Lowering Without Springs?

[SUPER SONIC BOOM]

Hey after reading Danny5's write-up on his lowering spring install, I was wondering if you could possibly lower the rear of a Sonic hatch just by switching out the tall (long) shocks for shorter ones? He mentioned that the rear suspension is being held up by the shocks themselves only, so putting smaller ones would lower it right? Lmk what y'all think or if it's even possible to buy shorter shocks (do you have to buy the bigger ones for sure)? If I can lower it without springs I would do it in a heartbeat!

 

[laborsmith]

The springs will determine your ride height. The shocks will determine how well your vehicle rides.

Laborsmith

 

[TurboTechRacing]

The springs will determine your ride height. The shocks will determine how well your vehicle rides.

Laborsmith

Exactly, shocks/struts do not change ride height.

 

[SUPER SONIC BOOM]

Exactly, shocks/struts do not change ride height.

Yeah but since the Sonic's rear suspension is being held up by the long shocks, wouldn't changing them out for shorter ones lower the back end a 'lil? According to Danny5's write up, it's the only thing holding up the rear end to change springs out. Would smaller shocks even fit correctly, or are we doomed to always get those fugly longass ones? Just curious & wanting to know more about my brand new car!

 

[Eric Smit]

The springs hold up the car, the shocks help with ride quality. I believe this was already answered. No, it's not going to lower your car.


-Eric Smit

 

[rdss]

Almost all suspensions are being held up by the shocks. The springs push down the the shocks hold them up. Unless they are struts (and the sturt is the shock!!) or double wish bone or have something other than just a lower arm the shocks will hold the suspension from drooping to the point that parts will fall out. When the suspension is compressing the springs are keeping the suspensions from bottoming out and the shocks are controlling the compression and rebound caused by the springs resistance.....

 

[sx sonic]

Shorter shocks would lower your car!
. I would strongly advise it as they would not allow the suspension to rebound after a divet or the back side of a small bump

Shocks control 2 things. 1 directly, the other is not.. springs provide your ride height and basic compression or rebound forces. Shocks provide speed control/resistance as they compress or rebound. Their secondary function is keeping the axle from dropping too far in full jounce/rebound (think when the car is jacked up and the whls are just hanging, the shocks keep them from hanging any lower).

If you can visualize it shorter shocks can HOLD your car lower, but they will not actually lower ur specified ride height. (Think tying your arms halfway to your body). They will destroy your ride however.

Long story short your gonna have to buy either springs or shocks. Why not go the proper route andbuy the only one that is Sold.

If you were gutsy you could cut your stock springs and bend the ends to match the same contour at the ends so the spring properly seats in the retainers, but that is at your own risk and I don't recommend doing.

-tyler

 

[SUPER SONIC BOOM]

Nah, I was just getting your guy's opinions on the matter since I thought it might work, but it sounds like it won't properly sooooo...it looks like I'll be buying lowering springs of some kind after all, now if I can just see some pics of H&R lowered hatches since I've already seen KSpeed & Eibach ones...

 

[ras42tbss]

much shorter shocks would compress your suspension and eliminate your drop travel, so if you went short enough, yes it would lower your vehicle (i think this is the logic you're getting at) let me know if you choose to go this route and where you live because i would never want to be driving on the same roads as you. it will ride like complete sh!t and be a danger (and this is coming from someone who use to cut/heat coils long ago, but let's not get into that...) i'm assuming what Danny5 is talking about is that when you lift the rear of the sonic, the only thing that keeps the rear "axle" from dropping till the springs fall out is the shocks. the shocks max out their travel and stop the "axle" from dropping any farther. remove the shocks and the axle drops farther down, allowing the springs to be pulled out and replaced with the new....

ps... sx sonic basically said the same thing a couple posts ago

 

[Opticon]

According to Danny5's write up, it's the only thing holding up the rear end to change springs out.

When the rear suspension is fully extended (on a lift) the shock tubes hold the beam axle up. You need to remove the bottom shock bolts to extend the beam axle and pull the spring out. That is what Danny5 is talking about.

If you used shorter shocks you would simply be limiting the full extension ... ride height has (or should have) nothing to do with full shock extension.

 

[gdideric]

said another way, if you lower your car with the shocks by shortening them, your suspension will always be "topped" out. It won't be able to follow dips in the road because the shocks won't let the suspension extend. It also won't be able to rebound properly after bumps. ie...ride like ****, and possibly kill you.

 

[Eric Smit]

**** gon' keel yew!


-Eric Smit

 

[SUPER SONIC BOOM]

**** gon' keel yew!


-Eric Smit

Yee haa, o'rally!

 

[Dragcamaro]

If youre trying to lower on the cheap you could always cut your springs.

Ill await the explosion of anger that will come from me mentioning that, but its not always a bad option. Every car is different though. I had cut front springs on my 01 z28 (1 coil removed) and it made a suprising positive difference in the handling of the car. F bodys sit like trucks from the factory though. it dropped my front about 1.5" or less, removed spring rubbers in the rear lowered that about an inch

Thats not a sonic though, i dont know how a sonic will react.

 

[SSpeckerwood]

You could put lead weights in the front and rear to lower the OEM suspension

 

[SUPER SONIC BOOM]

You could put lead weights in the front and rear to lower the OEM suspension

...OR just put 3 heavy fatasses in my car lmao!

 

[SSpeckerwood]

That works

 

[striper]

Cutting springs shouldn't be recommended. It effectively increases the spring rate causing a stiffer spring rate which combined with the shorter travel will make for s stiffer bouncy ride. New specially wound springs are the best way to lower to also preserve the ride quality. Too bad we don't have a suspension like my Vette. Just adjusting 4 bolts was able to lower the car almost 2", a couple of hours work with no financial outlay.

 

[sx sonic]

Spring rate. Would be the same with cut springs. The rate is determined by many factors but that is determined at time of manufacter, age can lower the spring rate (although some say rate stays the same, the spring load is what changes with age, but that's another story)

Unless your talking about forcing the car lower (like the short strut idea) in which case the spring is put under more load compounding the rate as the same spring is under more tension.

That sounds like a really cool setup on your vette, maybe talk GM into doing on all their cars

-tyler

 

[theenico]

Spring rate. Would be the same with cut springs. The rate is determined by many factors but that is determined at time of manufacter, age can lower the spring rate (although some say rate stays the same, the spring load is what changes with age, but that's another story)

Actually, cutting the spring does increase its rate. A spring is just a bar that has been coiled up.

Shortening the bar makes it stiffer. This is freshman level physics.