When we get phone calls from customers and sometimes even their garages saying that a kit we have supplied has either not lowered the vehicle at all or not by the stated amount, the vast majority of the time the answer is simple. Here is a quick rundown of the most common reasons we have found:
1) When ordering your kit, please ensure you have either selected the correct one or if we are advising you which one you require that you have supplied all of your vehicle’s details.
We have often found someone has ordered a kit for a completely different variation of their vehicle, for instance buying springs for an Estate or Cabriolet model for a Saloon, or a completely different engine size.
The reason this makes so much difference is because each spring is carefully designed and manufactured to operate under a specific load. For instance a Cabriolet or Estate variation of a vehicle is heavier at the rear, so the springs for these are stronger. If you put these on a saloon which is lighter on the rear it will ride higher than it should, possibly higher than standard ride height on some vehicles!
The same principle goes for engine sizes and types, larger engines and diesels particularly are heavier than smaller engines. So if you put springs for a 1.2 petrol model on a 2.0TD model then the wheel will disappear into the wheelarch and vice versa.
There are also sometimes variations between the same models depending on the exact date of manufacture, so if your car does not exactly fit the criteria we have set it will usually not fit, bar a very few exceptions. If in doubt always call us and we can confirm if it is suitable and if not find something that is.
It’s always best to ask and we may sometimes ask for your vehicle registration if you are a citizen of Great Britain, using this we can usually look up your full vehicle details which stops any confusion and helps us ensure you receive the correct product for your vehicle.
2) Make sure you fit all of the suspension kit.
It’s not uncommon for us to have calls from customers saying that the kit doesn’t lower the car, only to find out after that the problem is they have only fitted 2 or sometimes even only 1 spring.
The vehicle will not settle to the correct height even on a corner by fitting one spring.
You will receive no indication of the final ride height without fitting all of the kit.
Once the entire kit is fitted the apparant problem is usually rectified, so it’s important to make sure the whole kit is fitted before assuming it’s faulty. Of course if you feel there is another issue like it is not physically fitting correctly or something doesn’t look right then do give us a call if unsure, it’s better to check and be safe rather than sorry!
3) Remember to take into consideration how much the original suspension has settled.
Vehicle suspension ’settles’ with age and use. Drops on all suspension kits are based on the manufacturers original specification, so if a kit is stated as being 40mm and your vehicle has settled by 10mm then you will only get a 30mm drop if you measured before and after fitting the kit (See our tip at the bottom for critical information when measuring).
4) Allow the suspension to bed in over a couple of weeks of driving.
Similarly to the previous statement, once you have fitted your new kit you have to give it time to bed in and settle itself, particularly on small drop kits fitted to older vehicles. By the time you take into consideration the old suspension may have dropped by 10mm in it’s life and the new kit needs a couple of weeks to bed in 5mm or so, if you have a 25mm kit then it’s going to look like it’s only dropped 10mm! So make sure you give your new kit a decent chance to bed in and then take measurements again after a couple weeks or so of regular driving. Of course if it looks completely wrong or you are unsure, just give us a call and we can advise you what we recommend next.
5) Make sure the springs are on the right way round.
OK, this basically applies to Honda Civics but being hugely popular as you can imagine this is a phone call we often receive… If you find that the front of your car has slammed to the deck and the rear of the car is stuck in the air then we always find the springs have been installed back to front. It does happen… a lot..! If in doubt then just give us a call with the numbers printed on the springs and we can confirm if this is the problem, but everytime we have had this particular query and the correct springs have been ordered this has been the issue. The springs do look similar on a lot of Civics so it’s an easy mistake to make, just make sure you have the thicker springs on the front.
If none of these apply to you, or if you are unsure, then please do contact us as we always want to ensure our customers such as yourself are happy and satisified with your product. You can reach us during normal office hours on 01935 427554.
**Measuring tip**
When you want to measure how much a vehicle has lowered by you need to measure from the center of the wheel to the top of the wheel arch, these measurements are what the manufacturers of the vehicles and the aftermarket springs use. This is the only way to get a truly accurate reading, so don’t make the common mistake of measuring from the ground to your wheel arch! This is affected by tyre sizes, tyre pressures, wheel size, etc and is inaccurate in determining how much a vehicle has been lowered by and unusable for diagnosis in the event of a problem.
Fitting lowering kits and their parts can be potentially dangerous both in itself and also in the consequences when driving if it is done incorrectly. We always recommend that the work is carried out by a professional company or individual with the appropiate skills, tools and legal requirements such as insurance in place.
We do not accept any responsibility for misuse or misinterpretation of the information given, nor do we accept responsibily for the consequences of any other individual or company carrying out the work.
(C) 2009 Performance 3000 Ltd
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