What are my options to go lower?

[Jersthecool]

So I've got Apexi N1 type V coilovers not the new expert ones but the ones that are a bit older. I love the ride and would like to keep them for the time being. So right now the rears are threaded all the way up and they're as low as they can go and the fronts will still probably let me go another inch and a half (without removing collars) but right now the car is even in the front and rear. Am I doing something wrong or are the coils just designed to go lower in the front but not the rear? I'm not looking for a huge drop in the rear like 5 more inches but I at least want to go lower than I currently am because the look just isn't doing it for me as is.

Am I not doing something correctly? Can I purchase shorter springs that will actually let it sit lower? Is my only option to purchase different coilovers that will actually let me go lower?

Here are pics for reference of the current stance

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/6356/img0754kh.jpg


http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/5677/img0763hx.jpg

[fliprayzin240sx]

Shorter coilover springs?

[cotbu]

Fake the funk, with side skirts!

[!Zar!]

Droop the rear springs.

[zerodameaon]

Yes the fronts will go lower due to design alone, you will need to droop the springs in the back which is said to affect longevity of the damper and affects ride quality.

[Jersthecool]

Picked up some skirts but I still want moaar low too much wheel gap still. Yeah I know I can always just drop the springs in the rear but I don't really want to give up ride quality for looks. Can I actually buy shorter springs so they'll still be stiff but with let it sit lower or is that a bad idea?

[trxrx7]

buying shorter springs will be useless its the same as if you would just lower the springs that you have right now, cause once you put in the shorter springs you have to move up the collars to keep the spring from wobbling around when the shock is decompressing(hitting a bump on the road) which will bring you to the exact same height that you have now doesn't matter how short the spring is, and if you dont move up the collars its the same as if you would lower your current springs. so to list your options 1) lower your springs (will shorten life of the strut)thats what im running right now, dont care about life i got mine for really cheap :D 2) sell your coils, do some research on which coilovers go lower i even think we have a thread about which coils go the lowest and then get the ones that fit you! hope that makes sense, i just dont think its worth it to buy new springs when you can get what you want with the ones you have since you only want to lower it an inch or so, if you wanted to lower it "(5inch)" then yes you would need shorter springs but its not gonna help with ride quality and life of the strut.

[zerodameaon]

Fortune Auto coils have a short bottom perch maybe look into those, or you can always get a helper spring to keep the spring tight over bumps when you drop the spring, but again you end up in the decreased life category.

[Jersthecool]

Yeah that makes sense I never thought that the spring would bounce around with it being shorter but that makes sense. Yeah the helper spring is definitely an option but I'd still have to pay the price with decreasing the life of them which I don't know if I want to do. The shorter bottom perch wouldn't make a difference since it's screwed all the way to the bottom anyways the only physical thing that would need to be done is shorten the strut which isn't possible.

It's always been in my mind to sell these coils and pick up something else but to be honest I love the ride and wouldn't want to fork out more cash just to get a little bit lower. One day in the future it will definitely happen but for the time being I'd rather spend money on something else. Now the question is do I really wanna lower the spring because then I've got to get another alignment too...

[90240sx07]

if you know how to fab you could extend your shock towers but alot of work to go a lil bit lower

[trxrx7]

i dont know how serious you are about your car or for what purpose it is being used, but if you love the way the coils perform i would keep them, if you are selling a used set your not gonna get much for them anyway or least nowhere close to the price of a new set. when the time comes i would just buy some geomasters from driftworks or powered by max has some too which are a little cheaper like 400bucks your rear will drop 2.5in automatically your handling will be ALOT better and you are keeping the stock geometry(there will be no changes to your toe, camber or rollcenter). it will probably cost 400 on top of the the old coils to get a decent set of new ones, and this way you got a nice set of coils and geo's for the price of coils, i dont know maybe its just me but im obsessed with suspension work lol and i think its more important than engine work or anything else!

the alignment wont be off that much if it gets lowered a bit,you are probably not even gonna notice the difference i wouldn't worry about it if your not competing in drifting/racing

[PoorMans180SX]

See if you can snap a pic of the coils for us. If your rear lower perch can thread up more, buying a shorter spring will help you. If not, you'll have to droop the springs.

[Jersthecool]

Yeah when the time comes I'll definitely pick up a nice set of coils not just some cheap ones to go low. My main thing is I don't want the alignment off as I daily my car and plan on doing a road trip when summer rolls around and don't need my tires wearing out because of stupid toe or something.

I don't know what you mean PoorMans180SX but there's more thread that allows adjustment but the lower perch is completely bottomed out on the coilover (threaded all the way up). I'll see if I can snap a pic tomorrow without jacking up the car or taking the wheel off that's probably one of the only pictures I don't have of all the work I've done on my car go figure.

[jr_ss]

Why don't you just leave it alone until you can afford better coilovers that will let you slam your frame rails into every pot hole and speed bump out there...

[!Zar!]

See if you can snap a pic of the coils for us. If your rear lower perch can thread up more, buying a shorter spring will help you. If not, you'll have to droop the springs.

Why waste money on buying a shorter spring? It will be the same thing as drooping the spring.

[chiboy002]

helper spring = droop spring but safer