Struts and springs

[wizzel]

I heard that it is a good idea to change your struts when you lower the car. They said if you dont then your stock struts are going to wear out faster. Does anyone know how long the stock struts will last?

[_Keith_]

no one knows this... it varies by drop and road conditions

[phocis850]

If you do any more than a 1" drop, I recommend changing out your struts.
Main reason is that the springs will be to tight for the loose strut to keep up with. So you will feel like your floating everywhere. That may sound nice, but your car will float (bounce) back and forth with no end in sight.

[fightinsk8ers]

If you do any more than a 1" drop, I recommend changing out your struts.
Main reason is that the springs will be to tight for the loose strut to keep up with. So you will feel like your floating everywhere. That may sound nice, but your car will float (bounce) back and forth with no end in sight.


I never heard this before...i dont think thats true your struts will go out eventually...faster if you have a more severe drop like wiht (tein s-techs) but if you had trd lowering springs on there im sure your struts would last a long time bcuz its not such a severe drop.

[Tahoepimp]

If you do any more than a 1" drop, I recommend changing out your struts.
Main reason is that the springs will be to tight for the loose strut to keep up with. So you will feel like your floating everywhere. That may sound nice, but your car will float (bounce) back and forth with no end in sight.

Not completly true it will ride a little rougher and will last a little shorter because the valving is not right and your only using half the stroke on the strut/shock

when they are built for a lowered vehicle this is taken into consideration and the piston is shortened and valving changed to get full benifit of the strut/shock absorber

youll be fine ive had my vehicles both ways with the stockers and with "lowering" shocks not denying one is better than the other but with either lack of options or cash go with the stockers if you bnuy aftermarket your replaceing the stocks anyways may as well get some use out of them

[ev]

i've been riding stock struts on tein s-tech for over 60000 miles, and they are still holding up pretty well

[Krdshrk]

I'm on OEM struts on TRD springs. About 35k miles after lowering (44k miles total) and they're starting to go on me.

[phocis850]

Not completly true it will ride a little rougher and will last a little shorter because the valving is not right and your only using half the stroke on the strut/shock

when they are built for a lowered vehicle this is taken into consideration and the piston is shortened and valving changed to get full benifit of the strut/shock absorber

youll be fine ive had my vehicles both ways with the stockers and with "lowering" shocks not denying one is better than the other but with either lack of options or cash go with the stockers if you bnuy aftermarket your replaceing the stocks anyways may as well get some use out of them

What is not completely true about my statement?
I've lowered many different vehicles. A 1" drop does not affect the struts as severely as a 1.5" drop would. Going past the 1" drop will cause the teeter-totter effect and causes a vehicle to become unsafe, and on top of that very annoying to drive. Because of my experience in this field I stand behind my statement 100% and many others would as well.

[ev]

^^ my drop is OVER two inches and I don't "teeter-totter", my car is not unsafe, and it is in no way annoying to drive...

[Hunner]

Mines dropped on stechs which are about 2 in or a little more if anything and my car handles better, bounces around less, and if anything is actually safer to drive. I enjoy these springs a lot more than OEM

[SmoothMoveExLax]

Everyone I know, who's dropped their rides, is still riding on the stock struts...sadly I'm not dropped yet, but the people who are haven't had any problems with the struts.

[fightinsk8ers]

as soon as it gets warm again im dropping mine on s techs

[Tahoepimp]

What is not completely true about my statement?
I've lowered many different vehicles. A 1" drop does not affect the struts as severely as a 1.5" drop would. Going past the 1" drop will cause the teeter-totter effect and causes a vehicle to become unsafe, and on top of that very annoying to drive. Because of my experience in this field I stand behind my statement 100% and many others would as well.

what have you been lowering ive had many vehicles on stock shocks and on lowering shocks im not arguing the fact that lowering shocks are much better to use but ive never had a teeter totter effect from doing it on stock...

[phocis850]

I've lowered 2 Accords, 2 Civics, 1 Protege, 1 Camry, 1 Dodge Shadow, and 3 Preludes.

All those vehicles had different springs with different spring rates. The protege was lowered on Eibach Pros and used the stock struts. It gave about a 1" drop. The drive with fine mainly due to the spring rate (very soft).

2 preludes and 1 accord were dropped on Neuspeed Race springs. All settled around 2.75". 2 of those cars were on stock struts and were very unsafe to drive. Driving the accord, I couldn't stop rocking back and forth.

[ev]

^^ that's a sign to stay away from the hondas

[Tahoepimp]

^^ that's a sign to stay away from the hondas]

Lol amen ive never had this trouble with many diffrent vehicles hehe

[SatsumaXa]

What is not completely true about my statement?
I've lowered many different vehicles. A 1" drop does not affect the struts as severely as a 1.5" drop would. Going past the 1" drop will cause the teeter-totter effect and causes a vehicle to become unsafe, and on top of that very annoying to drive. Because of my experience in this field I stand behind my statement 100% and many others would as well.

Ran across your post while searching for information on suspension, you sounded experienced and I hoped you could provide some advice.;-)

Question; would the Echo's stock front struts lower the xA, how much...
What shocks can I put in on the rear to drop 1.5"-2"?? What would be a good way to drop the rear an additional amount on top of lowering springs?
Could I re-temper the spring with a load on it?

again Thanx for your help..