Eibach Sportlines w/OE struts

[prInce]

ok I am extremely curious to know this:
-Has anyone dropped their car with Eibach sportlines or any other brand while keeping the stock struts/shocks?
-If so, how long did the OE struts last?
-What major trouble did you run into while doing this?
-If spring upgrade is performed with OE struts, and if the struts break, would they damage the springs?
-What're the most inexpensive struts out there to go with the sportlines?

i appreciate all suggestions and comments for this crazy idea <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>
thanks

[DSC]

1. Yes
2. From 10minuets to 10months+ with sportlines, its more likely to be 10 minuets
3. n/a
4. No, springs will be fine
5. dono

If your going just for the looks of a drop, you may be able to get away with just springs. &nbsp;But if you care about performance, do both. &nbsp;Your best off just waiting and doing them both at the same time.

[Grant]

chris@speedalliance has em on his car. his struts should be dead by now &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/lookaround.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':look:'> , but the car seems to ride fine.

[misnomer]

Won't it ride awful bouncy? The stock struts aren't the stiffest things out there. Couple that with the higher spring rates of the smaller springs, and I'd imagine the struts will be overworked.

Suspension isn't my strong point, though if you are actually looking for performance, I'd replace the struts as well.

[s15dude]

If your going to all the trouble to put springs in, you might as well put new schocks in, cuz it will save you a bundle of work only havin to take the car apart once instead of twice.

[wherezmytofu]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (misnomer @ April 10 2002,04:22)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Won't it ride awful bouncy? The stock struts aren't the stiffest things out there. Couple that with the higher spring rates of the smaller springs, and I'd imagine the struts will be overworked.

Suspension isn't my strong point, though if you are actually looking for performance, I'd replace the struts as well.</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
not a good idea..like one dude said...it will be hella bouncy,...when my brother lowered his car with just coil overs the ride was so crappy he started...taking my car &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/crazy.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':crazy:'> <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/hmmm.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':hmmm:'> &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/butbut.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':but:'> ...thank god he got a coil over kit now &nbsp; <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

[prInce]

since i don't know much about the suspension either, i'm tryin to learn as much as i can before doing anything...
so most say it's a bad idea huh? i'm definitely lowering for performance... if it were for the looks, then i'd need a paint job and whole buncha other stuff to accompany that <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>
ok, about the ride being bouncy... it's gonna hit speed bumps and every little bump on the road and will make my car unstable? esp at higher speeds?
note: this car is quite frequently driven above 90mph <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

so if i upgrade the struts with that, that would make the suspension more stiff? I always thought that the stiffness (bound/rebound) was something that came from springs?

about the adjustable struts, why do they have an option to make the ride smooth? wouldn't that be the same as OE struts (bouncy)? is it because those struts can take more pressure and OE start leaking from being compressed farther than they're supposed to be?

[HippoSleek]

prince - A suspension is a total package. &nbsp;Both the springs and shocks work to control compession (bound) and rebound. &nbsp;This is an illustrative example that is light on technology, but hopefully conceptually helpful. &nbsp;

In the simplest of terms, think of a spring - not like the one on your car, but a little one that you can compress w/ two fingers. &nbsp;When you compress it, you can easily feel how it takes force to compress it. &nbsp;When you release it, it "springs" - what some would call bouncing. &nbsp;This is b/c there is no force to prevent the spring from extending to its full lenght ASAP. &nbsp;Apply that to your car, only on a much larger scale <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

The next piece is a shock absorber (hey... the recoil of a spring is like a shock... can that be absorbed? <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> ). &nbsp;If you've ever played with a shock, you know that your bare hands can compress the shock and help it to re-extend (rebound). &nbsp;Unlike the springs on a car, it is movable - just at a very slow rate. &nbsp;Now, think about how this would affect the springs... &nbsp;While the spring requires force to compresss (waaay more than the shock), the shock removes the "boing" from the spring as it is much slower to rebound (waaay slower than the spring).

Now, as for that total performance system, there are a couple other characteristics - most importantly though - suspension travel and spring rates. &nbsp;Factory specs give you about 3", IIRC and you lessen it for every bit lower your car is. &nbsp;Less than an inch make for an ugly ride AND blown shocks b/c the limited amount of travel forces them to bottom frequently. &nbsp;Spring rates work in a similar way - the higher the rate, the more force the spring can take for compression, but the more explosive the rebound. &nbsp;A corrollary problem of this is that a cheap shock can't handle (or "damper" or "absorb") this rebound and extends too fast and too far (bouncy).

The simple rules from this are: &nbsp;
1) you can go too low = run out of suspension travel
2) you can go too low for the rate of your spring (IMHO, the problem w/ Sportlines) = too little travel, not enough spring to stop bottoming
3) you can go too stiff = too much rebound for weak shocks
4) you can go just right = matching spring rates with shock valving and adjusting rebound for the appropriate conditions.

Note: &nbsp;this is only a rough explanation of what I thought were important points. &nbsp;It is not complete or technical - just basic. &nbsp;Add what you need to if you think it needs more <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

[diabolic hippo]

i have sportlines with stock struts now, they ride pretty good for just regular daily driving, when drifting with stock struts with sportlines the car bottoms out alot, i also have whiteline swaybars and obx front and rear strutbars, waiting patiently for my jic's to come in from japan.

[prInce]

HippoSleek, thanks for the explanation, I really have learned a lot about suspension and pretty convinced to purchase the springs and shocks all together...
i'm sorry but what does the term "bottom out" exactly mean. &nbsp;I heard this term used in several different ways &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/hehe.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':hehe:'>

hey diabolic hippo, how long have you had the sportlines on for?

[Grant]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (s15dude @ April 11 2002,01:40)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">If your going to all the trouble to put springs in, you might as well put new schocks in, cuz it will save you a bundle of work only havin to take the car apart once instead of twice.</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
It's a Nissan, not a Honda. The suspension is far easier to work with, and doesnt take that much time, so no, it's really not a bundle of work, very simple actually. You'd have to work with both types of cars to know. If the stock struts/springs dont have that much milage on them, use them for now and save for better ones later, instead of going with cheap struts like GR-2 or Tokico HP.

[diabolic hippo]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (prInce @ April 11 2002,8:43)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">HippoSleek, thanks for the explanation, I really have learned a lot about suspension and pretty convinced to purchase the springs and shocks all together...
i'm sorry but what does the term "bottom out" exactly mean. I heard this term used in several different ways <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/hehe.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':hehe:'>

hey diabolic hippo, how long have you had the sportlines on for?</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
about one month, still going strong with oe struts, i think there the original struts the car came with, i have 18" racing hart c-2's, the drop looks better than stock though the ass of the car sits kinda high, looks like a hot rod.

[prInce]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Grant @ April 12 2002,07:19)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">If the stock struts/springs dont have that much milage on them, use them for now and save for better ones later, instead of going with cheap struts like GR-2 or Tokico HP.</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
hehe you read my mind.. i was gonna get tokico but didn't know that it wasn't a good brand... &nbsp;ok so i'll either wait to buy the suspension package or put em on and not drift (but i really wanna!!! &nbsp;that's what i'm lowerin my car for! <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> )
i had my struts checked out at midas. &nbsp;They said that the struts are in good condition...
my car has 130000 miles on it and i think the struts have never been replaced.. so what do you all say <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'>

[Grant]

hmm well if you want to drop it for looks, go for it, or you can just buy the springs now, get the shocks later, and install it all at once. up to you.

[silvia240]

ok.. i lowered my car with sprint 2.5 inch drop over 3 years ago with the stock struts. &nbsp;I still have my stock struts.... i have driven about 40k miles with the sprint spring/stock strut setup. &nbsp;I does not ride bumpy or bouncy (unless you go over a shitload of bumps or huge dips) its still ok. &nbsp;But when i do drift corners, i do feel wheel hop. &nbsp;And going over 90+, i never had a problem. &nbsp;It is not necessary to put on new struts but it is a good idea. &nbsp;Im cheap and i dont really need good struts because i dont do any track. &nbsp;Ohh yeah, i also emailed every company that makes struts for our cars (non ajustable) and they all said if you lower your car more than 1.5 inches, they will VOID your warranty.

[prInce]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (silvia240 @ April 13 2002,06:26)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">...i lowered my car with sprint 2.5 inch drop over 3 years ago with the stock struts...</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
wooahhhhh 3 yrs and still goin? &nbsp;that's awesome. &nbsp;you must drive you car like an old lady &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> j/k
so the sprint springs gave you a nice 2.5" drop eh? &nbsp;the eibach ones say they give 2.2 front and 2.1 rear but a lot of ppl have said that's not true. &nbsp;it only gives 1.8 front and 1.6 rear. &nbsp;do you have a website where these "sprint" springs are advertised? thanks.

[BlackFox]

I think this is the company he is refering to

http://www.sprintspring.com/

[prInce]

240 SX 89-94 1.80 Front/1.80 Rear 9200 $264.00

eibach are the same specs for $195... i'll just go with eibach... or sprint's better?

[silvia240]

personally i like sprint springs better. They both are really good but eibach is bouncier than sprint (in my experience). And plus sprint is cheaper. Hey it lasted me this long, its a good buy.
Ohh yeah, that $264 is MSRP not the actual price.
I paid $160 for the springs and $40 for installation (remember a long time ago)
BTY i have a 95se. &nbsp;
My friend just bought sprint for his integ and it only cost him $120.

[prInce]

any other opinions? &nbsp;eibach, sprint or arospeed?

[BEISSEN]

I have a freind with a 95 240 and has eibach sportlines and stock shocks and struts(sp).It has been that way for a year now and he has no probs as far as i know and he drives alot.If you want to replace you shocks and struts get the tokico blues they are fine and you can use the tanabe sustec super down percidos 2" drop all the way around.They were made to be used with lowering springs.Unless you want to control the ride and feel then you dont need adjustable but are nice and coil overs are for more a track then street driveing.IMO but i could be mistaken but i beleave i am right this time.

[silvia240]

ohh yeah... if you drop your car more than 1.5 inches, tokiko, kyb, will not warranty the struts. i called and asked

[allshow]

so kyb, tokico and koni wont warrant their shocks if the car is lowered??? thats sucks...but how would they know??

[BEISSEN]

I dont know who you calle dbut tokico is ment to be used for lowering and so are the koni i know the agx are as well.Not to be an ass but i could be wrong but that just does not sound right to me.

red 97 240

[AJ]

silvia240, do u have more pics of ur car?. i'd like to c them with the sprint springs <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> thanks.. [email protected] is my email if u can send'm 2 me.. or if u have a webpage, <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':0'> post it..

What other options for 2" drops in terms of struts do we have? &nbsp;I know the tokico's r really only supposed to be used for 1.5 or less.. There are a few japanese struts that are short damper.. any that are decently priced?

In the past, when finding some sweet short stroke dampers and spring combination, the $$$ got so close to the Tein HE's that it was a better idea just to save a few extra dollers and get the teins...

[HippoSleek]

With the exception of short stroke shocks/struts, I know of no one who would waranty a damper for a drop of more than 1.5". &nbsp;WHY? &nbsp;If you are lower than 1.5" on normal stroke shocks, line up your wheel and take a flashlight and look at how much suspension travel you have! &nbsp;About 1-1.5" &nbsp; :!:

Hit a bump, it bottoms the shock. &nbsp;Go up a drive way, ditto. &nbsp;Lane marker on highway = bottom. &nbsp;Running over a lady bug a 70... okay, you probably still have .5" before bottom. &nbsp;Why would a manu warranty a product that is ALWAYS being worked at its maximum limit? &nbsp;Warranties are made to cover defective products, not defective applications.

There are ways to tell if a shock has been used this way, but more importantly, why would you buy something that will reduce your suspension travel to unacceptable levels?

[silvia240]

beissen.... they are made for lowered cars BUT only up to 1.5 inches. &nbsp;Please fully read it before replying. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>