than i want to spend. also, ive heard good and bad things about coilovers, however most of it has been from people who dont knwo what they are talking about. im also not sure what else i would need to get with coilovers... eould i need new springs? shocks? struts? if anyone could help, i would greatly appreciate it!

If you want something adjustable and you want something that will help with your performance go with a complete coilover/shock set. I would suggest some Koni Sport struts, as I have had good experience with them.

You can not just get some adjustable springs, because they will quickly destroy your stock struts, along with bending rims, blowing tires, etc. etc. in the worst case scenario.

hope it helps.

Definitely go with a coilover/shock kit. You can find a kit of a good brand (Koni, Tokico, etc.) from $340-$550, I think you'll be much happier with the kit. You won't have to worry about wearing out your stock shocks, etc.

Lowering the car with springs will look good, but not necessarilly help your cornering. You're better off upgrading both springs and struts at once. Your other option is "true" coilovers. Actually, there are even more options (custom valved struts, sleeve coilovers, etc.), but search, or wait for someone smarter than me to post afterward : )

1) Ghetto fabulous: Cut your springs and say "fuck it." Free... Don't do this.

2) You just want to lower your car, and this stuff gets too complicated to worry about: Buy eibach prokit springs, they'll drop you car 1.9" and you won't have to get a camber kit. Est. cost: 200 dollars (E-Bay, new). Eibach sportlines drop you more, but the farther down you go, the worse your cornering will get until you remedy the camber and toe problems you'll get. Other springs are cheaper, but there are concerns about them wearing over time. Also, many aftermarket suspension parts are geared toward eibach products. Compatibility is good, you may upgrade later.

3) You want to corner better, but money matters: Get the above springs, and tokico struts. Tokico struts are the way to go on a 2g, Konis are popular but have travel problems. Est. cost: 300 (E-Bay, new).

4) You're getting more serious: Get adjustable rate springs and the above struts. Ground controls are nice, they feature eibach springs. Est. cost: 350 (E-Bay, new). Don't buy sleeve coilovers with shitty springs. Think about your upper mounts, too, for another 100+ (They aren't on E-Bay, sorry : ) . Think about your tires. Crappy tires will limit you way before a set-up like this will.

5) But coilovers look cool... : Nex are cheap(er), tein are popular, high dollar teins and jics are the way to go. If you want to spend 1300 dollars or more. If you don't adjust them well, they won't ride much different than the above. Maybe worse. If you spend this much money to look cool, you are a jackass.

5) You are a badass, and want to learn more: Search on this site. The more I learn about suspension the more complicated it seems. Have to worry about camber, toe-in/out, and having a compatible setup. There's a lot of info here if you search. 95gsxracer has a writeup that's over my head, but a good read. I think vfaq has a suspension write-up, too. Then re-post here and get the attention of someone with more experience than me.

Things to think about: Drag car, circuit car, street car, or grocery car... what are your ambitions? How much are you looking to spend? Are the parts spring rated for your car? How tight do you want your suspension, and how fast is it going to wear?

All this shit can get expensive. That's what I learned. If any of this is wrong, please correct me.

Good luck...

Edit>> Tires are going to help you more with winter conditions than suspension is.

Coilovers are a mated spring and strut setup, they include both.

Also, you own an RS. The car doesn't have blistering speed, not without some serious work at least. Keep this in mind with how much you spend on your suspension (Ie, doesn't make much sense to over upgrade suspension).

Last thing: If you lower your stuff, expect tire wear issues.

yes, i understand that an RS isnt real fast which is why im just working on handling right now. i cant drive balls to the wall until one of my tickets clear so i figured i would work on getting the car around the corners smooth and tighter. also, is there much of a difference in strut bars? will soemthing off ebay stabalize the struts in the exact same way that a 90 dollar "racing" strut bar will or is there really a difference? any other suggestions for modifications involveing better cornering, please let me know!

One strut bar is as good as another, as far as brands. Get one with fewer flex points, since the idea is to keep the chasis rigid. A front bar won't do much with the firewall so close, a rear strut bar is a big improvement. You can also do a lower strut bar on the rear, something you can't do with AWD. Upgrading the sway bars is another good investment. It is an investment though-- I haven't found anything cheaper than 200 used for a front and rear set of Suspension Techniques. I also don't know of any knock off brands. Lastly, you can upgrade the bushings in the suspension with kits by energy or prothane. Getting the old bushings off can be a mother, or so I've been told.

Getting nice tires would be a good way to go, to start. There's no consensus about great tires, but you can research yourself at www.tirerack.com. They have a pretty nice section there with editor and peer reviews. Here are peer reviews on ultra high performance summer tires: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=UHP.

Have fun