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What's the advantage of lowering a vehicle ???

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What\'s the advantage of lowering a vehicle ???

I plan on lowering the front end of my El Camino with 2" Drop spindals. Other then looks, what will lowering a vehicle do for me ?? I've been looking at Preformance suspension components at Hotchkis Preformance. I really like the tube A-arms, and thier complete rear suspension kit. Just don't want to lower the rear at all.
 
Re: What\'s the advantage of lowering a vehicle ???

AFAIK lowering the entire vechicle keeps the center of gravity low to allow it to hug the road better.

lowering the front i think is just for looks, the steering wheel will also not return back to center by it self because you changed the caster.
 
Re: What\'s the advantage of lowering a vehicle ???

http://www.hotchkis.net/secure_index.html I'm thinking thier complete kit for the rear, and thier tube A-arm up front with the http://www.ssbrakes.com/products/detail/2681/?mak...model=El+Camino&year=1978 "Force 10" upgraded breaks and 2" drop spindals. I don't want to lower the rear though. http://www.ssbrakes.com/products/detail/2680/?make=Chevrolet&model=El+Camino&year=1978
1101_3.jpg
1802_4.jpg
 
Re: What\'s the advantage of lowering a vehicle ???

Better apperance, better handling.

BS on the wheel not returning to center.
My Malibu is lowered 2" in the front and rear and the wheel still returns to center no problem.

I did mine with springs and used stiffer shock to get a better ride out of the car.
I'm not sure how using drop spidles will affect the ride, but I know that now there is more chance of the tire rebounding into the inner fender, unless stiffer springs and shocks are used.
 
Re: What\'s the advantage of lowering a vehicle ???

If you are using tried and true parts it will be ok. Dropped spindles work great as you can keep the factory geometry kinda and not wear out edges of tires. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
Re: What\'s the advantage of lowering a vehicle ???

[ QUOTE ]
If you are using tried and true parts it will be ok. Dropped spindles work great as you can keep the factory geometry kinda and not wear out edges of tires. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

[/ QUOTE ]Well, you can see the parts I'm intrested in via the links in my 2nd post in this thread.
 
Re: What\'s the advantage of lowering a vehicle ???

Hotchkis Coils are really great for doing what you want too.
Those are what I have, they've been on my Mailbu for around 3 years now with no abnormal tire wear what so ever.

518798_103_full.jpg

That's the front 235/60R15 with the Hotchkis Coils and Edelbrock Shocks.
518798_105_full.jpg

The rear is a little low right now because of the spare engine in the trunk, but it only sits an inch or so higher unloaded.

This is significantly lower than a stock Malibu, one of my neighbors has a car of the same year and body and sitting next to one another mine is at least 1.5 inches lower than his and it looks it.

Yes I know mines a rust bucket that's why I'm getting rid of it /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
 
Re: What\'s the advantage of lowering a vehicle ???

I would seriously consider looking at stuff from Global west prior to getting anything from SSB

Global West has better prices, equal or better performance and the replacement parts are off the shelf peices usually so it would cost less in the long run too.

Global West G-Body /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif
 
Re: What\'s the advantage of lowering a vehicle ???

The more and more I look at Hotchkis Preformance Suspension, I'm thinking I shoulD get the complete system
G-Body-TVS.gif
[ QUOTE ]
Hotchkis TVS kits offer a complete tuned package for your vehicle. All components have been tuned and tested as a system to offer the highest level of performance possible. No longer do you need to mix and match components from different manufacturers. Hotchkis has it all included in the TVS.
What's Included:
Heavy Duty Tie Rod Adjusting Sleeves
1" Lowered Performance Coil Spring Set (4)
1 3/8" Lightweight Hollow Front Sway Bar w/Endlinks, HD Brackets & Greasable Bushings
1" Solid Rear Sway Bar w/ Grade 10.9 Hardware
Boxed Construction Lower Trailing Arms w/Greasable Poly-Graphite Bushings & Grade 10.9 Hardware
Adjustable Upper Trailing Arms w/Greasable Poly-Graphite Bushings
Adjustable Trailing Arm Mount Braces & Grade 10.9 Hardware
10% Savings Over Individual Parts!

[/ QUOTE ] + [ QUOTE ]
SOLVE AGGRAVATING BRAKING DEFICIENCIES BY INCORPORATING GM'S LARGER 11" OR 12" B OR F BODY ROTORS AND SPINDLES. OUR TUBULAR A-ARMS ARE ENGINEERED SO YOU CAN EASILY ADAPT THESE LARGER ROTORS AND SPINDLES TO YOUR CHEVELLE, EL CAMINO, OR MONTE CARLO. THE TUBULAR A-ARMS CREATE AN IMPROVED NEGATIVE CAMBER CURVE AND HAVE INCREASED CASTER FOR MORE STABILITY.

[/ QUOTE ]
1101_3.jpg
might be the way to go instead of the 2" drop spindals. I'll still upgrade the breaks though. So meny things to consitter. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif
 
Re: What\'s the advantage of lowering a vehicle ???

Yeah the Hotchkis stuff rocks and it is really engineered well.

If you get the kit though, look at those rear coils. You'll need airbags in the coils too to handle any load.
They ride a bit stiffer but handle great.
I like the tubular control arms and how they improve the handleing, plus it makes it nice to be able to use off the shelf spindles rotors and the such. You can still easily swap in those SSB calipers with the GM rotors and spindles. It makes for a more reliable and easier to find replacement parts package.
 
Re: What\'s the advantage of lowering a vehicle ???

[ QUOTE ]
G-Body-TVS.gif


That I like as well /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif I remember my 78 Monte , I always wanted to box my control arms. Those in the pic look beefy. The upper ones being adjustable is a big plus. /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif
 
Re: What\'s the advantage of lowering a vehicle ???

really you would be better off and safer with lowering spindles rather than coils, so that you dont adversely affect the suspension/steering geometry, spindles cost more but you are way better off going with them than you are with shorter coils. if you stop and think about it then you will know/realize why you are way better off with lowering spindles rather than coils, on alot of vehicles you can get away with 2" lowering coils without any real problems, but on some you cant, its really just hit and miss.



IMHO the point of lowering a vehicle is so you can have a ricey gay in appearance vehicle and also one that is more difficult to climb down into and also to make it more prone to the wrong type of attention- IE quite possibly the attention of car thieves, and also to make it seem like it goes faster when it really doesnt change that aspect of the vehicle, oh and also so you can put on suspension parts that are most usually considered less safe than the stock suspension parts were and so you can alter the geometry of a vehicle in ways that are not recommended by vehicle manufacturers

as you can tell i belive lowering vehicles is gay, but i can and do appreciate a basic 2/4 drop on a bone stock sharp looking vehicle such as a 68 c-10 or similar in which case looks great /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

when i see a slammed or frame laid vehicle i simply puke, im glad i dont live where such occurs, ive seen way less such lowered vehicles in my entire life around here than the quantity of fingers i own on my person, it is a rarity to see such a thing around here thank God, doesnt mean that any ppl around here are any more normal than those who think a slammed or chopped vehicle looks great


copyright r72k5 2004 all thoughts and descriptions and such are the opinions of r72k5 and are meant to be interpreted as such and may noty be reproduced in any form except for use as a quote in a message board thread reply /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif
 
Re: What\'s the advantage of lowering a vehicle ???

[ QUOTE ]
really you would be better off and safer with lowering spindles rather than coils, so that you dont adversely affect the suspension/steering geometry, spindles cost more but you are way better off going with them than you are with shorter coils. if you stop and think about it then you will know/realize why you are way better off with lowering spindles rather than coils, on alot of vehicles you can get away with 2" lowering coils without any real problems, but on some you cant, its really just hit and miss.



IMHO the point of lowering a vehicle is so you can have a ricey gay in appearance vehicle and also one that is more difficult to climb down into and also to make it more prone to the wrong type of attention- IE quite possibly the attention of car thieves, and also to make it seem like it goes faster when it really doesnt change that aspect of the vehicle, oh and also so you can put on suspension parts that are most usually considered less safe than the stock suspension parts were and so you can alter the geometry of a vehicle in ways that are not recommended by vehicle manufacturers

as you can tell i belive lowering vehicles is gay, but i can and do appreciate a basic 2/4 drop on a bone stock sharp looking vehicle such as a 68 c-10 or similar in which case looks great /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

when i see a slammed or frame laid vehicle i simply puke, im glad i dont live where such occurs, ive seen way less such lowered vehicles in my entire life around here than the quantity of fingers i own on my person, it is a rarity to see such a thing around here thank God, doesnt mean that any ppl around here are any more normal than those who think a slammed or chopped vehicle looks great


copyright r72k5 2004 all thoughts and descriptions and such are the opinions of r72k5 and are meant to be interpreted as such and may noty be reproduced in any form except for use as a quote in a message board thread reply /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

[/ QUOTE ] I hear ya on the pavement scrapers. I don't want a low rider !!!!!!!!!!! I am consittering the Hotchkis Preformance Total Vehicle System (TVS) kit. It lowers the car by 1" only, so that wouldn't be too bad, and I do belive that the Hotchkis Preformance suspension is supior to the stock suspension. I just want it to be able to corner better then the stock 1978 suspension can, LOL.
 
Re: What\'s the advantage of lowering a vehicle ???

[ QUOTE ]
copyright r72k5 2004 all thoughts and descriptions and such are the opinions of r72k5 and are meant to be interpreted as such and may noty be reproduced in any form except for use as a quote in a message board thread reply/forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Dang that is just too funny!

If you want great handeling out of the car, one of the best places to look on those is the shocks and swaybars. I highly recommend the Edelbrock IAS shocks, pricy at $75 a piece, but worth it in my opinion. I loved them on my car.

I definatly think your heading in the right direction with the Hotchkis gear, and it won't be a frame scraper which is good. The little bit this will lower the car really isn't noticable unless your sitting next to another car just like yours, but it vastly improves the handling over stock. I'm not a fan of drop spindles, but that's just me. The G-body suspension works well with a slightly shorter/stiffer spring, and if done right greatly improves the handling. But that gets into using tubular control arms set up to work with taller GM spindles and larger discs. There is a ton of info on this at the sites I listed before. I'm not sure how much drop would start to cause a problem with this body style, but I'm thinking anything more than 2" is going to start having an adverse effect.

Hotchkis is the way to go, they know their stuff, but it costs too.
Have fun with the Elky, they sure are sweet rides!
 
Re: What\'s the advantage of lowering a vehicle ???

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
copyright r72k5 2004 all thoughts and descriptions and such are the opinions of r72k5 and are meant to be interpreted as such and may noty be reproduced in any form except for use as a quote in a message board thread reply/forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Dang that is just too funny!

If you want great handeling out of the car, one of the best places to look on those is the shocks and swaybars. I highly recommend the Edelbrock IAS shocks, pricy at $75 a piece, but worth it in my opinion. I loved them on my car.

I definatly think your heading in the right direction with the Hotchkis gear, and it won't be a frame scraper which is good. The little bit this will lower the car really isn't noticable unless your sitting next to another car just like yours, but it vastly improves the handling over stock. I'm not a fan of drop spindles, but that's just me. The G-body suspension works well with a slightly shorter/stiffer spring, and if done right greatly improves the handling. But that gets into using tubular control arms set up to work with taller GM spindles and larger discs. There is a ton of info on this at the sites I listed before. I'm not sure how much drop would start to cause a problem with this body style, but I'm thinking anything more than 2" is going to start having an adverse effect.

Hotchkis is the way to go, they know their stuff, but it costs too.
Have fun with the Elky, they sure are sweet rides!

[/ QUOTE ] I'm thinking when I get a few bucks ahead that I will get the Hotchkis TVS plus thier tubeular A-arms, and finish off the rest of the front end with PST's super front end kit. I also want to upgrade the breaks to 12" rotors dual piston calipers up front and a 11" rotors single piston caliper disc set up out back. Befor I build some major go power, I want some heafty wo power. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif I'm thinking 400 + HP might be fun in a 5th gen. El Camino. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif
 
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