Eibach lowering springs uneven ride height?

[415DZ]

Hey everyone,

 

I'm looking for lowering springs and MSA recommended the Eibach springs they sell for a city driver. I've done my searches and read reports of the front being higher than the rear. I've also seen people say they installed the wrong springs in the front. What I haven't found is if these two are related.

 

For those of you with Eibach springs, who has experienced the front being higher than the rear after installation? If you have, was it because the fronts were installed in the back or vice versa? Apparently the correct way to install the Eibachs are the longer springs in the front with the tighter coils at the top.

 

I'd like to get an answer to this as I'm paying to have it installed and I really don't want a uneven ride height with the front being higher than the rear, and then having to pay again to put other springs in to correct such a problem.

 

Thanks in advance!

[cockerstar]

I'd recommend the Tokico lowering springs. 

 

If you have a 240z run the 280z springs modified per JohnC's instructions here:

http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/88025-installing-tokico-280z-hp-springs-in-a-240z/

 

Those instructions are t get a stock ride height. If you'd like them to drop the car a bit do the math to see how much more you'd need to cut. 

 

 

If you have a 280z, run them as-is.

Edited May 13, 2013 by cockerstar

[415DZ]

Sorry I forgot to mention that I do have a 240z. I'd like to lower the car and don't want to cut coils. I'll also be running OEM shocks.

[calpoly-z]

I have eibach springs in my 280 and the ride height is about perfect as far as I'm concerned. Not sure if the 240z kit is any different. I don't notice the front to be any higher than the rear.

[Rob240z]

I installed the eibach pro spring kit on my 240.  I had read all the threads about installing them incorrectly with the fronts in back etc.  After installing them correctly the front definitely was sitting higher.  I took them out and reversed them to see if it was my fault. It was worse.  I put them back and then measured the difference in the wheel to wheel-well gaps.  It was about 1 1/4" bigger in the front on my car.  I installed the progressive portion of the springs up.  When it was sitting the top 3 progressive coils were completely compressed. I know people say that you shouldn't cut progressive springs, but seeing as they were completely compressed I cut the top 2 dead coils off one at a time. My thought was that a normal ride height they would just act as a spacer. Cutting the springs was easy with a cut off wheel. The ride height is even now. Here is a picture after cutting the springs.  

 

Rob

[415DZ]

Thanks for that info Rob, your Z looks great. I almost feel it defeats the purpose of getting new springs to cut them though. Maybe I should just cut my stocks? I'm a little disappointed that the eibachs run uneven like that. I was hoping the reports of uneven ride height were due to the incorrect installation.

[415DZ]

Thought I'd add a pic of my Z just for reference. After getting the new wheels with a slightly lower diameter tire, the wheel gap just kills me.

 

What wheel and tire size are you running? I really like the shakotans, but I may have to move up to 16's just to get the tire size I want (225/50/16). That would be equal to the 195/70/14 I had on my old wheels.

Edited May 14, 2013 by 415DZ

[johnc]

I think your car looks fine.  If you want a good handling S30 don't focus on wheel gap.

[Rob240z]

I agree with John C, you car looks good as is. It doesn't sit the way mine did before I changed the springs.  My car was extremely nose up. I thought my original rear springs were sagging and something was wrong and my reason for new springs.  I really like the shakotans on your car too.  What size tire is mounted on them? The diameter looks smaller than stock.  My car has 225/50/16's.  I think if the overall diameter of your current tire is smaller you could just get a bigger tire and it would fill the gap some.  225/50/16's have a diameter of 24.9", which is really close to the original diameter.  For 15's I would look for 225/55/15 (24.8), 245/50/15 (24.8), 215/60/15 (25.2) or 235/50/15 (24.2).

[Leon]

I agree with John C, you car looks good as is. It doesn't sit the way mine did before I changed the springs.  My car was extremely nose up. I thought my original rear springs were sagging and something was wrong and my reason for new springs.  I really like the shakotans on your car too.  What size tire is mounted on them? The diameter looks smaller than stock.  My car has 225/50/16's.  I think if the overall diameter of your current tire is smaller you could just get a bigger tire and it would fill the gap some.  225/50/16's have a diameter of 24.9", which is really close to the original diameter.  For 15's I would look for 225/55/15 (24.8), 245/50/15 (24.8), 215/60/15 (25.2) or 235/50/15 (24.2).

 

I also agree, that Z looks like it's already on lowering springs. BTW, good luck finding decent tires in those sizes!

[Rob240z]

I'd go with these on 15" rims. Toyo R888

 

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?skipOver=true&width=235%2F&ratio=50&diameter=15

 

I originally wanted to get the Rota RKR's in 15" when I bought rims and tires.  The the RKR's kept getting delayed so I went with the RBR's in 16x8".  I would have bought the R888's if I could have bought the RKR's.

[trackzpeed]

I just installed my 16x8 +4 rotas with 225 50 16........ I have the front AZC performance springs ready to install (just need some time) and a set of moog chevette springs that I need to cut down and install as well. Dave at AZC still had fronts in stock at 10.5 inches of free length for a "stock 240 ride height" and I'm going to cut down the rears to 12" as a start point for the rears based on JC stickie and tokico 280 springs......... With my stock 72 240 springs and blown struts I have no current tire rub but the gap is a bit large. I'm going for a stock ride height first and some spring settle before I attempt to drop as it appears there will be a fine line between the magic height and dreaded tire rub. Any advice on the initial chevette spring cut is welcome from any of you with experience.

Thanks. Jim

[cockerstar]

The reason I suggested going with the 280z tokico springs is to stay away from progressive spring, as they're linear and about twice as stiff as stock. 

Cutting is easy and not "bad" like cutting stock springs.

 

What's your priority here? Closing the wheel gap or focusing on handling?

[415DZ]

I agree with John C, you car looks good as is. It doesn't sit the way mine did before I changed the springs.  My car was extremely nose up. I thought my original rear springs were sagging and something was wrong and my reason for new springs.  I really like the shakotans on your car too.  What size tire is mounted on them? The diameter looks smaller than stock.  My car has 225/50/16's.  I think if the overall diameter of your current tire is smaller you could just get a bigger tire and it would fill the gap some.  225/50/16's have a diameter of 24.9", which is really close to the original diameter.  For 15's I would look for 225/55/15 (24.8), 245/50/15 (24.8), 215/60/15 (25.2) or 235/50/15 (24.2).

I'm running staggered 205/55/15 in the front and 225/50/15 in the rear. The diameter is indeed smaller than stock and the increased wheel gap bugs me. I'm actually ok with the ride height as is, but the disappointing thing is I can't find 225/55/15. I don't think anyone makes them. This is originally why I was considering 16's strictly so I could run a 225 tire that is very close to the stock diameter. I didn't really see any 16's I liked that we're easily attainable. I guess I kind of like the Xxr 002's. I wouldn't mind a set of 3 piece panasports tho haha.

 

I think 205/60/15 is available which is same diameter as stock, but I'd really prefer a wider tire. I think I'm going to pass on the lowering springs and try to find proper tires or move up to 16's.

[415DZ]

I just installed my 16x8 +4 rotas with 225 50 16........ I have the front AZC performance springs ready to install (just need some time) and a set of moog chevette springs that I need to cut down and install as well. Dave at AZC still had fronts in stock at 10.5 inches of free length for a "stock 240 ride height" and I'm going to cut down the rears to 12" as a start point for the rears based on JC stickie and tokico 280 springs......... With my stock 72 240 springs and blown struts I have no current tire rub but the gap is a bit large. I'm going for a stock ride height first and some spring settle before I attempt to drop as it appears there will be a fine line between the magic height and dreaded tire rub. Any advice on the initial chevette spring cut is welcome from any of you with experience.

Thanks. Jim

Is the +4 offset necessary or will zero fit as well? 225/50/16 is an ideal tire size. I'm running on OEM shocks and NON rolled fenders

[trackzpeed]

Is the +4 offset necessary or will zero fit as well? 225/50/16 is an ideal tire size. I'm running on OEM shocks and NON rolled fenders

If my Z was dropped I would have tire rub without rolled fenders.  zero offset would make this worse. 

[trackzpeed]

Three shots with stock springs and blown struts.............

[Leon]

This is, unfortunately, the reason why I went to 16s. Tire options are very limited in 15" and smaller rim sizes, as you've noticed. Getting a summer performance tire close to the stock diameter is pretty much impossible unless you go to at least 16" wheels. Luckily 225/50-16 is a common tire size and it fits my Z without rolling using 16X7 Panasports, which I'm guessing have a slight positive offset (+6mm or so).

 

I've been searching for wheels to put on my other Z, but it's tough to find 16" rims that look "right" on the Z and have the correct offset. If we had better tire options, I'd be all for getting 14s and 15s.

[FrankieD]

I got these 17" from MSA and they work really well & look pretty good too.

 

I'm running 225/45 17 Kumho tires.

 

I'm looking into new springs and all I found were the Eibach at MSA. I didn't know about the ride height problems.

[Nigel]

I installed the eibach pro spring kit on my 240.  I had read all the threads about installing them incorrectly with the fronts in back etc.  After installing them correctly the front definitely was sitting higher.  I took them out and reversed them to see if it was my fault. It was worse.  I put them back and then measured the difference in the wheel to wheel-well gaps.  It was about 1 1/4" bigger in the front on my car.  I installed the progressive portion of the springs up.  When it was sitting the top 3 progressive coils were completely compressed. I know people say that you shouldn't cut progressive springs, but seeing as they were completely compressed I cut the top 2 dead coils off one at a time. My thought was that a normal ride height they would just act as a spacer. Cutting the springs was easy with a cut off wheel. The ride height is even now. Here is a picture after cutting the springs.  

 

Rob

 

 

Your car looks perfect. The bottom of the car looks parallel to the ground. The front fender wheel arch is shaped differently than the rear to allow clearance for the front tires to steer. This is probably tricking your eye into thinking the front end is higher. Try measuring from the rocker to the ground at the front and back.

 

Nigel

 

Nigel