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Spring swap opinion?

CLASSVT

Veteran CEG'er
Joined
May 2, 2003
Messages
736
Location
Fort Wayne, In
Considering swapping springs. Currently running Koni Yellow struts with H&R springs. The ride isn't terrible, but it's maybe more firm than I would like with the Koni's all the way dialed to comfort. I do mostly city driving, maybe a drive out in the country, etc. Never taking it on a track. Would I be better off grabbing a set of the BAT springs? I'm considering it, and would like to have it done while my car is off getting some other work done. Thanks!
 
Without knowing the spring rates of the H&R's and BAT's, and if they're any different at all, it would probably be hard to say if the ride would improve. Aftermarket street springs are rarely more than 25% stiffer in rate than OEM springs, so maybe you could contact H&R and BAT customer service and see if they would reveal their rates. We do know that stock SVT Contour springs are about 125 pounds/inch front and 100 pounds/inch rear.

I did go back and re-read the Sticky Suspension Reviews and unfortunately, it's pretty subjective, as one driver's 'too stiff' is another driver's 'not stiff enough'.

Koni Yellow struts are well know to be a little hard nosed in bump, even on their softest settings (I have Yellows on three of my fleet; Contour, Mustang and Taurus SHO...), and if the suspension feels noticeably harsher in cold weather than warm, it's the struts, because the Koni strut oil can get pretty thick in cold weather. So if you notice a change in harshness due to outdoor temp, changing springs probably won't be of much benefit.
 
True, konis are more firm regardless, but I've read from many who say the BAT's are as close to stock as we have in a lowering spring, and h&r's on the opposite side of the spectrum are probably the most firm. I definitely want to keep it lowered, so I was curious to get opinions, but you're right about it being subjective.
 
I've run BAT, Eibach, and B&G springs. I prefer the ride quality of the Eibach springs. Of course more firm than stock, but not as jarring as the others. The B&Gs were terrible...
 
I had Eibach springs on BAT struts and I was happy with them. Not too firm, not to soft, and a manageable ride height for a DD. I'm now running H&R's on BAT struts. The set up is relatively new, so I'm not sure yet which ones I prefer.
 
I seem to recall the Eibachs had a bit of a sag in the back end though. LilCe98 why did you go from Eibach to the H&R's? Even though it's a new setup do you notice the H&R's being stiffer?
 
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I seem to recall the Eibachs had a bit of a sag in the back end though. LilCe98 why did you go from Eibach to the H&R's? Even though it's a new setup do you notice the H&R's being stiffer?


There wasn't anything wrong with the Eibach's. I switched because I had the H&R springs sitting in my garage. I needed to replace the struts so I just decided to put them on to see if I liked them. The ride hasn't been too different. I think I like the stance of the Eibachs better though.
 
Well, I was under the assumption there was more significant of a difference, so I've decided to stick with my H&R's. I was very seriously considering pulling the trigger on the BAT's, but maybe what I was remembering was people's reviews of the whole BAT setup with their struts and springs. The ride on my H&R's isn't too bad, especially compared to when I lowered my Volvo.:fighting3:
 
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