# Selecting the right springs ?



## PontiacKidd (Sep 16, 2013)

I have a stock suspension on a 04 gto and I wanna lower it a bit for a more aggressive look. I don't want to slam it. Someone told me eibach PRO springs. So I don't have to change my shocks. To those of you go have aftermarket springs what is your opinion? How low did you go and how is red quality? What else did you change during install like bushings shocks struts ? Thanks guys 


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## Steamwalker (Mar 9, 2012)

I wouldn't run Eibachs with stock struts. Also, if I recall the height of the Eibach rears correctly, you should be running rear camber bushings to correct for the camber with an 1" + drop.


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## PontiacKidd (Sep 16, 2013)

Steamwalker said:


> I wouldn't run Eibachs with stock struts. Also, if I recall the height of the Eibach rears correctly, you should be running rear camber bushings to correct for the camber with an 1" + drop.


Cause with the eibachs I won't have to change my shocks tho right? What would your set up be? Just want to lower it a bit but make it a smoother ride too. Not bumpier


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## Steamwalker (Mar 9, 2012)

If you want to get lowering springs in the front, you should use something like KONI or LOVELLS short-bodied struts. Stock style struts are not designed for use with lowering springs because of the reduced suspension travel.

In the rear, it is often said that if you drop 3/4" of an inch or more, you should use camber adjustment bushings to compensate. I am no expert in alignment and suspension geometry so I'd take their word for it. EIBACH drops 1" in the rear.

I am currently on stock height KING Springs front and rear coupled with KONI shocks/struts.

If it were me, I'd look into LOVELLS springs with a slight drop, nothing as drastic as EIBACHs.


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## PontiacKidd (Sep 16, 2013)

Steamwalker said:


> If you want to get lowering springs in the front, you should use something like KONI or LOVELLS short-bodied struts. Stock style struts are not designed for use with lowering springs because of the reduced suspension travel.
> 
> In the rear, it is often said that if you drop 3/4" of an inch or more, you should use camber adjustment bushings to compensate. I am no expert in alignment and suspension geometry so I'd take their word for it. EIBACH drops 1" in the rear.
> 
> ...


K I just want it to be a little smoother and a little lower. Withina budget of 500$ or so. So count coil overs out lol. This is how mine sits now















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## Steamwalker (Mar 9, 2012)

Looks like your rear is already sagging. If you want it lower still, you'll be looking at a fairly aggressive drop spring and a modest new drop spring would probably raise the rear.

Not sure how the roads are where you are but I went stock height and am glad I did. Low looks cool but I find myself with my nose over the parking space cement blocks often and if I was lowered, I'd be doing all sorts of damage to my front bumper.

Here's my car with King springs. This is what stock height is supposed to look like:


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## PontiacKidd (Sep 16, 2013)

Steamwalker said:


> Looks like your rear is already sagging. If you want it lower still, you'll be looking at a fairly aggressive drop spring and a modest new drop spring would probably raise the rear.
> 
> Not sure how the roads are where you are but I went stock height and am glad I did. Low looks cool but I find myself with my nose over the parking space cement blocks often and if I was lowered, I'd be doing all sorts of damage to my front bumper.
> 
> Here's my car with King springs. This is what stock height is supposed to look like:


Oh dang. Your goats clean!! Roads aren't terrible here *sacramento ca. But I don't wanna slam it. Just tuck the tires a little. I know what you mean about parking cement blocks cause I'm trying to already get myself in routine on not pulling up all the way. Just curious on what other gto owners went with suspension wise


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

Eibachs on the GTO do not have a great reputation. You can go 20mm (3/4") drop without special shocks or camber adjustable bushings. Lovells, Kings or Pedders are the only springs I'd consider. I ran Lovells 20mm drop. My rear camber with plain poly bushings is -1.2*/1.4*, well within stock specs.


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## PontiacKidd (Sep 16, 2013)

svede1212 said:


> Eibachs on the GTO do not have a great reputation. You can go 20mm (3/4") drop without special shocks or camber adjustable bushings. Lovells, Kings or Pedders are the only springs I'd consider. I ran Lovells 20mm drop. My rear camber with plain poly bushings is -1.2*/1.4*, well within stock specs.


How'd did you like the ride quality of your lovells compared to stock 


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## NucciGOAT (Dec 10, 2013)

svede1212 said:


> Eibachs on the GTO do not have a great reputation. You can go 20mm (3/4") drop without special shocks or camber adjustable bushings. Lovells, Kings or Pedders are the only springs I'd consider. I ran Lovells 20mm drop. My rear camber with plain poly bushings is -1.2*/1.4*, well within stock specs.


The BC Coilovers will allow you to drop as little or as much as you want correct? I am leaning towards the BC kit because its under a grand and its coil overs, where as the Lovels Eliminator kits are like $1200 from Kollar and they are just a strut shock combo. I'd much rather have coil overs then just a shock strut combo. and BC's are a quality product from what I've researched. Does anyone know the ride quality of the BC's?

I know very well first hand, that modding the suspension harsh-ens ride quality, but I would like the softest of aftermarket set-ups there is, if possible. Does anyone know if the BC's are softer then the eliminator kit or vice versa? Thanks.:confused


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## Steamwalker (Mar 9, 2012)

If you are looking for a soft, complaint ride, stay away from coilovers. That's about as harsh as they come. You may want to lean towards Lovells or Pedders springs. Kings tend to be the stiffer of the three with thier HD springs.


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## NucciGOAT (Dec 10, 2013)

Steamwalker said:


> If you are looking for a soft, complaint ride, stay away from coilovers. That's about as harsh as they come. You may want to lean towards Lovells or Pedders springs. Kings tend to be the stiffer of the three with thier HD springs.


So the coil overs are as stuff as it gets huh? I mean I know any performance setup is going to be ten times stiffer then stock, but your saying coil overs are the least forgiving huh? I might go with the 20mm lovells then.


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## PontiacKidd (Sep 16, 2013)

Steamwalker said:


> If you are looking for a soft, complaint ride, stay away from coilovers. That's about as harsh as they come. You may want to lean towards Lovells or Pedders springs. Kings tend to be the stiffer of the three with thier HD springs.


Ya I want a slight drop in ride height with a soft ride, as it's daily driven


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

"Coilovers" IMHO are overkill on a car that isn't constantly being dialed in for autocross or something (FWIW the stock suspension is a coil over the strut or coilover. The racer slang means adjustable too).There's only so much travel (something like 2 1/2"ish compression) stock so using up a lot of it for drop compromises alignment and ride. Pop some bigger wheels on and pot holes will eat them and jar the rest of the car. 3/4" drop to stock height is what the car was engineered for. Pick one. More than that gets into issues and problem prone parts to try to correct alignment and such. Because alignment changes with height most everyone I know of set it and left it. "Coilover" does have that racy sound to it though. . . .


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## NucciGOAT (Dec 10, 2013)

svede1212 said:


> "Coilovers" IMHO are overkill on a car that isn't constantly being dialed in for autocross or something (FWIW the stock suspension is a coil over the strut or coilover. The racer slang means adjustable too).There's only so much travel (something like 2 1/2"ish compression) stock so using up a lot of it for drop compromises alignment and ride. Pop some bigger wheels on and pot holes will eat them and jar the rest of the car. 3/4" drop to stock height is what the car was engineered for. Pick one. More than that gets into issues and problem prone parts to try to correct alignment and such. Because alignment changes with height most everyone I know of set it and left it. "Coilover" does have that racy sound to it though. . . .


I know what a coil over is.. I just don't feel like typing out "adjustable coil overs" every time I'm talking about it. People know what your talking about if you simply say coil overs.

I just like the adjustability of them. I'm only planning on dropping it 3/4 max to eliminate wheel gap, but if for some reason I don't like the 3/4 drop, with the coil overs I can quickly turn it back to stock height or just 1/2 inch etc..and get the alignment done again. If I get the lovells, or the Monroe/king setup, I'm stuck with that height drop unless I want to buy new springs.. That's the part I don't like. But if the BC's are that much more stiff then the others I might compromise.. I will have to research spring rates. Plus with adjustable coil overs the shocks are designed to be lowered. You don't have to ensure your buying shorter shocks and trim bump stops etc.. Much cleaner instal, and on other cars I've ridden in is usually a better ride. But I have no experience with GTO suspensions.

To the OP if you get any type of lowering spring your car is going to ride much much more harsh then stock. Esp if you put lowering springs on the stock shocks/struts. It will feel like you are being hammered every bump you hit.. That's just how performance suspensions are. You have to be stuff to reduce body roll and other dynamic features of the car to corner well. 

If you are looking for a soft smooth ride, I would recommend getting better shocks/struts and stock height springs that are close to the stock spring rates. That is your best bet. 


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## Mquintana97 (Nov 12, 2021)

PontiacKidd said:


> Oh dang. Your goats clean!! Roads aren't terrible here *sacramento ca. But I don't wanna slam it. Just tuck the tires a little. I know what you mean about parking cement blocks cause I'm trying to already get myself in routine on not pulling up all the way. Just curious on what other gto owners went with suspension wise
> 
> 
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Sorry for bringing up a old thread but I’m in the same situation I recently bought my gto 2 months ago 56k miles the previous owner lowered it with eibach springs and it’s fine driving around Sacramento area but when I went to San Jose it was hell to drive


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