Mark

As long as I have been driving lowered cars (10 years and many cars), I've been told by hobbyists, professionals, and manufacturers, that quality lowering springs do not settle.

I'd love to hear others' comments on this...

SoCalHHR

Well, having been in the automotive publishing industry over 20+ years - and lowering MANY cars, I can tell you they do! Even if the springs did not sag-in, you still need to drive the miles in case something was not "loaded" right when installed (i.e., the spring was not sitting in it's seat properly). Bottom line: for best results wait, then align.

Mark

So... you're not necessarily allowing time for the "springs" to settle, but rather the rest of the car. Certainly believable.

I'm currently in the middle of a complete suspension re-do on a '95 VW Golf... Struts/shocks, springs, all polyurethane bushings (no rubber left on this one when I'm done), ball joints, and sway bars. I'll give it a few hundred miles before aligning, just to see.

I've always aligned my cars immediately after lowering. A second alignment generally is cheaper than new tires.

SoCalHHR

It generally takes 300-500 miles for a wear pattern to set in on radial tires, so waiting 150-20 miles is a safe bet...unless it's really off!

Good luck with your Golf!

dan-d

I've been lowering car's now going on 30+ years and what you've been told is pretty accurate. A good quality spring will not settle over time. After you install good springs and do a measurement, then take the car out for a good test drive you will see somewhat of a difference. Your initial measurement will not show you the advertised drop height, but when you measure again after a test drive you will find that it's pretty darned close. That's not just the spring settling in, it's also the rubber pieces such as spring dampers, seats etc. also settling to the new springs. But this settling should be done in a very short time, less than 10 miles or so. Look at it this way. If springs had to settle to their ride height over time then all new cars would settle in at different ride heights (over time), but for the most part they're pretty darned close to to each other based on any given year, make, and model. I usually have my alignment done the very next day and when re-checked a year or so later I've yet to see one settle any more and have never had to have one realigned because it needed more time to settle. I used Progress Tech springs on my Focus, had it aligned the next day after about 30 miles of driving. It now has about 100k on the suspension and although the alignment was out a slight bit (wear of components over time), the ride height is still the same as it was back in 2002 when I installed the springs. I don't own it any more, but the guy I sold it to is a friend and I get to see her (the car) every so often. OK....Flame away...haha

BTW: In the past 5 years I've lowered between 20 - 25 cars, and I always tell those people to get their alignment done ASAP and most do it the next day (miles vary). Not one has ever had an issue with settling over time and / or miles. -Dan

SoCalHHR

The main difference is that with lowered cars the spring rates are much lower and more inconsistent than factory height springs.
It's pretty easy to keep factory cars consistent with the higher rates.

End of flame...

dan-d

So your saying that people like Progress Tech and other quality spring makers are inconsistant in their quality control?

SoCalHHR

A lot less stringent than the OEM spring makers.

I'm speaking from experience here too!

dan-d

I'll buy that, but in the last five years or so about 25% of my lowering jobs were using springs made by one single manufacture on virtually identical cars. All of these cars are at about the same ride height and all have varying mileage with no settling problems. And to top this off, who do you think OEM contracts to manufacture their springs anyway? Not trying to be pissy but I too am speaking from many years of experience as well. Mike your a great guy no doubt, and I'll always support you, but sometimes your opinion is very biased and your mind isn't as open as it should be. -Dan

-md- HHR

My Eibachs pro kit on my cavalier has never settled or lowed any, and they have been on my car for a couple years now. I race it weekly and no I am not nice to them. Also my brothers tein S kit has not settled at all. The only springs I have seen settle were gold lines we put on my friends neon, and a set of progressive springs put on my friends srt4. Both neons rides wonderful, but that could be from the koni struts.