How much "droop" is acceptable on coilovers? (supporters of LOW cars only please)

[LockOn!]

Ok, first off let me start by saying I don't care what you have to say about shock travel and suspension geometry and handling or how stupid you think I am.

I don't care. Long hair.

This thread is for us who what to go LOW. Like LOW LOW. Like rim tuck on 17's LOW.

I know a lot of people out there "droop", I'm just looking for more info and trying to help those out who may have as similar question. (yes I've searched)

So my question is, how much "droop" is acceptable before a damper is in the extreme danger zone of blowing out?

For those of you who are unfamiliar with "droop", it means my rear coilovers have bottomed out in their sleeves meaning that in order to go lower, I have "drooped" my springs down the threaded shock body. This makes the top of the springs uncaptive and essentially trades suspension travel for lower ride height.

I understand drooping a bit will shorten the life of dampers but that's expected. I am curious as to how much droop one can get away with before making damper failure immanent.

For example, My most recent 240 has come with Tein Super Drifts already installed. I maxed them out in the rear and removed the rear helper springs (creating 1/2in of droop, the helper spring thickness when compressed) then I drooped the springs an extra 1/4in for good measure.

When searching here and around the interweebs about this much droop (1/2in-1in) seemed to be the norm, give or take a little. Also no one had reported catastrophic damper failure upon drooping this much. Some even say they have been drooped for a couple years without a failure.

While my car looks pretty decent I want SHAKOTAN low. Like stupid low.

Could I droop another 1/2in to 1in and be safe? Or will my rears blow as I pull off the curb into the road? Lol.

Here's my car as it sits with the current 3/4in of droop in the rear. All collars touching up front. (I want to remove collars later when I figure out how to get the rear down more).



I just wish this car came with Stance or PBM. I had Stance on my previous 240 and they went as low as I wanted :/ . Don't get me wrong, these Teins are actully performing above my expectations, I just wish they went lower...

So there you have it, this thread if for those who don't mind compromising performance for looking dope.

[waxball88]

We have a suspension related thread.
Thanks.

[slydin240sx]

Originally Posted by waxball88

We have a suspension related thread.
Thanks.

+1

msglength!

[LockOn!]

Originally Posted by waxball88

We have a suspension related thread.
Thanks.

One thread for all suspension related questions? Isn't that a little.. umm.. too broad. Plus I don't think people would enjoy me mucking up a real suspension thread with this whole going low nonsense.

Like I said, I searched this forum as well as others for info.

Please redirect me if you know where the answers to the questions I've asked are located. If not, I'd value input if you have any. Thanks!

[Croustibat]

Like you said : "nonsense" .

[LockOn!]

How insightful and informative of you. Thanks for your valuable input

Anyone else wanna take a crack answering my question? Preferably an actual contributing member of this forum who is down with low cars?

[Motary]

It depends a lot on how you drive, your car's weight, roll center height and height of center of gravity. If you just ride cool and low then I think an inch and a half of damper travel should be plenty and not bottom out. You could use this body roll calculator I made for excel.

[waxball88]

Let me try it again. We have a suspension thread. There are people in there with more knowledge and experience then you could ever hope to acquire. These people can surely answer such a simple question. I guarantee they can tell you everything you want to know in one well structured paragraph. Who knows? Maybe they'll drop enough knowledge on you to make you reconsider killing performance for looks.
Thanks.

[ExiledLakai]

I don't have a expected time on when the shock will fail(I would say a few hundred miles or less) but there are ways to get around slamming your car and not doing damage to anything. First is buy Drift works spindles. While most people buy them to correct geometry issues they naturally drop the car 2 inches by moving the front spindles/rear hub mounts up.

How does this effects you: drops your car to super low low while keeping the dampers in optimum stroke. Problem is that I'm guessing you won't want to spend the 1200 dollars to buy the set. But its an option. Pay now or pay when your coilovers blow...

[cbcm2435]

ive had my teins drooped around an inch an a half for about 2000 miles now, and they still work great, the person that owned to car before me had them drooped about and inch for idk how many miles. yes drooping them does shorten their lifspan, but it wont be instantaneous as soon as you let the jack down. people also think if you dont have a BOV your turbo will spontaneously combust the first time you hit boost. pretty much if they are shitty they will blow no matter what, and if they are in good condition they will last for a long time

[LockOn!]

Originally Posted by Motary

It depends a lot on how you drive, your car's weight, roll center height and height of center of gravity. If you just ride cool and low then I think an inch and a half of damper travel should be plenty and not bottom out. You could use this body roll calculator I made for excel.

Awesome, I'll look into this.

Originally Posted by ExiledLakai

First is buy Drift works spindles. While most people buy them to correct geometry issues they naturally drop the car 2 inches by moving the front spindles/rear hub mounts up.

This is rad. I was aware of front hub modification but that's not where most people run into maxing out ride height. Rear modifications, now that's siiiick. But I guess if your doing it you might as well do both. Thanks man.

Still waiting to hear from anyone who droops...

[LockOn!]

Originally Posted by cbcm2435

ive had my teins drooped around an inch an a half for about 2000 miles now, and they still work great, the person that owned to car before me had them drooped about and inch for idk how many miles.

Ok cool, looks like I might go down another 3/4in then.

Apparently this is what a lot of people with Teins resort to. Their coils don't go low as others because they are stubborn and won't update their designs. However, Teins seem to last under these stresses as they are a mid-rage product.

Thanks for the info. I just didn't want to be the first person to droop that much and learn the hard way hahaha. I commend your bravery.

Sooo anyone drooping more then 1.5in??

[Shift-240]

Originally Posted by cbcm2435

ive had my teins drooped around an inch an a half for about 2000 miles now, and they still work great, the person that owned to car before me had them drooped about and inch for idk how many miles. yes drooping them does shorten their lifspan, but it wont be instantaneous as soon as you let the jack down. people also think if you dont have a BOV your turbo will spontaneously combust the first time you hit boost. pretty much if they are shitty they will blow no matter what, and if they are in good condition they will last for a long time

How you figure that "dropping" them shortens their lifespan?


Coilovers are built with going low in mind. If a cautious driver is dd'ing there car with coils being "low" that person is more likely to bind a coil than blow a shock thus making the coilover still operational. Blown shock, shits inop.

So, your post is incorrect.

[slydin240sx]

So you want to sacrifice ride quality to be a cool kid? Why not buy coils that will go as low as you want with out drooping them. Makes more sense to me! I'm sure you could sell the Teins for more than half the price of PBM coils. Then you can be a cool kid and not worry about blowing your dampers.

Or you could droop your current coils, blow your dampers down the line, then come here to cry about it.

Is Maple Blocc in Florida?

[Shift-240]

Originally Posted by LockOn!

Ok cool, looks like I might go down another 3/4in then.

Apparently this is what a lot of people with Teins resort to. Their coils don't go low as others because they are stubborn and won't update their designs. However, Teins seem to last under these stresses as they are a mid-rage product.

Thanks for the info. I just didn't want to be the first person to droop that much and learn the hard way hahaha. I commend your bravery.

Sooo anyone drooping more then 1.5in??

Dude lower your car. Going lower on any coilovers WILL NOT shorten the life of the coilover. The materials of the set and how much they cost directly reflects the quality. Your tein's are built alright. The next guys Godspeed's, are not.

Quick lay out for you. My buddy bought a set of JIC coils. I bought a set of ksport coils. Mine blew in 2 yrs of dd'ing and track use. My buddy's JIC's 8 yrs and counting under the same conditions. Note: he was tucking 18's.

[cbcm2435]

DROOPING as in DROOPING the springs which shortens the amount of travel the shock has, which they are not designed for, coilovers are designed to lower using the lower mounting bracket.teins use long stroke shocks, unlike psm's that use short stroke shocks(which is why teins bottom out in the lower mount before psm) so in order to get the same height on teins you have to droop the springs. so if you droop the spring 1.5 inches it shortens the stroke by that same amount, which increases the pressure inside the shock and the seals were not designed to hold that pressure constantly, so that is why it will shorten the life of the shocks

so your post doesn't even pertain to this thread, since you cant read

[LockOn!]

lol.

[LockOn!]

Originally Posted by slydin240sx

So you want to sacrifice ride quality to be a cool kid? Why not buy coils that will go as low as you want with out drooping them. Makes more sense to me! I'm sure you could sell the Teins for more than half the price of PBM coils. Then you can be a cool kid and not worry about blowing your dampers.

Or you could droop your current coils, blow your dampers down the line, then come here to cry about it.

Is Maple Blocc in Florida?

WOAH WOAH WOAH woah woah.

I do with my car is what I think is cool. SO yes, lower please .

But yeah, I will most likely end up selling these and swapping coils, just trying to gather new information for myself and others who are curious.

And don't worry I wouldn't cry over broken dampers which were my own fault hahaha, i'm well aware of the consequences of shortening stroke.

AND NO, not Florida, never want to be Flordia, never will be Florida. In fact I'm as far away as possible in Washington lol. Check the gloomy ass weather outside my shitty apartment at school. Most ghetto block on college hill .

[cbcm2435]

if you can find shocks that have the same threads as teins you can just switch those out, since thats the main difference between coilovers. and if you find ones that use the same thread, let me know,lol

[LockOn!]

Thanks for all the input guys.

So 1.5in droop is the most that's been tested? That's good enough for me.

[Def]

If you can't bottom the shock out it will NOT shorten shock life whatsoever. I'm sure if you're really low your frame will hit before you use all the travel on the average set of coilovers.


If you want to actually get up driveways then run some tender springs in the rear while you droop (I'd actually refer to it as no preload) the rear to get usable droop travel.

[cbcm2435]

guess i was wrong. by tender springs do you mean helper springs?

[slydin240sx]

Originally Posted by LockOn!

WOAH WOAH WOAH woah woah.

I do with my car is what I think is cool. SO yes, lower please .

But yeah, I will most likely end up selling these and swapping coils, just trying to gather new information for myself and others who are curious.

And don't worry I wouldn't cry over broken dampers which were my own fault hahaha, i'm well aware of the consequences of shortening stroke.

AND NO, not Florida, never want to be Flordia, never will be Florida. In fact I'm as far away as possible in Washington lol. Check the gloomy ass weather outside my shitty apartment at school. Most ghetto block on college hill .

LOL.

Just get coils more suited to going LOW LOW. I'm sure you could still get a pretty penny for the Teins! Then buy some PBM coils or Stance's. Even Fortune Auto go low iirc? Plus they have excellent customer service and the coils can be rebuilt if need be.

Ahhh Washington state! Yes the gloominess looms there. I had a aunt,uncle and cousin who lived in Portland for a while. Fuck that state! haha

[Perfect Balance]

Fortune Auto's don't really go that low unless you flip the front bracket or get shorter springs. Just fyi. S14 models go really low though.

[slydin240sx]

Originally Posted by Perfect Balance

Fortune Auto's don't really go that low unless you flip the front bracket or get shorter springs. Just fyi. S14 models go really low though.

Well I wasn't for sure, although I do have a s14! I'm getting PBM coils when I upgrade though.

[Def]

Originally Posted by cbcm2435

guess i was wrong. by tender springs do you mean helper springs?

No, I mean tender springs.

Helper springs have near zero rate. Only uninformed "JDM" companies mistakenly call tender springs helper springs.

[Zenki_516]

Originally Posted by Shift-240

Dude lower your car. Going lower on any coilovers WILL NOT shorten the life of the coilover. The materials of the set and how much they cost directly reflects the quality. Your tein's are built alright. The next guys Godspeed's, are not.

Quick lay out for you. My buddy bought a set of JIC coils. I bought a set of ksport coils. Mine blew in 2 yrs of dd'ing and track use. My buddy's JIC's 8 yrs and counting under the same conditions. Note: he was tucking 18's.

Wrong answer... Quality is one thing, but going low on coilovers can be done in different ways. Your missing the point that with a spring set correctly you can lower from the body of the assembly, but when the body bottoms out and you lower by moving the spring and droop, you CAN blow out your dampers... not you will, but you can.

If you have 4 inches of travel before with springs set properly and no droop, but then you droop them 2 inches, your damper will now have to compress another 2 inches to meet the spring at the same spot as before.

Common sense should tell you that this WILL stress the parts and excessive droop can lead to failure or shorten life span.

To the OP. Not a bad question, but like everyone said this is not the right spot and you should be posting your question where the KNOWLEDGEABLE people will answer it which is in the suspension thread.

This thread should just be locked.

[cbcm2435]

isnt that pretty much what i said?

[Zenki_516]

Possibly, but after reading how dumb the post I responded to sounded I couldn't help myself. I didn't want to read anymore so just answered. If you said the same thing then consider me reinforcing a point to make sure other people on here don't have the wrong understanding.

And I'll say it again. Thread should just be locked.

[LockOn!]

Originally Posted by Zenki_516

Possibly, but after reading how dumb the post I responded to sounded I couldn't help myself.

And I'll say it again. Thread should just be locked.

HAHAHA. That post has been hurting my brain too.

I haven't posted here in like 5 years so go a head and lock if I put it in the wrong place... sorry guys.

but my question has been answered anyway,

1.5 inches of droop!!

That will tuck rim even on 17's if you go with a 215-45 or taller lol. Also will definitely bury 18's in your quarters.
Going any lower would lay frame while parked anyway.

Thanks