Lowering Springs

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MadFiat
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Lowering Springs

Post by MadFiat » Sun Sep 23, 2018 6:24 pm

Not sure what lowering springs to use?

(Moved from WIKI to here)

Lowering Springs
Lowering springs are a common modification done to many performance cars. Alternatives to lowering springs include cut springs and coilovers. Or you could just leave things stock. That's no fun.
This post doesn't include Coilovers, we may do a different post for that!

Advantages
Lower center of gravity
Less weight transfer during cornering
Reduced rollover risk.
Aerodynamic Improvements

Disadvantages
Bottoming out
Scraping/rubbing with larger tires
Dealer might blame axle leakage on Springs and not warranty axles.
Springs
Note: Some manufacturers do not specify Base 500 vs Abarth vs 500C vs Abarth Cabrio. Lowering distance may vary. Often different vendors quote different lowering values for the same spring. When possible I got lowering values from the manufacturer. I believe (but could be proven wrong) all of these springs are progressive. Manufacturers don't necessarily report spring rates, or they report an average or maximum rate rather than progressive rates. Caveat emptor.




List of Common Springs for US Models:
Manufacturer  / Model    Lowering  & Spring Rate (If Published)
Stock                    Not Low   /  Front 195 - Rear 220 lbs./inch
Eibach Pro-Kit           0.7 Front / 1.2 Rear (Abarth) / 1.0 Front / 1.4 Rear (Base)	
Eibach Sportline         1.3 Front / 1.5 Rear (Abarth) / 1.0 Front / 1.4 Rear (Base) Front 150 - Rear 195 lbs./inch
AST Suspension           1.2 Front / 1.2 Rear	 
H&R                      PN 29054-4 / 1.2 Front, 1.2 Rear (Base 500 / 500C)	 
H&R                      PN 29054-6 / 1.0 Front, 1.3 Rear (Abarth), 1.2 Rear (Abarth Cabrio)	 
NeuF by NeuSpeed         1.2 Front, 2.0 Rear / Front 220 - Rear 225-250 lbs./inch
Vogtland                 1.0 Front, 1.4 Rear - Users report 0.75 inch. (MadFiat's Recommendation)
Madness V1               "Approximate 1.4 inch" / 119.9 to 234.1 lbs front, 119.91 to 199.90 lbs rear (Older version)
Madness Sport            0.7 (Abarth) - Rates - Front 119.9 to 234.1, Rear 119.9 to 199.9 (is this the same as V1? Unclear)
Madness Sport Plus       1.4 Front, 1.8 Rear (Abarth) -  Rates - Front 97 to 194.1, Rear 159.8 to 199.9 lbs. 
Megan Racing             1.0 Front, 1.7 Rear	

Final Thoughts


Should you put lowering springs on your Fiat / Abarth?

If you value ride comfort, then absolutely not. While some other cars can be lowered without sacrificing significant amounts of ride comfort, that is absolutely not true of a Fiat 500. There isn't much suspension travel stock, and even mild lowering results in a bumpy ride. Driving around town it will be jarring - especially if you are a heavier driver or carry adult passengers.

For handling on smooth pavement such as autocross or track days, a mild drop can be beneficial. If you value appearance and style, then springs are a quick ticket to low-town as well.

Ultimately, however, you will see better handling improvements by focusing on other improvements such as a stiffer rear torsion bar, rear shocks, front chassis braces, front tunnel brace and tires. If all you want to do is level your ride on an Abarth, you can even consider cut springs on the back of the car -- if done correctly. On a Pop/Sport/500 T, you can swap to an Abarth suspension to get a bit of lowness without losing much ride quality.

Also it is recommended with any springs to upgrade your shocks as well. The more aggressive the drop you select, the more important a shock upgrade becomes.
2015 Rosso Abarth 5MT - MAD FIAT - EC Phase 2 + Supporting Mods
2015 Granito Lucente 500T 6AT - Projecto Estupido
2017 Fiat 124 Spider 6MT - Another one???

BecauseAbarth
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Re: Lowering Springs

Post by BecauseAbarth » Sun Sep 23, 2018 6:38 pm

Good little article... Should help make up some minds for some folks

sportfan
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Re: Lowering Springs

Post by sportfan » Sun Sep 23, 2018 7:27 pm

Most people that do lower their car go with coil overs or Neu-F springs with yellow Koni shocks and struts. That is what I have . They handle great and have a harsh ride.

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MadFiat
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Re: Lowering Springs

Post by MadFiat » Sun Sep 23, 2018 7:38 pm

sportfan wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 7:27 pm Most people that do lower their car go with coil overs or Neu-F springs with yellow Koni shocks and struts. That is what I have . They handle great and have a harsh ride.
Correct. Coilovers would be a separate article, but there's a lot more to consider for them and I'm not an expert.

The importance of changing shocks can't be understated, and I should probably update the article to mention that.
2015 Rosso Abarth 5MT - MAD FIAT - EC Phase 2 + Supporting Mods
2015 Granito Lucente 500T 6AT - Projecto Estupido
2017 Fiat 124 Spider 6MT - Another one???

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Re: Lowering Springs

Post by southernroadrunner » Mon Sep 24, 2018 6:07 pm

I put Neufs in this Abarth and I think they ride as good as the stock springs. Do have just a slight rub on the rear of the inner fender liner on a really tight turn. But just slightly

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Re: Lowering Springs

Post by MadFiat » Mon Sep 24, 2018 6:12 pm

southernroadrunner wrote: Mon Sep 24, 2018 6:07 pm I put Neufs in this Abarth and I think they ride as good as the stock springs. Do have just a slight rub on the rear of the inner fender liner on a really tight turn. But just slightly
Nice. I need to ride in more lowered cars to see if there's something I like. I rode in a Pop with Eibach ProKit and (I think) abarth fronts and koni yellow rears. Was too hard for me and bottomed out quite a lot around my rough-road town, especially if I had a passenger.

I'm not against lowering the MAD FIAT but don't want the ride to be too harsh. OTOH, the Salvage PT is bouncy bouncy after lowering and not "harsh" at all... no decent shocks for the fronts...
2015 Rosso Abarth 5MT - MAD FIAT - EC Phase 2 + Supporting Mods
2015 Granito Lucente 500T 6AT - Projecto Estupido
2017 Fiat 124 Spider 6MT - Another one???

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retrophit
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Re: Lowering Springs

Post by retrophit » Mon Sep 24, 2018 6:33 pm

This is good, thanks! I'd love to lower mine for looks, but as a daily on the streets I roam... it ain't happenin'.
2013 500C Abarth
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texanbrit
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Re: Lowering Springs

Post by texanbrit » Mon Sep 24, 2018 7:11 pm

retrophit wrote: Mon Sep 24, 2018 6:33 pm This is good, thanks! I'd love to lower mine for looks, but as a daily on the streets I roam... it ain't happenin'.
Sounds like your need an air adjustable ride, low for show and then back up for the morning commute!
2013 Abarth 500c (NGen Turbo'd) - Isabella
2012 500 Pop (broken, engine rebuild on hold) - Popabella
2014 500L (Daily workhorse) - The Hulk
2013 Abarth 500 (broken engine, current project) - Abby

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retrophit
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Re: Lowering Springs

Post by retrophit » Mon Sep 24, 2018 7:34 pm

The gotcha there is that air springs are stiffer the taller they are. ....so even if I wanted to invest that much money in my $14K car ‘s suspension ..which I don’t... I’m not sure I’d have the desired affect.
2013 500C Abarth
All the mods!
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southernroadrunner
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Re: Lowering Springs

Post by southernroadrunner » Mon Sep 24, 2018 7:45 pm

MadFiat wrote: Mon Sep 24, 2018 6:12 pm
southernroadrunner wrote: Mon Sep 24, 2018 6:07 pm I put Neufs in this Abarth and I think they ride as good as the stock springs. Do have just a slight rub on the rear of the inner fender liner on a really tight turn. But just slightly
Nice. I need to ride in more lowered cars to see if there's something I like. I rode in a Pop with Eibach ProKit and (I think) abarth fronts and koni yellow rears. Was too hard for me and bottomed out quite a lot around my rough-road town, especially if I had a passenger.

I'm not against lowering the MAD FIAT but don't want the ride to be too harsh. OTOH, the Salvage PT is bouncy bouncy after lowering and not "harsh" at all... no decent shocks for the fronts...
You know I've run the pro kit and sportlines and they both looked good. But I just thought the ride was really bad. But that's just my opinion. Chris told me to put the Neufs in this time so I bought some from him. I was just hoping maybe not quite as harsh. We got them installed and went for a ride. I asked the guy you sure we changed them. It rode pretty equal to the stock ride in my opinion. The more positive thing was it sit lower in the back than even with the sportlines installed. Negative to them is when I turn tight I get a slight rub from the outer edge of the tire to the rear side of the inner fender liner on the front but not real bad. This is just my experience with them so far. They've been on there long enough for the car to settle in. I have no rub on the back even with 12mm spacers so far

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