Necessary Suspension Upgrades when lowering..

[24Dee]

I'm going to be dropping my car about* 2" (S14) soon [springs/shocks]. The car is strictly a daily driver, however, I want the car to handle as precisely and comfortably as possible. I understand that when going lower then 1.5" that camber and toe becomes an issue. I've already considered camber eccentric bolts, but I'm exploring the possibility of going even further with adj. arms, i.e. Tension Rods (spl), Tie Rod Outers (spl), RUCAs (?), and even adj. Toe Rods(?) for the rear....

Is all of this overkill? Or is that more a relative question, depending on the person? I chose not to go with c/o's because I didn't want to increase harshness THAT much, but don't mind stiffen the car up more then stock to get as close to the suspension/steering/look feel I want. If not, should I do them all in one shot or is it possible to do certain arms at a latter date - reason being : I have other aspects of the car to dump money into...

I've got my sways already, springs are on their way, and the struts will be ordered within the next month or so... I had planned on doing springs,struts,sways, t/c rods, eccentric bolts, wheels, tires, and alignment in one shot... then doing the tie rods, RUCAs, and toe rods if needed afterwards...

thanks fellas....

[EchoOfSilence]

The adjustable arms are for adjusting your alignment settings, adjusting bumpsteer, blah blah blah.

Basically, what happens is that your suspension geometry (which matters) changes from the factory settings after you lower your car. Squat, Antisquat, bumpsteer, roll center, etc. changes because of this. I think you should take a closer look at this; I think this is more important than what you thought it was

[SoSideways]

What the crap?

I posted something similar in the Tech section, and only 10 people have looked at the thread, and nobody commented.

[speedstar01]

What the crap?

I posted something similar in the Tech section, and only 10 people have looked at the thread, and nobody commented.

i cant find it:( can u please give me a link, i really would like to learn more about what i need to compliment the HKS coilovers i just put on my car. Unlike 24Dee, i want to lower my car maybe about 3-4 inches. my S13 is a daily driven street car right now.(i dont mind a stiff ride) im not looking to build a drift car, although it is lots of fun, my main goal is to have a grip monster, any help would be great guys. so far im in love with this site:angel:

matt

[MiamiGrinch240]

Get Ruca's so you can dial in your - camber settings, toe rods so you don't kill your tires, tie rods and ends so you can adjust front toe, tension rods for caster, and the traction rods are really a matter of personal preference. They aren't needed so much as the others but they are one of those "Well... I might as well just get em all type things.

I have all these items and a lot more suspension and it makes for a lot easier alignments as well as being able to setup your car any way you want.

Make sure and take it to a professional alignment shop that knows what they are looking at when you bring your car with all the new toys.

Here is my S14 with some of my toys:

Front:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/SFL240SX/Pics%20for%20Review%20Page/EPSN0211.jpg

Rear:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/SFL240SX/Pics%20for%20Review%20Page/EPSN0196.jpg

My suggestion to you is go on splparts.com and look in their suspension section and read literally everything. It is one of the best resources for learning what each suspension mod does.
FreshAlloy.com is another great site but do not make the mistake of posting their without searching and doing lots of reading first. There are tons of newbs there so your questions have been covered hudnreds of times and don't need to be asked again.

Searching is a forum newbs best friend!!!!

Good luck.

[speedstar01]

wow, sweet pics, thanks for advice, i plan on purchasing some new RUCAS and rear toe arms for now:)

also, will a regular shop that does alignments on everday vehicles, be able to align my S13? (with added goodies such as RUCAS and rear toe arms) or do i need to take it to a "race alignment shop" like SPL suggests? i currently doing to school out here in northwest iowa....where its pretty depressing and the closest performance autoshop is most likely an hour or so away:cry:

:love: i love this site:love:

[MiamiGrinch240]

You can take your chances with a regular alignment shop and if they suck you will know not to make the same mistake twice. If they do a good job then you save yourself a long drive. Just tell them to put the settings as close to factory specs as possible.

Toe is most important... TOE MURDERS TIRES! People think it's camber but it's the toe that does the worst damage so set toe as close to zero as possible.

[94cc0rd]

the only thing that might be a problem with regular alignment shops would be getting your car up the ramp if it's lowered... but if you don't care about your front bumper or lip or whatever you have... then go for it!

i also have megan coilovers + kazama ruca / toe arms... almost identical picture as above except for the red arms...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/sennett0r/IMG_2674.jpg

[FaLKoN240]

I think the only NECESSARY mods would be

Tie rod ends (bumpsteer)

Camber plates for front

and RUCAs for the rear.

That's just to keep your car daily driver friendly.

I still need the Camber plates, and RUCAs.

[1Via!]

I think the only NECESSARY mods would be

Tie rod ends (bumpsteer)

Camber plates for front

and RUCAs for the rear.

That's just to keep your car daily driver friendly.

I still need the Camber plates, and RUCAs.This is what I would recomend too, if youre down to spend the money on this stuff, however, with a 2" drop on springs, particularly for a daily driver, I dont think you really need all of this stuff. Unless this is going to be driven hard/used as a track car part time, youre probably going to be fine with getting an alignment after you install the springs, and maybe new polyurethane bushings if you want/or needed.

That said, since you are willing to spend the money and want the car to handle really well, go for the whole thing. Stay away from cheap links, and always get an alignment once you put new stuff in, or tweak it a little.

[speedstar01]

:angel: thanks, i love you guys, again great advice:)

As for the rear:

i finally saved enough money for RUCAS and Toe arms! which website do you guys recommend that might be a little easier on my wallet than SPL. ive ordered parts there before. love the service and quality but i hear POWERTRIX has some great prices on RUCAS and Rear Toe Arms, but their site is down:cry: i got their number, i should call. can anyone recommend any other reputable online dealers??:)

for the front:

my HKS coilovers already came with camber plates so im good there, i just need some tie rods (those are in the front,right??) While searching this and other 240sx forums, i found a useful and noticable upgrade would be new tension rods. would you guys recommend these as well?:ugh:

oh and a side note:

i just ordered some 4 new 205/60/15 Falken Ziex Tires for my steelies!! WOOT! not a great tire but great for street and daily driving fun:naughty: me so horny me love you long time *speaking to my GoGo of course... my S13:angel:

[speedstar01]

:ugh: bump


eager to buy suspension parts this week:) :naughty: :2f2f:

[HyperTek]

i think just springs/shocks, you will be ok.. but id rather save the cash for real coilovers and tension rods.. everything else can come later.

id be more worried about that 2inch drop on shocks, even aftermarket shocks thats gonna take its toll on them.

[usdm180sx]

if your car is slammed beyond a certain point (2.5"-3" or more) you will need rear adjustable toe links in addition to ruca's. why? because bad toe alignment wears out tires more than bad camber. just my 2 cents

[speedstar01]

okay, sounds like toe links are going on my list, thanks for ur help