Whats the difference of lowering springs

[Gregadeth]

See post 45 and 46. I did just that.......Love it

DPI sells the LCA brackets? I thought it was only available from Europe.

[Ryan King]

Absolutely not. Do it. In my opinion its the best. I've been running with lowered front springs for 2 years, rear is stock height. Couldn't be happier.

I am probably one of few who went BACK to stock after lowering the front.
I had a batch of Martin's springs from the UK.

I found it to be absolutely miserable.
I kept blowing shocks out. Blew a pair of Easy Riders, then Two Pairs of Gabriel Guardians. The car handled like turds, and it always thumped, twanged, and pwanged up there. Maybe its just because our roads are horrid crap here in California. I ended up settling on going back to my stock springs (Luckily my car isn't "Nose High") with a KYB spring set up in the front, and reverted back to my stock rear shocks. I have been happy ever since.

I suppose it depends on what you use your DeLorean for. Mine? Its a cruiser, and I am taking it out of town more and more. I prefer comfort over sport.

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[FABombjoy]

I had a batch of Martin's springs from the UK.

I found it to be absolutely miserable.
I kept blowing shocks out. Blew a pair of Easy Riders, then Two Pairs of Gabriel Guardians. The car handled like turds, and it always thumped, twanged, and pwanged up there.

I have Martin's springs too and they are definitely a higher, sportier spring rate than stock. They would need a much firmer or adjustable shock to prevent the front end from feeling like a pogo stick

I used to have PJ Grady's lowering springs too (the older version) and they paired better with stock or stock-ish shocks.

It's a bit frustrating because there are a fair amount of options but there is very little data published to compare. I would like to increase the rear rate a bit and figure I'll have to remove one and measure the stock rate, then go see what's available universally.

[Drive Stainless]

I have Martin's springs too and they are definitely a higher, sportier spring rate than stock. They would need a much firmer or adjustable shock to prevent the front end from feeling like a pogo stick

I used to have PJ Grady's lowering springs too (the older version) and they paired better with stock or stock-ish shocks.

It's a bit frustrating because there are a fair amount of options but there is very little data published to compare. I would like to increase the rear rate a bit and figure I'll have to remove one and measure the stock rate, then go see what's available universally.

Have you guys considered QA1 coilovers? They're the closest thing to a *universal* suspension you can find. 18 firmness settings and several inches of height adjustment. You can see there's roughly 3 inches of adjustment in either direction on the rear shown here:

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[FABombjoy]

I've seen their catalog and have considered swapping from Spax to QA1 down the road.

Did you select spring rates similar to stock?

[Drive Stainless]

I've seen their catalog and have considered swapping from Spax to QA1 down the road.

Did you select spring rates similar to stock?

No. Because the lengths of the springs are different, the same rates cannot be used. QA1 provides a lot of technical info to help you calculate what spring rate you may need. Unfortunately, (expensive) experimentation proved more accurate than the provided calculations, and when I finally hit the right balance, I put together the front and rear kits with the needed hardware and offered it for sale. None of the QA1 vendors allow you to return a spring once it's been installed, which is what makes the experimentation expensive.

Certainly, it would also be the best kit for anyone who performs an engine swap or EV conversion, since the spring rates could be configured to match the anticipated front and rear axle weights.

[FABombjoy]

No. Because the lengths of the springs are different, the same rates cannot be used.

Comparing the wheel rates, would you say your setup is greater than, less than, or about the same as stock?

[Drive Stainless]

Comparing the wheel rates, would you say your setup is greater than, less than, or about the same as stock?

What is a wheel rate?

[FABombjoy]

Wheel rate is the effective spring rate at the tire.

What I'm trying to ascertain is: If the shocks were set a 0 damping and I tried to bounce the suspension, are the coil springs that you've selected for your QA1 setup more or less stiff than stock equivalent?

[Drive Stainless]

Wheel rate is the effective spring rate at the tire.

What I'm trying to ascertain is: If the shocks were set a 0 damping and I tried to bounce the suspension, are the coil springs that you've selected for your QA1 setup more or less stiff than stock equivalent?

I see. My kit is configured for a predetermined ride height that I find fits the look of the car best (26.5" rear, 24" front). If you preferred to ride at this height or higher (e.g., OEM height), you could use a longer spring, which would be less stiff, but allow for less adjustability. I use a shorter spring to allow for greater adjustability from this baseline ride height. The shorter spring(s) is naturally stiffer than the longer spring(s).

These concerns and other options are discussed with the owner at time of sale. There is no change in price.

I do not publish the spring rates or part numbers because I do not wish to inspire more competition in an already-niche market. If you visit QA1's online store and create a provisional order including all needed components, you will find that my prices are substantially similar to the retail price from QA1 directly.