how much can i lower my festiva?

[newcomb]

I am gunna cut down the coils on my festiva how much can I lower it?

[FestYboy]

for safetys sake, do yourself a favor and get progressive lowering springs. that will make sure you still have some spring compression with the suspention at full droop.

[newcomb]

Ok but how much can I lower it with 13s?

[FestYboy]

depends on the size 13 you're using... i'd use 185/60 myself. that way you can keep your festy struts without rubbing. a 2" drop should work, but the springs will very likely come loose at full droop or at least come realy close. also when you drop the car, the toe will go out quite a bit so get it aligned emediately.

[newcomb]

Sounds good I think I got 175s if I'm not mistaken but I gotta get a alingment anyway

[Bert]

You can drop the car as low as you want providing the tires don't rub and the car doesn't start to look 'stupid'. The cars already stick to the road like glue with Aspire fixins (front swaybar, rear torsion bar) so why would anybody want to drop it some more. Impress the ladies or perhaps the 'rice-rocket' Civic tuners?

[Safety Guy]

Newcomb wrote:

"Sounds good I think I got 175s if I'm not mistaken but I gotta get a alingment anyway."

Your tires are "175" what? Big difference in diameter between 175/80 and 175/60. Maybe around two inch difference! My 175/70-13 snows are almost an inch taller (radius) than my 175/60-13 Falkens.

There's also a difference between lowering a car for looks vs. handling. Decent handling takes a bit more thought and maybe some trial and error. It's also a lot more involved than merely lowering a car.

If I were you I'd do a lot more reading about this subject. We're mining Kia Rios for springs, front struts and other parts to get newer and better parts, as well as better handling and braking. You might want to hold off on any major work and see what develops.

Karl

[Movin]

Keep a little floor jack with you to get off the speed bumps !

[cway1319]

Keep a little floor jack with you to get off the speed bumps !

tooo funy!!!!!!!

[Team Lightning]

newcomb, read this thread and look at post 33. It shows a Festiva with no springs that was supposed to have been driven for a year with no issues. Would I do it? NO!! Not my thing. But how low you go is up to your driving style, where you drive, and what you want the ride to feel like when driving. Good luck with your project. Also it sounds like some on here have forgotten this thread.

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38219&highlight=gestiva

[newcomb]

I don't want it slammed no I juss want it a little lower help corning due to the top heavy ness of these cars

[mckabe]

That thing is sweet. I would do it for a week.

[FestYboy]

top heavy!?! where'd you hear that? only thing above the shoulder line is some glass and about 25# of sheet metal.

[newcomb]

Well I was goin around a curve doing 50 on a highway and my inside tires came off ground scared the piss out of me

[drddan]

^ Stiffer springs needed...and festy's will do that!
I.E.
fast right turn= right rear wheel off ground
fast left turn = left rear wheel off ground

ask me how I know :evil2:

It sounds like your springs are just...old....
go to a junkyard, buy some Aspire struts with the Aspire springs on them for $10-$15 each, cut 1-1.5 coils and be done with it!
The ride will astound you in comparison the the old festy struts and will bolt right on and no cutting of springs and no spring compressor needed....and cheap. Try to get a 95-97 Aspire so they are new(er)

For reference, in my avatar pic there, it has Aspire struts/springs, uncut, to clear my 195/60/14 tires, and I can corner fast and hard with very little body roll. Body roll is the enemy. It can literally pull your tires off the ground in a corner. My Fetsy surprises me how well it corners.