CerberusKy

iTrader: (1)

I’m trying to figure out what suspension set up I can get for my 2010 sh-awd 6mt, that will not lower the car (or not by much), that will give me a smoother ride while casual driving, and the same or better performance characteristics when hitting the twisties. I don’t want to go lower than stock, as I’m already clipping the bottom of the nose when entering and exiting parking lots and entering side roads that have rain gutters.


My understanding is that the Teins (basic/super street) will both cause my car to be lower at the max height (correct?)


Thanks in advance for the help.

Edward'TLS

Lowering the ride height of a car is in effect lowering the center of gravity (CoG) of the car. A car with a lower CoG is always more stable and therefore can achieve higher speeds in tackling corners.

As a result, aftermarket springs, that perform better than OEM, are always shorter and with a higher spring rate than OEM. So the modded car will always sit lower than OEM.

So if you're able to find a set of springs that will preserve the OEM ride height, then it won't give you any handling performance gain at all. It'll just be a waste of $$.

In the worse case, some scam shops may even give the OEM springs a new paint finish, and then sell them to you labeled as high performance aftermarket springs.

CerberusKy

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Edward.

Strippers4Me

It all depends on what you want in a ride...

I lowered just about every car that I have owned with springs or coilovers, most the ride was pretty much the same or better if it is only a minor drop. My MINI S was slammed for mostly track use so on the road I felt ever stone I drove over.

Personally on the TL I see this as more of a cruiser with an edge so I didn't alter the suspension at all. I however did ADD sidewall to my tires (40 to 45) on the factory 19's to give the car a better ride and it is still quite lively in the twisties.

Many here think the TL is a sports car and IMHO is not, a 4000lb car is not a sports sedan it is a tourer and most likely driven as such.

Please don't flame... every person has an opinon an this one just happens to be mine. Now, if you want to talk about my '10 TSX, that is more of the sporty car...

i64X

^^^ I agree.

Also, in regards to the original reply, there is a LOT more to handling than just center of gravity. A car with a more aggressive spring rate and a dampening setup to match will handle better than the same car with stock suspension, even if at the same height. Body roll would be much eliminated, for example, which would have a huge effect on quick maneuvering when changing direction.

Saying that a spring has to be shorter than stock height for improved handling is not true. You will obviously gain handling characteristic apples to apples with a lower center of gravity, but any OEM setup can be improved handling-wise at stock ride height.

Edward'TLS

Other than aftermarket sway and strut bars, please teach us how to improve the OEM setup at stock ride height.

i64X

Stiffer springs at a slightly shorter length than stock height (since they won't compress as much under the weight of the car as stock springs) with a more aggressive spring rate would provide you with a stiffer rate at stock ride height. Some places will even do slightly progressive vs a static rate.

With something like this you wouldn't gain the benefit of a reduced center of mass, but you would gain the benefit of a more aggressive spring rate, as well as reduced body roll and all of the negatives that come with fighting weight transfer under cornering in that regard.

There are a couple places that do custom springs around where I live, and I'm sure many more on the Internet. They will make custom springs for you if you specify the diameter, length, and spring weight. A friend of mine and I were just talking to a guy that does it last weekend, to see if we could get some springs made to raise our 1G CRVs 1" in the front and 1.75" in the rear. He said he could do it for $100 per coil and could do whatever rate we wanted.

If the only thing you take in to consideration is ride height when you consider performance suspension, and disregard things that are also important in their own right - like spring rate - then you might as well just cut the stock springs to keep the same rate on a lower car. That'd be the cheapest way to go - and obviously isn't advisable at all.

i64X

Armchair engineering aside, and as an example to illustrate what I'm trying to say - one of our sales guys has an 05 Lexus GS300 with Tein Comfort Sport coilovers on it - the same ones I had on my 07 TSX, but at the highest ride height setting they only lower his car by 0.3" in the back and 0.1" in the front. In the winter he raises it to the highest level, since we live in Michigan and we get snow.

Tein CS aren't the most aggressive coilovers in the world, but even at the highest adjustable ride height height, which is only roughly 7.5mm less than stock (barely noticeable at all), the car handles vastly better than the stock run of the mill Lexus old-man peanut buttery suspension. Why? Center of gravity is nearly exactly the same, as you could drop 7.5mm easily by having an extra 150lb person get in the car... rather it's the more aggressive spring rate than stock, and the adjustable dampening in the struts.

eazy

iTrader: (8)

If you're talking about getting aftermarket springs they're already going to be stiffer than your stocks. But how does that equal an OEM set up?? o.O

They don't make aftermarket shocks for the 4G unless you go coilovers. So you'd be pairing lowering springs with stock shocks and struts which wouldn't be stock height. I don't recall seeing any company making aftermarket springs with more aggressive spring rates that don't lower the car one bit tho

eazy

iTrader: (8)

Maybe you're taking the wrong angle down the curb but at stock height I never really had that problem. Do you have some steep parking lot curbs?

i64X

That's what I'm saying - not off the shelf, but you could have a spring shop make them for only little more than an aftermarket OTS setup.

The way I read it was that the OP wanted a more sporty handling characteristic without lowering his car. Contrary to the first reply, that can be done and is very possible, just not OTS.

I can understand the desire that comes with not wanting to lower a car. If I had to drive my TL in winter with snow I wouldn't want it much lower either. I have a CRV with BFG AT TAs on it though, so that takes all of the snow and salt abuse that MI throws at it while the TL is safe and warm in the garage.

CerberusKy

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for all the replies.... We get tons of snow here, but I have a Nissan Titan that I drive in the winter. I could probably survive with about 1/2 inch lower (maybe if I get coilovers and lower the back a bit more than the front that might keep the nose at approximately the same height.
I have read here that the Tein coilovers can offer a more casual ride while increasing handling characteristics at some settings. Looks like the minimum ride height adjustment would be -.59 (front) and -.12 (rear) on the Tein SS. Since the TL sits with the nose lower than the ass, I think it may be possible to put the ass down -1.0 and keep the nose pretty much stock height. Any thoughts? Thanks!

stripper & I64: I consider the car more of a touring car as well... but sometimes I like to rip up the canyons.

CerberusKy

iTrader: (1)

Seems like I'm hitting the nose once a day. I'm not used to having to get angles to enter a parking lot... especially when I just stomped on it to get through before an on-coming car.

eazy

iTrader: (8)

You gotta take it slow on those curbs. I usually angle and let one wheel off the curb with the steering straight and ease the other wheel off the curb while keeping the steering straight.

Your at stock height so you probably wouldn't need too much of an angle. I know a couple 4G's with Tein SS and they have nothing but compliments for it. If you really want to keep similar height coils are the only way to go. You'll probably slowly decrease the wheel gap over time