Suspension Lowering Understanding

26th February 2005

Hi - I would like to share my understanding regarding "lowering" of the car. Many people thinks that "lowered" will scratch the bottom. This is not true for properly lowered car. This is why: -

Original coil is never stronger than 2 kg/mm and a corner weight of a car is around 250 kg therefore the coil will be naturally compressed downwards 250 / 2 = 125 mm

Sit another guy of 50 kg and it will lower to 300 / 2 = 150 mm. If the guy is heavy at 100kg then 350 / 2 = 175 mm. Or imagine a skinny guy 50 kg plus heavy luggage at the rear sure over 50 kg.

However if upgrade springs to 4 kg/mm then the entire story change to: -

250 / 4 = 62.5 mm ONLY. At heaviest load of 350 / 4 = 87.5 mm maximum sink

So, which one do you want to use? 175 mm drop or 87.5?

I'm currently using TiTAN coilovers front and rear. At speed below 60 km/h it is a LITTLE bumpier than OEM coil by around 30% only. Not like TRD / RG / CUSCO / TEIN / HOTBITS, where comfort level lost around 200%

But at speed above 80 km/h my car is more comfortable than a merc or BMW.

My car at resting have 3 fingers gap at the rear. Just went to Cheng Ming and carry two adults at rear seats with chicken, and siew-yok, and Chinese tea pots & cups, alcohol, engine oil, spare water, 2 ton mini jack, full load.

With all the extra weight only drop 2 fingers. So, do you see the benefits of upgraded coils? Some more my rear is 3.3 kg/mm not even 4.

During cheng ming, negotiated corners steadily, didn't speeding lah, can easily do 80 to 100 in rural areas :) little body roll, I like it that way, knows what the car is going to do next :)

BTW and my car is lowered from 7 fingers to 2 fingers for front , while rear was also 7 fingers to 3 fingers.

That's allot but I never bottom-out the suspension before. I used to go into KLCC loading bay to carry PA amplifier 20+kg each and subwoofers 20+kg each full load of 2 subs and 2 amplifiers with accessories. Never ever bottom-out on the speed bumps. KLCC loading bay has one of the highest speed bump in KL. Most Proton Wira unloaded get scratch.

But how much can you adjust depends very much on how much they allow you to adjust. Do you know how much they allow you to adjust? For all we know the 16 steps adjustment can change bump from 30 kgf to 300 kgf and exactly on the rebound.

While the 40 steps .... .ooooooo high-end 40 steps you know ..... can adjust only from 120 kgf to 240 kgf......so did anyone take this into account?

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