Which Lowering Springs are Right for My Mustang?

Written By Josh Sadowsky, Owner StangSuspension.com

     About every single day I get the same question asked of me.... Which lowering springs are the best for my Mustang? I never get bored of answering this question because everyone has a different story to tell me about themselves, their driving style, what modifications they have, etc. This question is like a "First Impression" I get when meeting new customers.

     The answer to this question can be found by asking a few simple questions.... These questions are put in order of importance....

1. Do you plan on purchasing aftermarket shocks & struts.... in other words, does your budget permit this?

2. How low of a drop did you want to go?

3. What will be the primary purpose of your car....  Light Street, Aggressive Street, Road Racing or Drag Racing?

With those 3 simple questions we can pretty much recommend any spring to you.... Let me explain...

     Shocks and Struts - I will be honest...  it is always recommended to change your stock shocks & struts when installing any type of lowering spring. The stock Ford Motorcraft shocks & struts have really poor valving and leak constantly! The stock units are not designed to handle any type of increased spring rating or a lower ride. If you do not plan on changing your stock shocks & struts although, the only type of spring I recommend is a progressive rate spring. Fully progressive rate springs that we carry are the Ford Racing B springs, Eibach Pro-kit or H&R Sport springs. Shocks & struts are what absorb not only road bumps and inconsistencies but also help absorb spring energy. If your springs are too stiff for the stock shocks & struts... you will end up with a bump and uncontrollable ride.

     If you do replace the shocks & struts, along with the springs, you are pretty much open to any other springs that we have on our site, including all the linear rate and high performance springs. All of the shocks & struts we have on our website are built from the highest quality materials... and offer a level of performance perfect for all spring ratings that we carry.

     All of our springs, including both progressive and linear rate springs can be found here.... Lower Springs - Click Here

     How Much Drop - Most customers ask me "Is one inch really alot?". When lowering a vehicle, 1 inch is alot. Just think... Add 10 inches to a Honda Civic, and you have a Mercedes Benz S Class sedan. Just 10 inches!! I usually tell my customers to take the drop that the spring says, then double it in their mind... that is how it will look on the Mustang.

     First thing.... The lower the drop does NOT = better handling. Better handling is a combination of many other suspension components combined with the springs. All the springs we carry provide alot of performance... you just have to decide visually, how long you'd like your Mustang to be. If you drive your car alot over speed bumps, up driveways... off the pavement... I would go no lower than a 1 to 1.25 inch drop. If you want a good mix of Performance and Handling... stay within a 1 to 1.5 inch drop. Really only one spring kit we carry drops 1.75 to 2.0 inches and that is the Eibach Sportline spring kit. I recommend these kits to customers who definitely are getting shocks & struts, and need the drop for visual and car show reasons.

     Where will you be driving - If you plan to road race your car... you definitely need a higher spring rating than normal, in combination with aftermarket shocks & struts. Springs I recommend for road racing are... Steeda Competition springs or H&R Race Springs. These springs have a very high spring rating, and are designed to almost eliminate body roll, and highly increase track performance.

     If you plan on drag racing your car I recommend the Eibach Drag Launch Springs. These offer a very light spring rating to help with weight transfer and launch issues at the drag strip. These springs are not recommended for heavy street or road race use. Although they are safe enough to drive normally on the street.

     If you want the BEST all around spring..... for sporty street driving, occasional drag strip or track... StangSuspension.com HIGHLY recommends the Steeda Sport Springs. These springs have a mild linear rate spring rating in the front, and a progressive rating in the rear (to soak up the solid rear axle bumps). We feel they are the perfect mix between performance and comfort. It is recommended to get shocks & struts with these springs.

Please feel free to e-mail sales@stangsuspension.com or call 877-272-5670 if you have more questions!

Sincerely,

Josh Sadowsky