1st Generation Specific (1979-1985) 1979-1985 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections

Budget lows

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Old Feb 7, 2018 | 02:15 PM
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Budget lows

hey guys, I'm trying to get a lower ride height but not pay 1.5k plus for the t3 coilovers. How could I get lower? Ground control coilovers? Build my own? Lowering springs?
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Old Feb 7, 2018 | 03:45 PM
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Martin S.
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Lowering springs
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Old Feb 7, 2018 | 03:53 PM
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Originally Posted by evo_koa
Lowering springs
who makes good lowering springs?
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Old Feb 8, 2018 | 08:04 AM
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Martin S.
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Racing Beat
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Old Feb 8, 2018 | 09:04 AM
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mazdatrix may also have something..
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Old Feb 8, 2018 | 10:07 AM
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If you can weld or know someone that can, get coilover sleeves and build your own fronts. Get a shorter 5" spring for the rear, and you will be low!
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Old Feb 8, 2018 | 12:05 PM
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rear geometry gets kinda weird when you get low. just fyi
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Old Feb 9, 2018 | 09:53 AM
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Racing Beat Lowering Springs would be the cheapest and easiest option.
Or, as already mentioned, do a weld-on coilover conversion for the front and you can build or buy a cheap setup for the rear coilovers as well. One option is to go with the old Mustang 2 coilovers I believe, they're pretty cheap compared to the T3 stuff.
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Old Feb 10, 2018 | 12:57 AM
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Believe me when I say we are all suffering from budget lows here.
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Old Feb 10, 2018 | 07:30 AM
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roTAR needz fundZ
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Originally Posted by Richard Miller
Believe me when I say we are all suffering from budget lows here.
if we had a quote of the day, this'd be my vote lol
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Old Feb 11, 2018 | 03:53 PM
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Originally Posted by DreamInRotary
Racing Beat Lowering Springs would be the cheapest and easiest option.
Or, as already mentioned, do a weld-on coilover conversion for the front and you can build or buy a cheap setup for the rear coilovers as well. One option is to go with the old Mustang 2 coilovers I believe, they're pretty cheap compared to the T3 stuff.
Ideally I would just like to close a pretty good amount of wheel gap. I'm sitting on 14" with direzza zII but i forget the size.. I've heard the RB springs don't do much in terms of lowering but again that's just what I've heard. As for the mustang 2 coilovers- how much modifications would be required to run them? Right now I'm leaning towards Ground Control's weld on front sleeves and rear eibach springs
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Old Feb 12, 2018 | 07:13 AM
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that set up you describe would be fine for lowering. You could also go to 15" wheels and 205/50/15s
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Old Feb 12, 2018 | 08:05 AM
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Any lowering spring will probably not lower the car much out of the box, because the old springs may be sagging as it is. You can safely cut one round from the RB springs and get the car about as low as you need on 13 or 14" wheels. Any lower and you will scrape on most speed humps and bumps. Remember if you go too low, the suspension geometry messes up and will need to be fixed in some way. Otherwise you will get a lot of bump steer issues.
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Old Feb 13, 2018 | 01:29 PM
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Originally Posted by Whizbang
rear geometry gets kinda weird when you get low. just fyi
x2

I would leave the height where it is and have a better driving car. At some point, the binding 4-link and horrid pinion angle change FAR exceed whatever you think you'd gain by lowering. Here's a trick, it's 2018, run larger tires and the car looks lower yet doesn't scrape...
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