Lowering on stock suspension

[Unicornasaurus]

Has anyone done it before? How low can you go? Would you have to get stronger springs (FMS performance springs) and lower it with those?

It'd be nice to lower my Festiva, but not to the point where it lays frame . I could do the FMS springs, but I wasn't sure if lowering it professionally would be cheaper or not.

[r34king]

Always do it yourself if you have the ability and knowhow, saves lots of money!! Lowering a car can be done in a few ways:

1: Heating the springs with a tortch. (not recomended because of altered tinsil strength)

2: Cutting the springs. Start by cutting 1/2 a link out and check hight, repeat if you want it lower.

3: Lowering springs. FMS springs will lower your car about 1.5 inches all around. Cheapies off of ebay may do more but none are made specifically for festivas.

4: Air bag it. Really expensive, but unique, and man does it look cool to se a festiva riding down the highway 1/4 inch off the ground! Eye of Ra, and Pimptiva(r.i.p.) are the only ones i know of that had air bags.


Let us know how you want to do it.

[Unicornasaurus]

I remember looking into bagging it, but it was just too expensive. I was thinking of FMS springs, but 1.5 inches is probably the height that it drops when you add an extra average sized male in your car with you

Cutting springs is I guess the most popular, but doesn't that give you bad negative camber?

[sasquatch]

cut and weld in camber ajustment plates in the top of the struts

[r34king]

Of FMS website it says "will lower car about 35mm" rough math in my head says ~1.5". Anyway, any suspension altering will affect your camber. fortunately, NAPA, CQ, AZ, and all the other car shops cary camber bolts. Only the front, sience the rear is lowering the whole axle at the same time, the camber doesn't get thrown out. Replace the top bolt that holds the front spindle to the shock housing with an ecentric bolt, that will let you fix your camber, the dont forget to set your toe, or you will wear your tires out in about the first 10 miles. PM me or call me if you need any help, im always more than happy to help someone out.

[FestYboy]

i've been running FMS springs for several years now without using camber bolts and it doesn't detract from tire wear at all. the camber is .2* past factory limits, which is nothing. i wouldn't worry about it at all. do get your toe adjusted though.

[Unicornasaurus]

I'd have to get it professionally lowered. I don't have a spring compressor to get them off, and I don't want to kill myself trying

[sasquatch]

good idea

[Safety Guy]

You can borrow spring compressors at A-Zone or some of the other parts stores.

Karl

[sasquatch]

ooo ya i forgot about that... a little off topic but for the price you pay for the tein coilovers do you get a lot for your money or is it just the name, do you lower your car at all, do they have those in car ajust dampening controller thing and is it a bolt in?

[25Horseplay]

The Teins are a bolt in but are not adjustable from inside the car, you have to adjust manually.

[93 FordFestiva93]

cuting

I cut 1 and 1/2 links out of the stock suspenion on my old trucktiva the pic is in my sig. it sat and rode very nice.

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[Unicornasaurus]

Re: cuting

I cut 1 and 1/2 links out of the stock suspenion on my old trucktiva the pic is in my sig. it sat and rode very nice.

[/img]

Did you do it yourself? Any other modifications? From the looks that's a nice height. Something I'd go for.

I assume you had to adjust for camber?

[93 FordFestiva93]

did it myself, removed the wheel cut out 1 and 1/2 links of the coil spring from each shock and was done, no adjustments, just cut the springs, drove for over 3,000 miles after that, no tire wear issues.

[geezerstiva]

after you did your lowering job, could you not just take it to a shop and have them do the alignment?
sorry to revive an old post.