Steve 96C4S

someone like me that doesn't track their car or drive like Mario Andretti? I'm just about to call Sunset and order the M030's ($158.88 front and $116.66 rears) and the Bilstein HD's are $1150 from Vortex. These are both plus shipping.

Will this basic set (listed above) work best for my situation? The parts guy mentioned the M033 I think it was, but I'm not that familiar with the difference and if it's worth spending the time to research it to death. I drive a good portion of the day on terrible DC and Maryland roads and don't want to lower the car too terribly much. I actually don't mind my SUV ride height that it's at now, but peer pressure is pushing me to make it lower than it is. I want to it to look cool when showing up at Meet and Drives.

It was suggested today that I could use the same stock springs I have now and trim them down (I hope that terminology is correct) to make the car lower, but the idea of getting new, more sporty springs is appealing. Plus, springs are kind of cheap. I was shown that the shocks are slightly leaking today and that orange stuff at the top of the spring was totally shot and disintegrating. It make me happy to see it as I'd otherwise have no real desire to upgrade my car and fix this.

I can't wait to have a better, fresher suspension. It's been sloppy since I bought the car 5 years ago at 59k mi. I've been fooling myself for that long, telling myself that it's fine. I really don't know how well my car can actually handle. It now has 80K miles and is considerably worse I think than when I bought it. Sometimes the car feels kind of scary, floaty and loose.

Steve R

2ndof2

For the street everyone round here seems to like the bilsteins. I don't think you can go wrong with either the HD setup or the PSS9s/10s for a few more bucks.

Wilder

Steve, you won't believe how vastly better your car will feel when the new suspension goes in. I don't think anyone here will recommend that you shave your stock springs...do it right and get the whole setup. I had the HD/RoW M030 combo on my old cab and based on your needs as described, I think you might enjoy the RoW M033 springs better as the M030s can be on the stiffer side. Just make sure they are the RoW ones, otherwise your car will still be riding at SUV height.

You may also want to consider getting the car lowered to factory RoW sport height and aligned to RS specs. RS alignment won't change the driving characteristics on day-to-day street driving but will make the car more confident on the twisties. Here's my old polar C4S at RoW sport height...

SCMomentum

Louis,

Is your 4S Polar?

~Dave

AOW162435

Steve,
Good to see you yesterday and I'm glad that my nagging may contribute to your decision... As for "trimming down" the existing coils - I meant adjusting the suspension height via the threaded perches on the Bilsteins. Not "trimming" as in "cutting".

Here is a highlighted image from the PET showing the bushings or sleeves that I suspect are causing, or at least contributing, to your "Rattler". The pipe they slide on is highlighted in yellow. There are four total.

As for the general state of your current suspension - yes, it's shot. Each shock showed evidence of weeping oil and the snubbers at the tops of your front shocks were literally falling apart. Not good. Not good at all. Think SAFETY my friend.





Andreas

bart1

I was planning to do H&R & Bilstein HD on mine, maybe I should consider ROW M030? I will be mostly highway, but would want to be able to track if I decided to.

Steve 96C4S

Thx for this excellent information. Is this the consensus, guys, on what someone in my situation should do? (RoWM033's instead of M030's and getting the car lowered to RoW sport height and aligned to RS specs)?

I just want to make sure the car isn't too low so when I go up a driveway it doesn't scrape. Now, my car NEVER scrapes anything. Scraping = bad in my book.

Good to see you yesterday, too and I appreciated your help. I knew I'd got that terminology wrong on the cutting vs trimming of the springs.

It's cool being under my car and now knowing alot more of how things work and where things are going wrong. Seeing the "snubbers" at the top of the shocks totally deteriorated made me sick!

Steve R

Mike in Chi

I love the RoW M030 and HDs you're considering. It is firm, but it is great on our winding roads. Mine is at RS height and alignment as well

pewter82

Is just adding the ROW M030 springs going to set the car at RS ride height or is there an adjustment?

95 C4 993

My ride height is between RS and Row Sport---117/134 At this height, I do scrape from time to time. I do have a Gert Protection Bar and that helps.

I think a combination of HDs, MO33's, and height between ROW Sport and RS would be a good combination for those who want a lower vehicle and not as stiff of ride.

I didnt want RS height purely to the possible introduction of bump steer. I struggle from time to time with the LWF stall and didnt want another "what if" on my mind.

Mark in Baltimore

Mark in Baltimore

I'll shut up now. Well, at least for the next hour.

TRINITONY

I have HD and David has pss9...drive/check out both and decide...

sdcabrio

Steve I had the M030 springs and Bilstein HD's installed on my cab just recently. I have the same 18" rims as you and I don't think it is too harsh or stiff on the road. My car is a cruiser (no track, or DEs,....just twisty back roads and fast on ramps sometimes.) You can dial up or down the ride height to your own likeing. I am still playing around with the height of mine, but I am very happy with the whole new feel to the car.

P.S. My avatar pic is my old high rider suspension

Wilder

Dave: That's my old 4S and yes, it was polar. My current 4S is met black.

Steve: Correction on my previous post...M033 springs are RoW...there is no such thing as US M033. Also, given that "stiffness level" is a subjective matter, I suggest you take up any suggestion to drive other RLer's cars local to you with different setups.