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So, you’ve been thinking about upgrading your suspension and are now ready to take that leap.

First and foremost, this will ultimately depend on what you desire from your vehicle. Is it your daily road car and you want it to sit lower with some slight improvements to the handling or is it a show car which you want to be stanced out, running a cool wheel setup focusing more on the way it looks? Or are you more inclined towards the performance side and are looking for a significant improvement for fast road or even track driving?

I want my car to be as low as possible, STANCED and ready for Show Season.

So, you want to lower your car. Then there are a few ways to do so: air suspension, coilovers, or lowering springs. Each system has its pros and cons, focusing on the springs and coilovers today. So how do you know which system is right for you?

Lowering Springs

Does exactly what it says on the tin, and usually the first suspension modification most customers opt for. Lowering springs use springs that operate at a lower height usually with a higher spring rate to compensate for the lower ride height, lowering your vehicle closer to the ground. The drop itself will vary on the brand you choose. Reducing the arch gap your car will generally have from when it leaves the factory, so now that your car is sitting a little meaner what does it mean for handling and ride comfort?

Will I get better handling from these?

Since the car will be sitting lower, one of the largest improvements is the reduction in body roll. Which is the sway you feel left to right when you change direction, after the springs are fitted, on a spirited drive you will notice your car feel sharper and more positive when changing direction, but again these are a starter modification and may mean they aren’t the best option for your requirements.

Will my ride be a harsher?

Yes, some comfort will be compromised when the car is lowered from stock, if anybody tells you any different; they’re lying! However, in this day and age the compromise is minimal and those who have chosen lowering springs very rarely complain.

In the case of springs, the saying “you get what you pay for” rings very true. If you’re on a budget and just want your car to look better with less arch gap and are not too concerned about performance handling, then Lowering Springs are the way to go!

I need more from my suspension, adjustable ride height and a significant improvement in handling, fast road and track driving!

Coilovers

Behold, “the coilovers”. If you are unfamiliar with the term and have heard it thrown around and not know what it means, coilovers are dampers that come with the spring integrated as one unit. The main advantage with a coilover is that you will be ale to adjust your ride height. But once again, there are low end budget coilovers available which can in reality worsen the ride of your car from stock. We often recommend not to use cheaper coilover kits on high end performance cars for example your RS cars or M Cars. These cars are set up by manufacturers with some very decent suspension, and using a cheaper coilover kit will most likely ruin the ride of the car and the way it’s supposed to perform.

Coilovers are a type of suspension kit that allows each vehicles spring and damper ride height to be adjusted independently of each other. There are many reasons this can benefit someone. Simply for ride height or in tack set ups, corner weighting and optimising roll centre. Many coilovers also feature adjustable dampers which means you can control they way the suspension reacts to suit your driving. An adjustable damper will allow you to harden or soften the damper.

If you plan on attending track days or drive your car hard constantly, a set of coilovers is indeed the better purchase. Damping adjustment and fine tuning ability will allow you a lot of variety in terms of handling for specific tracks and roads. They are a must for any serious driver (you’ll never find a race car without it!).

Also when running a specific wheel and spacer setup, the adjustability of a coilover kit will allow you to fine tune the ride height to really close that arch gap and get your car looking exactly the way you want it.

Summary:

So, now that you know which is which it will always be up to you and what you require for your particular needs. A coilover kit, is the best of both worlds with adjustability, fine tuning and quality of materials by reputable brands such as KW Suspensions, Bilstein, ST Suspensions, Ohlins, Racingline and H&R to name a few. And a lowering spring will do what it says, it will lower your car for a better stance and look, with an improvement in handling but you will compromise some ride quality.

Also bear in mind if a lowering spring drops your car by too much (40-55mm) it will cause the suspension to bottom out easier when the roads get bumpy which can result in some damage to the damper and in some cases other chassis components (top mounts, bushings, drop links and ball joints).