C-F-M Lowering springs

[cfmfocus2]

We are looking to the possibility of offering lower springs for the ford focus/svt. We would like our customer input about how much lower they would like to see their car and possible spring rates. What are you looking for in a lowering spring?

[DisrupTer911]

H&R Race drop.
2" front, 1.7" rear
225/275 rate f/r

there's no inbetween application. between eibach pro/progress 1.8s/H&R sports and H&R race.

the only inbetween used to be Apex springs but they aren't made anymore.

[CaysE]

Exactly what I was going to say, except I think the drop is reversed (2" rear, 1.7" front). If you made it similar to the Apex springs, you'd have a winner.

[scottsf0cus]

Originally Posted by DisrupTer911

H&R Race drop.
2" front, 1.7" rear
225/275 rate f/r

I second this! And if you need test cars to try them out for a while, I volunteer my ZX3! My Megan Racing springs are way too freaking stiff, and since they both supposedly lower 2", the rear sits lower than the front.

[ArmyFocus]

I think the Sportlines are just a tad too much drop IMO, something slightly less, but more than the pro kit springs would be good I'd think.

Jason

[sleeperlove]

I would love to have a spring with a 2.5 inch drop front and rear with 400-450lbs/inch in front and 450-475 in the rear doubt there will be much demand for that though

[Reza]

I would like to have 1.2" all around ( so it could be used with koni without shorthening it. and focus will suffer if you lower it too much.) 900 #/" front and 700 #/" in the back.

and i am willing to pay you the money in advance.

[sleeperlove]

Originally Posted by focus_wrc

I would like to have 1.2" all around ( so it could be used with koni without shorthening it. and focus will suffer if you lower it too much.) 900 #/" front and 700 #/" in the back.

and i am willing to pay you the money in advance.

you would most definitely have to have them re valved though

[thefrush]

Originally Posted by focus_wrc

I would like to have 1.2" all around ( so it could be used with koni without shorthening it. and focus will suffer if you lower it too much.) 900 #/" front and 700 #/" in the back.

and i am willing to pay you the money in advance.

Are you changing your car to RWD and adding 1,000 pounds of weight? If so, that might work!

And there's no way stock valved Konis would be able to handle those rates, no matter how little you lower it.

[DisrupTer911]

Originally Posted by CaysE

Exactly what I was going to say, except I think the drop is reversed (2" rear, 1.7" front). If you made it similar to the Apex springs, you'd have a winner.

H&R race are 2" front, 1.7" rear, they have a slight rake to them.

and 900/700 in# springs are really really special application only, like 1% of the community would want springs that stiff.

a good intermediary spring would be perfect for our cars.

inbetween teh soft sport springs and the hard race springs w/o sacrificing ride quality, handling, or suspension travel.

KYB AGXs should be ablo to handle them superbly.

and Koni's, according to the website are meant for stock height springs so even a 1.2" drop spring would need shortened Koni's to be proper.

[COSVT03]

As far as springs go. Screw them all. I want a set of sway bar end links that can be adjusted to the correct size for 50-100 dollars so that I dont snap the tabs off my H&R Kit. Not to mention anyone with a drop will have this same problem.

[CaysE]

Originally Posted by DisrupTer911

H&R race are 2" front, 1.7" rear, they have a slight rake to them...

Yeah, and I say get rid of that rake. The ass end of my car is far enough up in the air as it is.

[DisrupTer911]

lol it's not even noticable IMO

and how are you snapping endlink tabs off the struts?

i think you guys are over tightening your front endlinks if your breaking them prematurely...i've never had a problem with the countless times i've removed the front struts those endlinks off...

[COSVT03]

With the 2 inches of lowering the End Links BEND and are put the Sway bar at about a 55 degree angle when it should be a perfect 90 to the frame. Hard cornering pushes up on the sway bar, first the tab on the strut bends, after more abuse it eventually tears right off. It is only a little tab of metal welded to the strut body. But damn 150 dollars for a set of adjustable ones that take 3 weeks to get. I mean come on. Talked to the machine shop in town and they are too lazy to order up all the parts for me and make them. (Parts come to seriously about 10 dollars. Plus about 50 dollars of shipping) I can't find one company that has all the parts needed to order from just them.

[whyme]

make an 06+ spring that is as low as the frpp springs (mabe a tad lower) with a rate around that of the h&R race springs. that way theres no bottom out for those of us in the north and finaly a true perfomance spring for us.

[sleeperlove]

Originally Posted by COSVT03

With the 2 inches of lowering the End Links BEND and are put the Sway bar at about a 55 degree angle when it should be a perfect 90 to the frame. Hard cornering pushes up on the sway bar, first the tab on the strut bends, after more abuse it eventually tears right off. It is only a little tab of metal welded to the strut body. But damn 150 dollars for a set of adjustable ones that take 3 weeks to get. I mean come on. Talked to the machine shop in town and they are too lazy to order up all the parts for me and make them. (Parts come to seriously about 10 dollars. Plus about 50 dollars of shipping) I can't find one company that has all the parts needed to order from just them.

I am 2 inches lower and have no troubles breaking endlinks maybe you need stiffer springs that are better equipped for that much drop

[DisrupTer911]

Originally Posted by COSVT03

With the 2 inches of lowering the End Links BEND and are put the Sway bar at about a 55 degree angle when it should be a perfect 90 to the frame. Hard cornering pushes up on the sway bar, first the tab on the strut bends, after more abuse it eventually tears right off. It is only a little tab of metal welded to the strut body. But damn 150 dollars for a set of adjustable ones that take 3 weeks to get. I mean come on. Talked to the machine shop in town and they are too lazy to order up all the parts for me and make them. (Parts come to seriously about 10 dollars. Plus about 50 dollars of shipping) I can't find one company that has all the parts needed to order from just them.

something is definetally wrong with your suspension.

for 4+ years now my car has been lowered on H&R race springs + Gaz front adjustables and now KYB AGX's and i've never once had an endlink bend during installation or fatigue the tabs off the struts.

you've got some problems if you are that need to addressed.

the spring lowers the car.
the dampers should have teh tabs for the brake line and the endlink in the same location as stock.

so when you lower the car, the positioning will stay the same for everything on teh strut body.

perhaps your swaybar is bent or you're improperly assemblying your strut into the knuckle somehow

[DisrupTer911]

.

[Reza]

Originally Posted by DisrupTer911

H&R race are 2" front, 1.7" rear, they have a slight rake to them.

and 900/700 in# springs are really really special application only, like 1% of the community would want springs that stiff.

a good intermediary spring would be perfect for our cars.

inbetween teh soft sport springs and the hard race springs w/o sacrificing ride quality, handling, or suspension travel.

KYB AGXs should be ablo to handle them superbly.

and Koni's, according to the website are meant for stock height springs so even a 1.2" drop spring would need shortened Koni's to be proper.

there are so many regular springs for focus and none with a very high rate so i thick that justifies them to make it. as i as said i am willing to pay in advance.

[Reza]

Originally Posted by thefrush

Are you changing your car to RWD and adding 1,000 pounds of weight? If so, that might work!

And there's no way stock valved Konis would be able to handle those rates, no matter how little you lower it.

you can always revalve the koni.

2 reason I don't want it that low

1- focus lose it handling characteristic if you lower it to much
2-shorting the koni is the most expensive part. you can always revalve them.

[thefrush]

Originally Posted by focus_wrc

you can always revalve the koni.

Your rates still don't make any sense. 900/700? Higher in the front? Are you planning to never drive the car on a public road again? Where did you come up with those rates?

Originally Posted by focus_wrc

1- focus lose it handling characteristic if you lower it to much

I hadn't heard of this. Reference?

[sleeperlove]

How low are you saying is too much . You still want travel we know but you also want to lower your CG. I think anything under 2.5 is probably ok so long as there are proper rates.

[Reza]

I think anything pass the 1.2 wouldnt be good.

Focus suspension gain camber as it gets loaded.( the reason you gain camber when your lower your car). If you lower it too much ( if the front control arm has more than 90 degrees) then you loose your negative camber as suspension travel and get loaded. on of the reason you need very high spring rate in front.

I think 900/700 would be a great setup if you have 21mm front and 25mm rear swaybar. remember the effective spring rate is roughly half of the actual rate for the rear.

[DisrupTer911]

Originally Posted by focus_wrc

there are so many regular springs for focus and none with a very high rate so i thick that justifies them to make it. as i as said i am willing to pay in advance.

get custom springs then. the market for insanely high spring rates is incredibly low.
anything that high is also going to warrant giant swaybars as well.

ground control or eibach can custom make you those springs for like $200.
this niche market of uber stiff springs isn't big enough.


an intermediary spring would be the perfect option for those that don't want H&R race rates but want more stiffness then the eibach pros/h&r sports/progress 1.8s can provide.

last year or year 1/2 ago, fj-1 Ron had asked about this very same thing for selling in teh FJ Werks store and nothing came about it, there's a definite market for intermediary rated springs

SVT:
F: 129 lb/in
R: 157 lb/in

Eibach Pro: 1.5”
F: 137 lb/in
R: 171 lb/in

Progress: 1.8”
F: 142 lb/in
R: 160 lb/in

H&R Sports:
F: progressive
R: progressive

Apex: 1.5”
F: 150lb/in
R: 200lb/in

|-----------| <--- there needs to be a viable option in this range. a nice 2"/1.7or8" drop spring with appropriate rates in mid to high 200s would be a perfect spring IMO.

H&R Race: 2”/1.7”
F: 325 lb/in
R: 375 lb/in

[Reza]

get these then.

Steeda:
F: 160 lb/in
R: 280 lb/in

Intrax SVT Springs:
F: 225~275 lb/in
R: 275~325 lb/in