Lowest ISF on modified coilovers??
01-23-11, 04:17 AM
#16
I think the car looks fine. It would look better if you ran more aggressive offsets to push the wheels out more. The pictures of the white ISF that you posted has it right. Perhaps some spacers?
Also, let's be honest here - your car does not handle better because you lowered it. For one thing, without any camber or toe adjustment, you have less contact patch for your tires.
Also, let's be honest here - your car does not handle better because you lowered it. For one thing, without any camber or toe adjustment, you have less contact patch for your tires.
01-23-11, 06:39 AM
#17
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Thread Starter
I think the car looks fine. It would look better if you ran more aggressive offsets to push the wheels out more. The pictures of the white ISF that you posted has it right. Perhaps some spacers?
Also, let's be honest here - your car does not handle better because you lowered it. For one thing, without any camber or toe adjustment, you have less contact patch for your tires.
Also, let's be honest here - your car does not handle better because you lowered it. For one thing, without any camber or toe adjustment, you have less contact patch for your tires.
Car doesnt handle better...if I say ok will that make you happy lol..again these twin tube dampeners were custom made to my liking, and the stock ride is much stiffer and jarring..these are much much smoother but I dunno i must be on neptune.. do you guys just want me to agree with your thoughts and opinions or was this a mature discussion ..
01-23-11, 06:40 AM
#18
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FYI my F to me is as an enthusiast a toy for fun..use on street daily driving etc...not an F1 race car..just to make sure we are all on same page .. lol sheesh
01-23-11, 09:41 AM
#19
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Your car looks sharp and congrats on your academic success. I think what has 'rubbed' most people in this thread the wrong way vs. your friends is that you open with all of the things that lowering your car has damaged.
You are right, it is just a car and this forum is designed to support car guys, so I say do want you want. If you and your group/scene think it looks great then that is all that matters. I know I have seen lots of fans of lowered IS's so hopefully they will come to offer you some support or insight.
I do have some concerns over your statement about the handling being better. If you simply added threads then you are going beyond the designed limits of the Tein system you have. While it may work and your EDFC can be set to soft, there is little chance that your ride is smoother than stock as you claim. Having lived in Houston I know the interstates and interchanges can be rough as hell. Also, like with anything, being lower to the ground may give you the illusion of better handling, but taking a 4000lbs car and dropping it like a go-kart will not give you go-cart handling.
Being that you are an engineer I would be interested in hearing more about your suspension setup? Also, none of the above is a personal attack...I am simply offering my opinion of the situation/setup and have some questions about your suspension setup.
You are right, it is just a car and this forum is designed to support car guys, so I say do want you want. If you and your group/scene think it looks great then that is all that matters. I know I have seen lots of fans of lowered IS's so hopefully they will come to offer you some support or insight.
I do have some concerns over your statement about the handling being better. If you simply added threads then you are going beyond the designed limits of the Tein system you have. While it may work and your EDFC can be set to soft, there is little chance that your ride is smoother than stock as you claim. Having lived in Houston I know the interstates and interchanges can be rough as hell. Also, like with anything, being lower to the ground may give you the illusion of better handling, but taking a 4000lbs car and dropping it like a go-kart will not give you go-cart handling.
Being that you are an engineer I would be interested in hearing more about your suspension setup? Also, none of the above is a personal attack...I am simply offering my opinion of the situation/setup and have some questions about your suspension setup.
01-23-11, 11:06 AM
#20
Being an engineer I am surprised that you can come to that conclusion that your car handles better than stock. If you did objective testing like an engineer would before making a statement like that you would find that it handles worse in every way on the street or track when subject to objective measurement.
To run a car that low and have it handle well, you have to do a lot more to it than just lower it to the ground with short body dampers. Being an engineer, you should know that they are many problems with the suspension geometry caused by excessive lowering. It can also be very dangerous. By lowering the car past the limits of its engineered suspension stroke, you are greatly increasing the angularity of your ball joints, tie rods and other critical components, possibly right to where they are damaging their internals and for sure putting loads on them at angles where they were not designed to accept such loads. I hope you stroked the suspension in its new range of travel and checked for ball joint and tie rod stud interference and binding. It would suck for you to hit a big bump by accident and have one of these parts fail.
You can say it looks sweet, and don't get me wrong it does but it does not handle better. It's your car and if looks are more important to you than function, thats your choice and more power to you. Do what makes you happy. Just don't do it if you want your car to actually perform better, it doesn't. It might not be all that safe either.
To run a car that low and have it handle well, you have to do a lot more to it than just lower it to the ground with short body dampers. Being an engineer, you should know that they are many problems with the suspension geometry caused by excessive lowering. It can also be very dangerous. By lowering the car past the limits of its engineered suspension stroke, you are greatly increasing the angularity of your ball joints, tie rods and other critical components, possibly right to where they are damaging their internals and for sure putting loads on them at angles where they were not designed to accept such loads. I hope you stroked the suspension in its new range of travel and checked for ball joint and tie rod stud interference and binding. It would suck for you to hit a big bump by accident and have one of these parts fail.
You can say it looks sweet, and don't get me wrong it does but it does not handle better. It's your car and if looks are more important to you than function, thats your choice and more power to you. Do what makes you happy. Just don't do it if you want your car to actually perform better, it doesn't. It might not be all that safe either.
Last edited by smartbomb; 01-23-11 at 11:14 AM.
01-23-11, 11:44 AM
#21
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Thread Starter
Will post more data in bit hard to post while at gym. Struts have more throw for travel, bump stops modified etc... the car doesn't bottom out etc.. not saying is Cadillac ride..but handles extremely better than stock.. will post further once home... again its not setup for track but for looks and high speed cruises
01-23-11, 11:47 AM
#22
StealthFF - I think if you just said that you lowered your car, you wouldn't be getting any flack. 
In fact, all the good looking ISFs (IMO) on this forum have modified suspensions, so no one is bothered by that.
There are lots of smart people on this forum, though, and they'll call you out when necessary. On the flipside, that's what makes this such an informative place.
Did you consider air suspension?
In fact, all the good looking ISFs (IMO) on this forum have modified suspensions, so no one is bothered by that. There are lots of smart people on this forum, though, and they'll call you out when necessary. On the flipside, that's what makes this such an informative place.
Did you consider air suspension?
01-23-11, 11:58 AM
#23
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Thread Starter
Honestly at this point might as well scrap thread... no I'm not in lue to track car tein custom made me some strut with same springs I put on ..'works' no rubbing etc or failing parts just trying to push envelope...I never mind knowledge or input not the problem.. but really guys beyond my goal of thread quite ridiculous... we shouldn't have to tell each other what to say not to get bashed on a thread..lol..so sad in my eyes.. for those whom want applicable data please pm...but honestly to far for my taste.. I'm not here to baby sit a group of men within a thread.. I only usually read honestly to stay away from ignorant thread bashers bc waste of time IMO ...
01-23-11, 12:22 PM
#26
Good looking ride man
NO hating here. Just my opinion, like you said yourself, we all have one.
Untill any of us actually DRIVES your car we shouldnt be able to say it doesnt handle better. Yes some might say they know based off of your suspension mods but nothing proves like real experience.
Being dropped I am sure it makes you have the "closer to the ground" effect, which in fact might provide some handling advantages but your BEYOND dropped. I dont think the car actually HANDLES better, it might feel that way but I am sure when you go over bumps and potholes it doesnt feel better than stock. My .02 cents
NO hating here. Just my opinion, like you said yourself, we all have one.
Untill any of us actually DRIVES your car we shouldnt be able to say it doesnt handle better. Yes some might say they know based off of your suspension mods but nothing proves like real experience.
Being dropped I am sure it makes you have the "closer to the ground" effect, which in fact might provide some handling advantages but your BEYOND dropped. I dont think the car actually HANDLES better, it might feel that way but I am sure when you go over bumps and potholes it doesnt feel better than stock. My .02 cents
01-23-11, 12:50 PM
#27
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Thread Starter
Good looking ride man
NO hating here. Just my opinion, like you said yourself, we all have one.
Untill any of us actually DRIVES your car we shouldnt be able to say it doesnt handle better. Yes some might say they know based off of your suspension mods but nothing proves like real experience.
Being dropped I am sure it makes you have the "closer to the ground" effect, which in fact might provide some handling advantages but your BEYOND dropped. I dont think the car actually HANDLES better, it might feel that way but I am sure when you go over bumps and potholes it doesnt feel better than stock. My .02 cents
NO hating here. Just my opinion, like you said yourself, we all have one.
Untill any of us actually DRIVES your car we shouldnt be able to say it doesnt handle better. Yes some might say they know based off of your suspension mods but nothing proves like real experience.
Being dropped I am sure it makes you have the "closer to the ground" effect, which in fact might provide some handling advantages but your BEYOND dropped. I dont think the car actually HANDLES better, it might feel that way but I am sure when you go over bumps and potholes it doesnt feel better than stock. My .02 cents
