Questions on Lowering Springs
10-10-2009, 09:57 PM
#1
Questions on Lowering Springs
Planning on getting a set of 19" wheels for my 05 TL. I was also thinking about getting lowering springs just to get rid of the fender gap.
I was told that lowering a car with the addition of bigger wheels can cause the car to have a negative camber. A friend of mine had a TL with some MAJOR negative camber... he had to replace his tires every few months. I'm not into that look nor do I want to replace tires that often.
This leads me to ask these questions:
1. How much should I lower the car to get rid of the fender gap? Is something in the 1-2" range good enough? I'm not going for the "tucked" look and I want to avoid rolling the fenders. Will there be any rubbing with the 19" wheels and 1-2" drop setup? The wheels I'm getting are 19x8.5 and the offset is +32. Tires will either be 235/35 or 245/35.
2. If I lower the car 1-2" and put the 19" wheels on there... would it cause a negative camber? If so... is the angle off by only a little bit so it can be corrected with a camber kit?
3. Do the shocks/struts need to be changed when lowering the said amount? Or will the stock shocks/struts be sufficient?
Thanks... I look forward to your replies!
I was told that lowering a car with the addition of bigger wheels can cause the car to have a negative camber. A friend of mine had a TL with some MAJOR negative camber... he had to replace his tires every few months. I'm not into that look nor do I want to replace tires that often.
This leads me to ask these questions:
1. How much should I lower the car to get rid of the fender gap? Is something in the 1-2" range good enough? I'm not going for the "tucked" look and I want to avoid rolling the fenders. Will there be any rubbing with the 19" wheels and 1-2" drop setup? The wheels I'm getting are 19x8.5 and the offset is +32. Tires will either be 235/35 or 245/35.
2. If I lower the car 1-2" and put the 19" wheels on there... would it cause a negative camber? If so... is the angle off by only a little bit so it can be corrected with a camber kit?
3. Do the shocks/struts need to be changed when lowering the said amount? Or will the stock shocks/struts be sufficient?
Thanks... I look forward to your replies!
10-10-2009, 11:47 PM
#2
AZ Community Team
Join Date: May 2007
Location: N35°03'16.75", W 080°51'0.9"
Posts: 32,488
Received 7,770 Likes
on
4,341 Posts
You'll lose most (almost all) of the fender gap at about 1.5".
If you go more than 1.5", your stock shocks are likely to wear out very quickly. If you go less than 1.5", the stockers might run for a good while, but may still wear prematurely. I've had H&R Sports on (1.4" F / 1.3" R) for almost 2 years with stock shocks. About 24,000 miles. So far, so good.
You will have negative camber with a drop - pretty much any drop. For a moderate drop (again, say, less than 1.5") it won't be too bad. About 1 degee out of spec. If you keep a good toe alignment, you shouldn't wear tires too fast (assuming you have the right size tires for the rims you're running). More than 1.5" and I'd look at a camber kit AND still make sure you keep a very good Toe alignment.
If you go more than 1.5", your stock shocks are likely to wear out very quickly. If you go less than 1.5", the stockers might run for a good while, but may still wear prematurely. I've had H&R Sports on (1.4" F / 1.3" R) for almost 2 years with stock shocks. About 24,000 miles. So far, so good.
You will have negative camber with a drop - pretty much any drop. For a moderate drop (again, say, less than 1.5") it won't be too bad. About 1 degee out of spec. If you keep a good toe alignment, you shouldn't wear tires too fast (assuming you have the right size tires for the rims you're running). More than 1.5" and I'd look at a camber kit AND still make sure you keep a very good Toe alignment.
10-11-2009, 03:27 AM
#3
You'll lose most (almost all) of the fender gap at about 1.5".
If you go more than 1.5", your stock shocks are likely to wear out very quickly. If you go less than 1.5", the stockers might run for a good while, but may still wear prematurely. I've had H&R Sports on (1.4" F / 1.3" R) for almost 2 years with stock shocks. About 24,000 miles. So far, so good.
You will have negative camber with a drop - pretty much any drop. For a moderate drop (again, say, less than 1.5") it won't be too bad. About 1 degee out of spec. If you keep a good toe alignment, you shouldn't wear tires too fast (assuming you have the right size tires for the rims you're running). More than 1.5" and I'd look at a camber kit AND still make sure you keep a very good Toe alignment.
If you go more than 1.5", your stock shocks are likely to wear out very quickly. If you go less than 1.5", the stockers might run for a good while, but may still wear prematurely. I've had H&R Sports on (1.4" F / 1.3" R) for almost 2 years with stock shocks. About 24,000 miles. So far, so good.
You will have negative camber with a drop - pretty much any drop. For a moderate drop (again, say, less than 1.5") it won't be too bad. About 1 degee out of spec. If you keep a good toe alignment, you shouldn't wear tires too fast (assuming you have the right size tires for the rims you're running). More than 1.5" and I'd look at a camber kit AND still make sure you keep a very good Toe alignment.
I was looking at the H&R springs... how are they? I threw a set of Eibachs on my old Toyota Celica and they held up pretty nicely (didn't have a camber issue... the drop was only 1" front/rear). Other than those two brands... there is also the Tein S-techs. Are all of them pretty much the same when it comes to ride comfort and handling?
10-11-2009, 07:30 PM
#4
AZ Community Team
Join Date: May 2007
Location: N35°03'16.75", W 080°51'0.9"
Posts: 32,488
Received 7,770 Likes
on
4,341 Posts
I'm very happy with the H&R sports. Decent drop and the ride and handling are great.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
1fatcrxnem1
3G TL Tires, Wheels & Suspension
22
06-01-2018 01:23 AM
