what's involved in lowering a car's riding height?
- Thread starter theNEOone
- Start date
Do it yourself. All you need is a jack, jackstands, couple wrenches, and a spring compressor. And the lowering springs of course.
JulesMaximus
No Lifer
- Jul 3, 2003
- 74,586
- 986
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Oh yeah, that's great advice...:roll: Edit-Taps sarcasm meter...Hmm, maybe the batteries are dead?
Get a set of lowering springs. Probably set you back a couple to a few hundred dollars for the parts. If you don't feel comfortable using spring comressors I would pay a shop to do it. Maybe cost you a hundred or so more.
Actually I can tell you first hand since I'm a total nOObie in term of fixing car and stuff.
Since you're not lowering the car that much, all you need to do is buy a decent set of springs.
Usually the springs will tell you how much the drop will be.
The mild ones will be 1.5"...extreeme is like 2.5".
When you're only lowering about 1.5, you can just use your oem shocks until they wear out.
Good springs are H&R, Tein, Neuspeed, Eibach.
Since the Mazda 6 is fairly new, there won't be that much to choose from.
You can always get the cheap springs from Ebay but its your risk.
I got my set of H&R for $100 used.....been great so far.
Now the hard part...installing.
If you buy the springs locally, they will probably charge you $100 for installation which is decent.
If you're a nOObie at fixing cars, I wouldn't recommend it....its alot of hrs for your first time and your time is worth more than $100.
Although you feel a sense of accomplishment when you do do it yourself.
Since you're not lowering the car that much, all you need to do is buy a decent set of springs.
Usually the springs will tell you how much the drop will be.
The mild ones will be 1.5"...extreeme is like 2.5".
When you're only lowering about 1.5, you can just use your oem shocks until they wear out.
Good springs are H&R, Tein, Neuspeed, Eibach.
Since the Mazda 6 is fairly new, there won't be that much to choose from.
You can always get the cheap springs from Ebay but its your risk.
I got my set of H&R for $100 used.....been great so far.
Now the hard part...installing.
If you buy the springs locally, they will probably charge you $100 for installation which is decent.
If you're a nOObie at fixing cars, I wouldn't recommend it....its alot of hrs for your first time and your time is worth more than $100.
Although you feel a sense of accomplishment when you do do it yourself.
yukichigai
Diamond Member
- Apr 23, 2003
- 6,404
- 0
- 76
Being a wannabe gangbanger. 
What kind of clearance are we talking here? 3 inches? Lower? 'cause if it gets much lower than 2 it's officially crossed the line from aesthetic taste to idiocy.
What kind of clearance are we talking here? 3 inches? Lower? 'cause if it gets much lower than 2 it's officially crossed the line from aesthetic taste to idiocy.
no way, i just want to lower it an inch.Originally posted by: yukichigai
Being a wannabe gangbanger.
What kind of clearance are we talking here? 3 inches? Lower? 'cause if it gets much lower than 2 it's officially crossed the line from aesthetic taste to idiocy.
so, all it takes is the right set of springs? i am a complete noob, so i'll end up having to pay someone to do it - which is fine by me.
=|
StageLeft
No Lifer
- Sep 29, 2000
- 70,150
- 5
- 0
You can do it yourself, but be careful that you know what you're doing (find good instructions) on the spring compressor. I've heard that you can have a bit of an accident (like impaling) if you don't do it properly. This won't scare me away whenever my shocks go out and I have to replace them, but it is something you need to do right
Even though many shocks can handle a 1" height, it's a good idea to upgrade them. With the extra load, they can overheat and they become ineffective. But to be honest, there really isn't a point to lower it that much.
JulesMaximus
No Lifer
- Jul 3, 2003
- 74,586
- 986
- 126
Originally posted by: Skoorb
You can do it yourself, but be careful that you know what you're doing (find good instructions) on the spring compressor. I've heard that you can have a bit of an accident (like impaling) if you don't do it properly. This won't scare me away whenever my shocks go out and I have to replace them, but it is something you need to do right
I've done this before. It isn't difficult but I wouldn't want to find out what would happen if one of those spring compressors let go while it was compressing a spring.
Make sure the spring compressors you use are designed for the springs you will be using them on though.
PART II.
Let me tell you about my situation.
I had this guy at work who tells me he can do it ...NO PROBLEM.
So one day at work, outside the parking lot he started working on it.
4 hrs later and he just got the front left installed.....then it started raining.
So he tells me he'll come back....never did.
I had to drive 22 miles home with 1 wheel lowered....I was f*cking pissed.
I wanted to fire the guy out of spite.
I decided to get it installed by a mechanic/friend I know.
I only had the front done....he told me the left front side wasn't installed properly.
Basically that guy at worked almost f*ck up my car.
So I decided to install the back myself......can't be that hard, the instructions I got from the NET.
Well, 15 hrs later, I was sore as hell.
Here I was at 3am in the morning, I couldn't unhook the old springs, then I find out I needed a spring compressor.
At 3am, I went to Walmart hoping for a miracle....nothing there.
Driving home, I see an AutoZone open 24hrs.....miracle do happen.
9am, the next morning, I was finally done.
I don't think I would ever waste even 6 hrs of my time installing something like that again.
I'm glad I did it though....actually accomplish something.
Who knows, your car might be alot easier.
Let me tell you about my situation.
I had this guy at work who tells me he can do it ...NO PROBLEM.
So one day at work, outside the parking lot he started working on it.
4 hrs later and he just got the front left installed.....then it started raining.
So he tells me he'll come back....never did.
I had to drive 22 miles home with 1 wheel lowered....I was f*cking pissed.
I wanted to fire the guy out of spite.
I decided to get it installed by a mechanic/friend I know.
I only had the front done....he told me the left front side wasn't installed properly.
Basically that guy at worked almost f*ck up my car.
So I decided to install the back myself......can't be that hard, the instructions I got from the NET.
Well, 15 hrs later, I was sore as hell.
Here I was at 3am in the morning, I couldn't unhook the old springs, then I find out I needed a spring compressor.
At 3am, I went to Walmart hoping for a miracle....nothing there.
Driving home, I see an AutoZone open 24hrs.....miracle do happen.
9am, the next morning, I was finally done.
I don't think I would ever waste even 6 hrs of my time installing something like that again.
I'm glad I did it though....actually accomplish something.
Who knows, your car might be alot easier.
Exactly ... what exactly do you hope to gain from only a 1" drop?
Save for the aftermarket turbo.
- M4H
Yes there is a point to lowering a car even if its only 1".
A car looks so much better if you don't have a gap between the tires and fender.
Pretty much a consensus that cars look much better when you don't have that big ole gap.
Don't bother wasting money on new shocks.
Your car is new, ride the original shocks until the wear out.
Good shocks are like $250-$300.......thats a big waste of money since your shocks are fairly new.
1" isn't too low. My car is lowered like 2" or so....but then again I upgraded the whole assembly ("coilovers" as import people say). I don't even need a spring compressor for my suspension any more.
As far as the spring compressor goes, it's a lot safer than most people think. Just use common sense and for the love of God watch where you are pointing everything.
As far as the spring compressor goes, it's a lot safer than most people think. Just use common sense and for the love of God watch where you are pointing everything.
I lowered my car about 2", and the ride is fine (not as smooth as stock, but decent) and it looks so much better.
the springs are not expensive, mine cost me about $350 Canadian... but they can probably be had even less.
the springs are not expensive, mine cost me about $350 Canadian... but they can probably be had even less.
What? about $300 to make the car look better ??? thats alot ???
How about people spending $1000+ for wheels to make the car look better ??
How about spending $150 to get a car tinted to make it look better ??
Why do people spend money at all on cars ???
Your question is dumb man.
Alot of people based on their car buying decision on looks.
I don't care how good a car is, if I think its ugly, I won't even consider it.
The Neon SRT is a perfect example.
YES, looks is very important as a car owner...unless you own a POS, than it doesn't matter
Cheapest ways to lower you car:
-deflate your tires
-add a thousand poounds of weight to your car, and be sure to evenly distribute it.
-deflate your tires
-add a thousand poounds of weight to your car, and be sure to evenly distribute it.
Not only with what I mentioned, no dealer would want to touch that car w/warranty work if it has been lowered.
EDIT: The SRT Neon still has a full warranty
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