Reduction of Springs vs. Coilovers: What’s Right for Me?
Lowering your car is one such modification that can improve not only the look of your car, but also its performance. When you lower your vehicle, you also lower your center of gravity, which helps it stay planted through sharp corners and maneuvers.
However, there are a few ways to lower your vehicle, each with their pros and cons for different vehicles and different owners. Knowing which one is right for you is crucial before you install anything, or you may run into unexpected problems down the line.
Descending Springs
The easiest and generally least expensive way to lower your vehicle is to lower the springs, which is replacing the stock coil springs with ones that sit a little lower.
Since the springs are not adjustable, lowering springs are sold with a fixed distance tied to them. For example, if you want to lower your vehicle 2 inches, just look for springs that indicate a 2-inch drop. These lengths vary from 0.5 inches to 2.5 inches.
Coilovers
Coilovers, on the other hand, usually command a higher price. However, they make up for it by giving you great customization in height, bounce, compression and cushioning.
Instead of just replacing coil springs, coilovers replace your strut/shock AND springs. Coilovers consist of a spring mounted on a shock absorber, hence the name. This combination of important suspension components allows coilovers a degree of adjustability that is not possible with a spring alone.
Which one is better?
Whether coilovers or lowering springs are the right choice for you depends on several factors.
Lowering the springs is the least expensive way to safely and effectively lower your vehicle. While it won’t improve handling as a set of coilovers, just having the car sit lower to the ground will help it handle corners better at speed.
That being said, lowering springs have a few drawbacks that are important to understand before installing them on your vehicle, the biggest of which is the complete lack of adjustability. Lowering the springs is also known to increase wear on the factory shocks and struts, as the vehicle will bottom out more often (this can also cause an uncomfortable ride quality). OEM suspension components are not designed for this, causing rapid wear and reacting unpredictably to rough roads or hard turns. It is for this reason that many recommend replacing the stock shocks/struts with high quality replacements.
Coilovers solve these problems for those looking for an all-in-one solution to alter both suspension dynamics and aesthetics. A set of high quality coilovers will have adjustment parameters for ride height, rebound, compression and damping. Most of the time, they can be easily altered via the dials on the side of the coilover itself. Less expensive coilover sets may forgo one or two of these settings, while more expensive sets may have both high-speed and low-speed rebound settings.
They also solve the problem of suspension wear by including a shock absorber that can be adjusted to the proper damping and rebound to prevent this. This flexibility and ride quality is why coilovers are the popular choice for cars that see the track or spirited driving.
Unfortunately, coilovers command a higher price for their benefits. However, you’ll still be able to choose from a variety of price points, as brands like KW, Bilstein, Tein, H&R, and more produce products with varying features, quality, adjustability, ride, and ease of installation.
This is the other starting point: the installation. The increased difficulty of coilovers over springs means longer work for those who get their hands dirty with their vehicles and higher costs in the shop for those who don’t.
Salt Lake Valley Suspension Service and Installation
The suspension experts at Alex’s Autohaus in Midvale have the equipment and training to provide top-notch service to your vehicle! Whether you’re picking up some new coilovers or need a factory component replaced, our friendly team will help you sort it out. Call us or schedule an appointment online today!
