# Help with lowering GTO!!!!



## GBase (Jun 8, 2009)

Hey guys.... I got an 06 quicksilver and was thinking about lowering it.... I have been doing some research and found some HR Lowering springs for about $260... the approx drop is 1.4" in front and 1.3" in back... I was just wonderin if that price is good and if the drop was too much or not?... I dont want any rubbing... Thanks a lot


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## 87GN06GTO07IRL (Aug 10, 2009)

GBase said:


> the approx drop is 1.4" in front and 1.3" in back... I was just wonderin if the drop was too much or not?... I dont want any rubbing


Im partial to a 20mm or 0 drop myself. It will depend on your tire size, rim width and offset. Imo thats a big drop your after. Might be asking for trouble. If i had that much of a drop on mine i would rub but i also have larger tires and wheels front and rear with aggressive offsets. Sounds like its time to crawl underneath and do some measuring.


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

I wouldn't go that low. You will bottom out alot. Personally, I like the 0" rear and the 1" front drop. Give it a nice agressive stance and still allows for some decent tires.


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

I think thats too much of a drop. The 20mm drop is about 3/4" puts the fenders just above the tires on stock 17's wheels. Your going to need some shocks and struts too, stockers will not handle that.


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## GBase (Jun 8, 2009)

Hey guys thanks a lot... Yea I may not get such a low drop... i really dont want to run into any probs and dont like bottoming out


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## GBase (Jun 8, 2009)

what springs do you guys recomend and do you guys have any pics... thanks a lot


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

GBase said:


> what springs do you guys recomend and do you guys have any pics... thanks a lot


Lovells (Kollarracing.com) 20mm drop all around. The car sits nice and level. . .


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## dms (Jun 27, 2005)

As others have mentioned, a 1.3 inch drop is a very big drop. OE dampers do not do well with these big drops. You also potentially may end of with tire wear issues.

Keep in mind you should also do strut bushings, bearings and bump stops in the front.

A 20mm drop is a great all around drop from a handling and visual stand point.

Pedders has been the leader in GTO suspension. A 20mm drop coils are

2151L
2151R
2643 rears

There is a built in height difference in the front body. this is why we have a L and R coil to help compensate for this.

mike
dms


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

dms said:


> 2151L
> 2151R
> 2643 rears
> 
> ...


Didn't know that. Why? And what was done to make if differant?


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## dms (Jun 27, 2005)

GM4life said:


> Didn't know that. Why? And what was done to make if differant?


the fixtures for the GTO and Monaro were old and tolerances are very high. Since GM has a +/- 5/8 in acceptable variation tolerance factor, 2-3mm is not even worth their time to resolve. Having these kinds of tolerance variations is pretty normal. We see a 4-5mm difference on the new Camaros on a lot of them. 

To compensate, we have one coil that will have a 2-3mm higher ride height. It is easy to do.

mike
dms


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

Ohh ok, good info.


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## goat400 (Aug 18, 2009)

found eibach springs for $240. 1.0" in the front, 0.8" in the back? wht ya'll think?


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

I've seen a lot of people unhappy with Eibachs. Lovells, Pedders and Kings seem to be the ones that have a lot of satisfied owners.


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## danfigg (Sep 27, 2009)

*Re*

How low does your car sit know. If you have the sag issues like some GTO's IT might already be lowered and by you putting in lowering springs it actually sit at the same level as with the old springs. It will just ride better and thats it. With the old saggy springs my car sits at 584.2mm at the rear with an 1/8 of a tank of gas so measure your ride height first then figure out how low Lowering springs will put you at--------Danfigg


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## dms (Jun 27, 2005)

danfigg said:


> How low does your car sit know. If you have the sag issues like some GTO's IT might already be lowered and by you putting in lowering springs it actually sit at the same level as with the old springs. It will just ride better and thats it. With the old saggy springs my car sits at 584.2mm at the rear with an 1/8 of a tank of gas so measure your ride height first then figure out how low Lowering springs will put you at--------Danfigg


Very well stated!

mike
dms


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## Foxman (Jan 25, 2010)

I have the Eibach Kit installed in my 2006 GTO. It lowers it 1" in front and 0.8" in the rear. In my opinion, the 1" drop in the front is perfect, but the rear is too low and I will be raising it up 3/8" in the rear so I have only a half inch drop. I have 19" Ruff racing R278 rims with 235/35/r19 tires (8.5 " wide with 35mm offset), and have no uneven wear issues on the tires. I do find that the car does bottom out a bit (to low on rear and partly why raising rear a bit) and I do have some minor rubbing issues in the front and back on the outer sidewall. I plan on solving this problem by rolling the fenders in the near future. as it is now, I can barely fit my fingers between the tire and the fender in the rear. Also on a side note: eibach has a adjusting kit (on tire racks website for 26 bucks a pair) they recommend when using lowering springs to allow for any extra alignment issues.


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## dms (Jun 27, 2005)

Foxman said:


> I have the Eibach Kit installed in my 2006 GTO. It lowers it 1" in front and 0.8" in the rear. In my opinion, the 1" drop in the front is perfect, but the rear is too low and I will be raising it up 3/8" in the rear so I have only a half inch drop. I have 19" Ruff racing R278 rims with 235/35/r19 tires (8.5 " wide with 35mm offset), and have no uneven wear issues on the tires. I do find that the car does bottom out a bit (to low on rear and partly why raising rear a bit) and I do have some minor rubbing issues in the front and back on the outer sidewall. I plan on solving this problem by rolling the fenders in the near future. as it is now, I can barely fit my fingers between the tire and the fender in the rear. Also on a side note: eibach has a adjusting kit (on tire racks website for 26 bucks a pair) they recommend when using lowering springs to allow for any extra alignment issues.


You could add a Pedders spring insolator between the coil and the body and get either a 10 or 13mm lift. But that will not necessarily help you with your ride. With the wheels loaded, (weight on the tires) Look at how many active coils you have in with your rear coils. 

mike
dms


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## goat400 (Aug 18, 2009)

i have the stock 2006 wheels on mine and just wanna make sure if i order springs tht i dont run into rubbing or bottomin out issues. just like to get rid of tht gap between tire ans fender.


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## Foxman (Jan 25, 2010)

dms said:


> You could add a Pedders spring insolator between the coil and the body and get either a 10 or 13mm lift. But that will not necessarily help you with your ride. With the wheels loaded, (weight on the tires) Look at how many active coils you have in with your rear coils.
> 
> mike
> dms



Sound like the kind of solution I was looking for. Furthermore, I was looking to add the Pedders gsr big bore shocks or add koni sport adjustables to the rear to improve the performance as well.


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## dms (Jun 27, 2005)

goat400 said:


> i have the stock 2006 wheels on mine and just wanna make sure if i order springs tht i dont run into rubbing or bottomin out issues. just like to get rid of tht gap between tire ans fender.


I will gaurentee you that if you currently have stock springs, you are bottoming out all the time, especially on the rear. Stock with our Pedders 2151 front and 2643 rear coils and you will be in great shape. These coils are 50% stronger than OE, yet still mild enough to get you a quality ride.

You have other parts you need to consider as well if everything is stock

mike
dms


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

Foxman said:


> I have the Eibach Kit installed in my 2006 GTO. It lowers it 1" in front and 0.8" in the rear. In my opinion, the 1" drop in the front is perfect, but the rear is too low and I will be raising it up 3/8" in the rear so I have only a half inch drop. I have 19" Ruff racing R278 rims with 235/35/r19 tires (8.5 " wide with 35mm offset), and have no uneven wear issues on the tires. I do find that the car does bottom out a bit (to low on rear and partly why raising rear a bit) and I do have some minor rubbing issues in the front and back on the outer sidewall. I plan on solving this problem by rolling the fenders in the near future. as it is now, I can barely fit my fingers between the tire and the fender in the rear. Also on a side note: eibach has a adjusting kit (on tire racks website for 26 bucks a pair) they recommend when using lowering springs to allow for any extra alignment issues.


Hence the reason I wouldn't recommend Eibachs. My rear drop is .78" and I don't bottom out. The Eibachs IMHO are not strong enough of a spring.


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## Foxman (Jan 25, 2010)

svede1212 said:


> Hence the reason I wouldn't recommend Eibachs. My rear drop is .78" and I don't bottom out. The Eibachs IMHO are not strong enough of a spring.


Probably would have to agree with you on that. I Bought the car used and thats what came with them. I have the impression that in the last 2 years they have weakened somewhat and are not as firm as firm as they used to be. I have looked at some of the other (pedders, king) springs and they do look beefier than the eibachs. when more money starts falling out of the trees, I will gradually start to replace items like this over time! If memory serves, my wheel hop was not very noticible last year, but I figure as the OE shock wear out (and possibly the springs) it has become more noticeable on launches.


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

Foxman said:


> Probably would have to agree with you on that. I Bought the car used and thats what came with them. I have the impression that in the last 2 years they have weakened somewhat and are not as firm as firm as they used to be. I have looked at some of the other (pedders, king) springs and they do look beefier than the eibachs. when more money starts falling out of the trees, I will gradually start to replace items like this over time! If memory serves, my wheel hop was not very noticible last year, but I figure as the OE shock wear out (and possibly the springs) it has become more noticeable on launches.


I think the OE rear shocks are worn out the day they bolt them to the car. I changed mine out under 20K and I could expand and collapse them as easy as a screen door closer.


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## Foxman (Jan 25, 2010)

svede1212 said:


> I think the OE rear shocks are worn out the day they bolt them to the car. I changed mine out under 20K and I could expand and collapse them as easy as a screen door closer.





Well, with 50k miles, I am sure mine are shot too. Ordered some Koni adjustable sport yellows today and looking forward to bolting them on and see how much the ride improves.


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## Foxman (Jan 25, 2010)

svede1212 said:


> I think the OE rear shocks are worn out the day they bolt them to the car. I changed mine out under 20K and I could expand and collapse them as easy as a screen door closer.


Bolted the Koni's in last week and the bottoming out problem has disappeared, wheel hop is greatly reduced, and the car has a much more precise, controlled feel. Bumping up the koni's to the +1 position seems to work real well with good control and a decent ride for daily driving.


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## BIGmatt (Jun 8, 2010)

I went with Eibach b/c 

1: I had em on my old camaro so Im kinda nostalgic 
2: the rear drop of .8 inches seemed perfect to me, I, like many others here, have had strut rub problems and have had 2 tires blow out on me cuz of some form of rub or another.... 

(one of these was at like 70 mph, sounded like a helicopter over my car but it was actually the tire chord whipping against the wheel well... I ran her into a gaurd rail one cold rainy night thanks to some drunk chick in an SUV last Dec, when i got her back the rubbing was gone lol, no blowouts since then >.>...)


Anyway, while Eibach seems to be the road less traveled here, they got a hell of a brand name and the quality is top notch. I could see 1 inch in the front being a tad to high for some but then again Raleigh streets suck so i need the elevation... IMHO 1.3" in the back is asking for trouble, that seems crazy low when you look up in that wheel well... in the end its all up to you, but one choice is clear: DROP THAT GOAT!!!!


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

A brand name is just that. It's the suitability for intended use that matters and not the name. The Eibach road has been traveled and every long term review I've seen of them on our cars has not been good. I believe they are too weak for the weight of the goat. Good luck with yours.


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## goat400 (Aug 18, 2009)

wht about these lovell 3/4" eliminator kits? just want to get rid of gap between tire and fender...wht do i do?:confused


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## EPTowing (Jan 24, 2010)

I just finish puting a set of H&R front spring in my 04 today. I installed them on my stock struts. I wanted to lower my car down on my new 18" TSW wheels. It sure does look good but it rides like sh*t. I am going to try a new set of struts & if it still rides the same I going to pull them out. So as of now I would say unless you want your car to ride like sh*t don't use the H&R springs. I will let you know if new struts make any difference.


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## EPTowing (Jan 24, 2010)

Who makes a good set of Gas struts I can use to try & get my ride back?


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

EPTowing said:


> I just finish puting a set of H&R front spring in my 04 today. I installed them on my stock struts. I wanted to lower my car down on my new 18" TSW wheels. It sure does look good but it rides like sh*t. I am going to try a new set of struts & if it still rides the same I going to pull them out. So as of now I would say unless you want your car to ride like sh*t don't use the H&R springs. I will let you know if new struts make any difference.


Ride qualty changes dramaticly just from going from stock 17s to stock 18s. Adding lower and most likely stiffer springs would only make it better for handling, but worse for cruising


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

EPTowing said:


> Who makes a good set of Gas struts I can use to try & get my ride back?


Pedders, Lovells, Koni, Monroe, could be others.


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## BIGmatt (Jun 8, 2010)

Sorry for highjacking this thread but I'm interested to know if anyone has ever gotten a price quote on installing JUST the 4 lowering springs and modifying the bumb-stops if needed? Before i get flamed I know this is a VERY general question and depends entirely on the installer and his/her rates. 

The only shop close to me, that I really trust is on vacation for at least another week. So I'm getting a little antsy deciding how much of the next pay check will go to my suspension and how much to my Corsa Sport.... 

I'm Just trying to get a ball park figure as 60 hour work weeks are killing me at the moment and I doubt I'd have the time or the ability to take the car apart for long enough to get the job done myself.... 

Ive heard figures ranging from $60-100 per side to over 600 for the entire job.... Does anyone have any experience paying for a lowering spring install???

I'm using Eibach Springs btw (dont hate )


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## dms (Jun 27, 2005)

BIGmatt said:


> Sorry for highjacking this thread but I'm interested to know if anyone has ever gotten a price quote on installing JUST the 4 lowering springs and modifying the bumb-stops if needed? Before i get flamed I know this is a VERY general question and depends entirely on the installer and his/her rates.
> 
> The only shop close to me, that I really trust is on vacation for at least another week. So I'm getting a little antsy deciding how much of the next pay check will go to my suspension and how much to my Corsa Sport....
> 
> ...


You should be looking at no more than 3 hours of work plus alignment.


Mike
dms


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