if you're setting your car up for track days and the like then yes, it is critical to have all suspension components working in harmony but for the average joe on the street who's car never sees a track then you will get away with springs only. every suspension joint will tell you to change shocks to suit and so they should but you will get away with it if your not ultra fussy about the ride. i've lowered that many cars and done changing shocks and not changing shocks. obviously if you do it all it will ride better but on cars that i've done without changing the shocks, i've driven them for years without having the shocks go on me and the ride was still pretty good. the shocks would only bottom out on severe bumps. maybe i got lucky but i think not. those who make out that if you don't do it something will break are not being realistic.
shock absorbers have about 200mm of travel. your taking 50mm out of it so still 150mm of travel.

Im not fussy about the ride, its manly because of being dangerours, ie parts breaking or getting damaged etc.....
plus yep hard part saving up and i dont go to a suspension joint and hear what they say cos they want to sell whole package..

I know a bit on how normal shocks and lowered springs may work, not in full harmony or being firm etc etc..

But yeah what i mean is...would it be dangerous or can cause damage to have stock shocks and superlows? And if something were needed to be change would it be the front or rear?

thanks for the info and continue it.

Last edited by pauly_pizza on Sat Aug 26, 2006 12:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.

ya ya sounds about right... i like it cos dont need to spend extra 230 or something on front shocks only.. lol. but sounds all cool

In other words, cos im on a budget, i wouldn't need to get shocks straight away...Once the stock shocks die then i will change them with shorter shocks, by the time they die it will be a couple to a few months right? as the front are in great nic and the rear are ok condition.

Also the condition of the stock shocks on the superlows will die out quicker than stock shocks/stock springs, is this correct? Sounds like it to me.

they won't die, they will just not be as effective. if you go over large bumps at speed or pothole or something they may bottom out but if the fronts are fairly good then no reason why they won't be o.k. for a good while. my ef xr6 had kings superlow fronts with std monroe gt gas struts on the front and after 60 odd thousand km's still drove like new.

you'll be fine mate. nothing will break.

Gotta agree with the "springs only" crew... have done it with two of my cars (Falc and Lane)...I did eventually go to shortened shocks on the Falcon as I had Black and Decker Superlow springs in the front and the originals could not handle it (bounce bounce bounce). ATM I'm running superlows in the Lane with standard height shocks in the front and it rides just sweet... I used the shortened shocks out of the falcon in the rear because they can get bouncy in the back with a full load (5ppl and bootful)...if you don't load the car up much, it'll never worry you.
Go springs only and if you have troubles you can always put shortened shocks in later. Forget the melodramatic stories of springs breaking, shocks blowing etc: They're only aimed at getting the consumer to buy a little more.