(over)lowering = worse handling.

[old mate]

i suggest to you guys who think that having your car sitting dumpt'd on superlows or lower makes it handle better read this artice.

The One Unforgivable Sin - Overlowering

and just because you have (insert brand name here) coilovers doesnt mean that it will handle good when you have them set real low.

look, i have nothing against lowering for looks. but if you're thinking that having your car 60mm from the ground is good for your handling, then the only person you are kidding is yourself.

[shane_3800]

low cars can handle you just have to correct the geometry

change rack hight
change rack length
change steering arm fulcrum
change lower arm length
change upper mount location
correct scrub radius
correct sai
correct castor


and this would be just the start

[old mate]

i know but i wonder how many people on here would have done this....

[db_notso]

i would hope they fitted the coilovers and sway bars etc
then went and had it all proffesionally aligned.

aftermarket suspension works far better (except hsv ve another time and place) than standard suspension.
but its designed for just below legal ride height so you cant drop it onto the ground and expect it to
handle the same as if it was installed as designed.

overlowering quite often causes other major issues in drive train as well as geaometry issues (all the way down to frame tension exceeding design) one e.g. is rear shafts on irs diffs cracking their cases cause there too long.

so i agree DONT OVERLOWER if your going to lower take five minutes and walk into a proffesional shop like.. fulcrum or pedders even, and ask the questions you want answered.....

[Jonno]

super lows made my car handle much better though

[MikeCuzzy]

There was episode of Top Gear where they all bought 80's BMW's. Hammonds had been lowered and put on some "hecktic rims". It had the handling properties of boat, it was sliding all over the place like nothing else, for his life he couldn't get it to hold steady.
I see all these guys driving around towing invisible caravans, my car's suspension is stock, and I'd bet anything I would out corner them easily.

[shane_3800]

There was episode of Top Gear where they all bought 80's BMW's. Hammonds had been lowered and put on some "hecktic rims". It had the handling properties of boat, it was sliding all over the place like nothing else, for his life he couldn't get it to hold steady.
I see all these guys driving around towing invisible caravans, my car's suspension is stock, and I'd bet anything I would out corner them easily.

my car is lowerd and i bet it would beat yours

i keep up with v8's around town in a stock v6 with good suspension

edit: i only use 15"s aswell

edit2: as 15's is all i need 17's would see even better handeling

[shane_3800]

and for people's genral intrest stiffer sway bars with stock springs would out handle lowerd springs with stock sway bars

[jesse_lankey]

what do you mean by stiffer sway bars? I'm no expert but it is in my general interest

[db_notso]

super lows arent nearly as bad as lowest setting on coilovers... hence within their design range...and prob ok with just toe and camber adjustment..

[shane_3800]

super lows work well as they arnt to low like sssl's

[Jonnii]

my car is lowerd and i bet it would beat yours

i keep up with v8's around town in a stock v6 with good suspension

edit: i only use 15"s aswell

edit2: as 15's is all i need 17's would see even better handeling

this guy is on track because lowerd spring = power

[Jonno]

my car is lowerd and i bet it would beat yours
i keep up with v8's around town in a stock v6 with good suspension

yeah bro!
for sure running 15's and ur car dump'd you would be flogging everyone

+20kw each mm u dropped it


lol jk, the v8 boys arent actually trying
sorry i had to brake it to u.

[shane_3800]

this guy is on track because lowerd spring = power

no lowerd springs dont =power

but they do =better handeling along with adjustable shocks sway bars strut braces boot braces bigger brakes and on and on and on

not to mention the handeling advantage of a lighter engine

[shane_3800]

yeah bro!
for sure running 15's and ur car dump'd you would be flogging everyone

+20kw each mm u dropped it


lol jk, the v8 boys arent actually trying
sorry i had to brake it to u.

mate any v8 would get me on the straights but how many straights are around town well not many where i live

[Bravotwozero]

mate any v8 would get me on the straights but how many straights are around town well not many where i live

So a lowered V8 would get you on the straights and the corners?

[some_guy]

There is a right way and a wrong way to have a track/ drift built daily.
And trust me, This hella flush, poke and stretch garbage is gonna become a dangerous epedemic.
The previous owner of my car stretched 245's onto a rim intended for 285's.
Not thats its massive however, i dont see how he thought that would be appropriate on a "sports car"

[Pickle']

mate any v8 would get me on the straights but how many straights are around town well not many where i live

lol.... your an idiot

[wraith]

Reminds of a certain member on a certain forum with stupidly stretch tires....

[WogBoyz]

mate any v8 would get me on the straights but how many straights are around town well not many where i live

lol mate, if the v8 tried would leave you in the dust, and if u went up agaisnt one with a good suspension setup u will be really left in the dust

[Verynice]

I didn't realise everyone was taking every corner like a racecar.

[Darren_L]

low cars can handle you just have to correct the geometry

change rack hight
change rack length
change steering arm fulcrum
change lower arm length
change upper mount location
correct scrub radius
correct sai
correct castor


and this would be just the start

one more thing to add to the list
check suspension travel, because doesn't matter how good the rest of the setup is, if you have no or little suspension travel, the car will bounce over bumps rather than absorb them

[db_notso]

my method:
if you want to get the HANDLING GOOD on your car
fit cheese cutter tyres and pump em up to 40 psi then go for a drive
then show me your handling (which is suspension work to balance over and under steer)
thats my trick when doing my own wheel alignments after coilovers for street and track cars(rare for me but)....
basically you set it up so the threshold for oversteer or understeer is reduced to its minimum
then you fit good tyres wide and then the car is on rails.


honestly i am a bit sick of this common misconception that good tyres mean better handling
better tyres means more grip (higher co-efficient to break traction between tyre tread and road).
you can put the best tyres on a car with worn out suspension and it will still handle poorly.....

[VR028]

mate any v8 would get me on the straights but how many straights are around town well not many where i live

did it ever occur to you that people dont race in towns or city's around corners? maybe thats why u think your winning

[DevilDRake]

Haha this is a funny thread.

TBH, I got SLs on my car, and no matter what height i had, it had nothing to do with performance what's so ever.

I will admit, SL's do help with no body roll though, but when you get air bags or something on it's ass it's a different story.