lowering thoughts

[lelio]

so im at the point where im going to have to mess around with the steering arm and wheel hub for brakes and steering and it occured to me that if i Raised the spindle an inch or 2 i would be lowering the car while retaining full suspension travel.

Is this is a really bad idea? i guess id have to check how much i could go before the tire started hitting stuff at the top of travel and id still go for stiffer springs and shocks. as far as suspension goes i wanna stick with proven solutions since I have no expierence whatsoever in suspension tuning, but if people have done this before with better results than just lowering springs id like to know.

thanks

[winstontj]

If you have access to a machine shop and can make billet spindles go for it! Make a few sets and sell me one! In theory that would be the best because you don't change any of the factory geometry - only the height of the chasis. In practice machining custom spindles, threading in a section of tube and building your own strut housing is a little more complicated and expensive.

Easy answer is buy a lowering kit, install coilovers, place a spacer between the ball joint and the control arm to maintain ideal geometry and lower away.

Archives have TONS of threads on this topic.....

[ingraham]

In principle there is just barely adequate clearance between the tire tread and the lower spring perch on the strut. If you move the spindle up, you move the tire closer to the spring perch. Check yours out and see how much clearance you have there.

[winstontj]

I'd call that checkmate Curt.... I never even looked!

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Will that work with coilovers and wheel spacers? Say if you were to run a widebody kit or even turbo flares? my tires are currently off the car or I'd be measuring and taking pictures. Can you run coilovers? I know lots of guys have issues with tire to strut clearance so this is nothing new. Just a thought

[ingraham]

you can get them made any way you want.

[robspeed]

so im at the point where im going to have to mess around with the steering arm and wheel hub for brakes and steering and it occured to me that if i Raised the spindle an inch or 2 i would be lowering the car while retaining full suspension travel.

Is this is a really bad idea? i guess id have to check how much i could go before the tire started hitting stuff at the top of travel and id still go for stiffer springs and shocks. as far as suspension goes i wanna stick with proven solutions since I have no expierence whatsoever in suspension tuning, but if people have done this before with better results than just lowering springs id like to know.

thanks

just so you know, the 02 has PLENTY of wheel travel, even after lowered with sport lowering springs. early Front-drive VW doods know how LITTLE travel those cars have, in comparison. I will give you an example of this, by taking 2" out of the 02 strut tube, you can lower the car to SHOCKING levels and use VW RABBIT strut inserts, which then fit... so even with an 02 dragging its belly, its running with what other cars start out with, suspension travel-wise.... i wouldnt worry about the geometry unless you are *REALLY* dropping the car for racing (*cough* just look at steve's car!) =)