I was wondering if the fieros when lowered hop like a bunny like those lowered civics do and all. I kinda like the way they bounce up and down when going down the road. You can always tell a car is lowered without even looking at how low it is, if its hoppin along its lowered.

Also I know about all the fiero store springs and all but they only lower an inch, is that lowered enough? I would think maybe 2" would be better. If I wanted to go with 2" would I have to cut to do that?

By "hopping" you mean bouncing. When a car is lowered to the extreme, the suspension is pretty much bottomed out. So when a rice Civic his a little pebble in the road, the whole car feels the hit, it's not a very comfortable ride. When your wheels can't absorb bumps like they should, your handling is affected when driven on public streets. Not so much on a flat race track. I'm not sure about how a Fiero reacts when lowered 2 inches, but you'll just have to wait for another reply for that answer. The "hopping" as you call it, is a bad thing, you don't want it.

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Dan
1985 Silver GT

Mine does a bit. It skims the road following every imperfection. A bit annoying, but I don't mind.

The Civics you see that bounce, bounce because the suspension is either hydraulic or airbagged and sitting on the bumps stops.

For handling and ride it isn't a good thing.

A 1" drop is reasonable, and you can "cut" to go lower but won't advise it. 1-1/2" drops are common, anything more than 2" and you really have to be careful where you drive.

Tigger's love to bounce, just not in their Fieros!

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T-T-F-N, Ta Ta For Now!
Tigger's Fiero Page

[This message has been edited by Tigger (edited 10-30-2001).]

I've never watched my car drive down the road, but it definatly feels like it follows the road... 88 coupe, full poly, dropped 2 inches. It actually has Fierostore lowering springs in the front that dropped it 2 inches. They weren't supposed to drop it that far, but they did. It has RCC coilovers in the rear.

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1988 Quad 4 Coupe 5 speed
1986 GT 5 speed, 1984 SC Auto
AOL: LastMinuteBastrd AIM: SavedbyJebus

my car is droped over 2" and won't hop if I try... if you have decent springs, and decent shocks/struts you won't have that problem... DON'T CUT YOUR SPRINGS!! that another leading casue of the lame bouncy sped in the POS ride...

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0-60 in 4.91

www.1fst2m6.com - underconstruction - but check it out anywho...

I guess I'm lame but I cut the springs (approx. 1.5") and it does hop a bit but I like that personally. It's not extreme like some of those Hondas but it tends to have less absorbtion when hitting bumps. It greatly improves cornering though. If you look at lamborghinis and other "factory" low cars, they too bounce a bit. When you don't have much gap in between the fender and the tire you have to have harder suspension so that the tire doesn't slam into the fender and break it. It's just the way it works. It's only a real problem if your car constantly bottoms out on the stoppers.

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My choptop bounces over ruff pavement, it's annoying. It has Suspension Techniques lowering springs and Monroe sensatrak shocks and struts. From some of the postings I've read it isn't necessarily the springs but the Monroe's that are aggravating the problem. Next time I'll purchase some adjustable shocks and struts. There has been a couple times I've gotton a double whammie, first my butt, then my head, double ouch!!

didn't mean to shoot anyone down... just why cut em when you can get the right part in a month or so after saving your pennys... i had monroe on the GT when i got it and they were fine for plain driving with stock springs.. but i swaped em out for the bilsteins... i want a set of Koni like i had on the SE...

Supposedly mine is lowered 2 1/2", i have yet to drive it legally though due to money issues

Who, other than the Fiero store, sells lowering springs for the 88's? I want the HELD coil overs, but I dont have that type of money.

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James Essar
AOL IM Name: FieroMaster88
Not your ordinary 88 coupe!

My t-top car already say pretty low in back, so I just droped the front by 1" (need new pics). It rides *great* smoother and more in control than it was before. And it turns even harder now. Feels *planted* at speed.

I love it.

Best!
Ben.

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Ben Cannon
88 Formula, T-top Metalic Red
88 Formula, Silver
87 Coupe, Metalic Red
"Every Man Dies, not every man really Lives"
-Mel Gibson, "Braveheart"

Mine are cut - very little 'bounce'. I'd guess about 2" all around. Definitely a lot cheaper than buying all new springs / shocks and the car looks sharp, too.

I think the best investment would be in lowering spindles but how many can afford that? Also, they're getting hard to come by.

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quote Originally posted by 1FST2M6: didn't mean to shoot anyone down

No worries

quote just why cut em when you can get the right part in a month or so after saving your pennys...

I think it's a lot more than pennys you'd need to save. I saved quite a bit by cutting the ones I already had (cost me just my time). And why spend the money if there's not really much differenece? Just my opinion.

Inch and a half drop frt and rr (springs cuts), urethane at all points, Koni's at all points. Doesn't hoop, but rides firm (not hitting the roof firm), handling is awesome. Just a touch firm for Michigan Roads (I classify as worst in the USA), but I really like the feel. You might get a little smoother ride from "lowering springs", but may not be as good as this setup for cornering (but a lot better than stock). Original owner of my car was a racer for the Porsche Factory Team.

Just to clarify things, this is an '88 GT, results may be a little different with pre '88 Fiero's.

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[This message has been edited by California Kid (edited 10-31-2001).]

Bouncing is caused by the REBOUND on the shocks being too strong (or stronger than the compression). Simply being lowered does not have that effect.

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Michael ~ triadtuning@hotmail.com
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Photoshop rendering of planned exterior modifications.

My GT is lowered with Eibachs and it dosen't hop.
However INTRAX lowering springs bounce and hop all over the road. Plus they really drop the front end down to the ground, about a 2.5-3" drop. My brother has them on his GT and hates them.

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-Brian, Toolmaker
Lincoln, NE
87' GT-Galaxy silver mettalic, Turbo Charged, Modified 2.8- 235 HP w/ 7 psi Boost, Eibach Sport springs, RSM side scoops, Mr Mikes leather, 17" Mille Miglia's.

I chopped my springs too, and I dont feel any bounce. It hugggggs the road now. New KYB's and a rear swaybar helped too.

Rob

Did someone say lowered?

My car doesn't bouce down the road. I have lots of friends who cut their springs and have all sorts of problems.

My car doesn't bounce , but rides like a covered wagon

if the pic doesn't show up...somethin is screwed

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Jonathan McCreery
86 GT 4spd
Koni's , Coilovers, Big Bars , 17" Trmotorsports Typhoons , 11.25" vented discs, Wilwood 4 Piston Calipers , Pirelli P Zero's, Short Shift, No cat , Cold air induction , Geni Stainless tips, White face gauges , Momo shift , momo pedals, Big Bore TB, 70Hp Shot of NOS Autocrossed , Tracked , Dragged? (soon) abused.

[This message has been edited by Slammed Fiero (edited 10-30-2001).]

so it seems there is some controversy once again in the cut versus lowering springs debate. From what I can tell, there isnt much hurt in cutting a coil, as long as I dont go overboard. I was thinking 1.5 to 2 inches max. any more opinions of cut springs?

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quote Originally posted by Slammed Fiero:

Hmmm... Somethings wrong with that.....

Nah I will keep my mouth shut.

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www.fieroworld.com The place to go for Fiero INFO!
Home of my 87 GT and 85 GT
Justin C.
Engineer, Designer and
Technical Trainer for Nortel Networks Business Products.

My 88 GT with cut front springs and Fiero Store rears has a pretty stiff ride to it. It does not bob up and down like cars do when they ride on the rubber bump stops, but stiff none the less.

Many people have cut their springs with little or no ill effects...short-term.

It's your car, and your life. If you're too cheap to buy springs for your car, don't lower it. If you cut your springs and roll it off a cliff, you have only yourself to blame.

Please consider the consequences carefully.

There seems to be a division here between 88 cars and pre-88s.

In my expierence, cutting exactly one coil off ARD stiffness front springs on an 88 car yeilded a great ride, 1.015" (1") of drop, and an increased spring rate.

I would NOT cut any more than one coil, or else the consumate spring rate increase is going to start to become very high.

Nor would I even attempt this on harder than ARD springs on an 88, or on any car that is not a 1988 fiero

But I decided to try it myself, instead of just blindly telling everyone it was a bad idea (and I had everything apart, decided to conduct an expiriment... and was amazed at the result)

Frankly I expected it to suck completely. Imagine my surprise to learn otherwise!...

Best!
Ben.

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Ben Cannon
88 Formula, T-top Metalic Red
88 Formula, Silver
87 Coupe, Metalic Red
"Every Man Dies, not every man really Lives"
-Mel Gibson, "Braveheart"

quote Originally posted by grinthock: Hmmm... Somethings wrong with that..... Nah I will keep my mouth shut.

Yeah ..somethin is wrong. If you look at 9 out of 10 of the pics I have ever posted the car is HIGHER. This was taken at an autocross. The coilovers were dropped as low as they would go and the car was trailered to the event.
(my first event with coilovers upfront)

The other pics I have posted of the car it sat .75" higher than it does there. 99% of the time I have the car riding at about 3/4 of it's full drop potential. Espically when I went to Banditbalz's wedding and drove the car 5 hours to my girlfriends house north of Barrie

Another 4hrs To georges Wedding , Back To carries house , back home.. So a total around 20 hrs in the car in a weekend. As it sits there the one time I tried to drive it in kingston that low I ripped the sway bar busings right off the cradle at 7-11 driving over the tank caps. I have also smashed 2 sets of fog lights and have to spend about 1 hour every 1000kms tightening up things becaus the car is so stiff and suseptible to bumps.

I don't even run it that low at shannonville for fear of hitting the apron the wrong way. That autocross was held at CFB mountianview. All concrete airstrip..no bumps.

Being low is cool , but you have to have some height for street use. There is another head on sht of my car at full drop somewhere on the net. Taken in my driveway from the left side.

Pretty easy to lower the car with coilovers. The inner fender liner of my car had to be modded upfront to get it to sit that low.

So thats whats wrong with the pic.

JM

Exactly how low is a stock fiero (GT for example). I know it will vary with the tires and rims setups that people have, but I am just curious. When I bought my current Fiero, the previous owner told me it was droped 2 inches, however I dont know for sure. I know it is lower than my old 86 2m4. As of right now, my 87 GT is sitting on a concrete pad. It measures 4 and 3/8's at the front, and 4 5/8's at the rear. that is measured at the ground fx at right next to the wheel well on each side.

Huck
87 GT T-tops

I purchased a set of 88 base coupe front springs and removed the top coil. According to the option tag my GT had the stiffest springs available. With the cut softer rate springs my ride actually seems better over broken pavement than the stock springs. Also the nose is now slightly down rather than sitting high like stock 88's. I don't know the difference in spring rates but the base spring is not as stiff even with one coil removed. This is with a 215 front/ 245 rear 17 in. tire combo.

Rick 88

This topic is like the "which is the best engine swap". Many opinions and too little real experience comparison.
One of my Formulas has Fiero Store springs. On my second Formula the springs were cut 1.5F and 1.25R coils. (1.25" drop) Difference? Very little. The rear of the one I did cut the bounce just a little bit more than the one with FS springs. If you have an 88 GT or Formula cut them if you don't have the $$. Buy them if you do. The car will only handle better eitherway.

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Alex4mula
:) Red-Original Owner & White-1/94 with PM (:

quote Originally posted by TRiAD: If you cut your springs and roll it off a cliff, you have only yourself to blame.

thank god this is kansas and there are no cliffs!

TRiAD: have you cut springs on a Fiero before? If you have (or haven't), why don't you explain the problems encountered with cutting the springs and compare them with the advantages of using lowering springs.

No flame intended but you seem very adamant about not cutting the springs.

Just for the record - mine were the stiffest ones when I first cut them. I dropped almost 3" and that was WAAAY too stiff. Then I put some slightly softer springs up front, and cut them to about 2" drop. Sure, I needed an alignment (just like you need with lowering springs) but the car handles good, rides straight and has even tire wear.

Anyways, back to the original question. I'm quite curious why you're so against cutting.

My friend's MR2 does that bouncing thing... really annoying. It's the shocks that do it. He has 4-way adjustable KYBs and even on the lowest setting it still "bounces like a bunny". Or more like a pogo stick.

I was going to post a similar question after his experiance with this... I do plan on getting the Eibach lowering springs. And I need new shocks/struts. I was going to go with the Fiero Store KYBs (for my '86). But, I was concerned about the possiblity of getting the "pogo effect" with this setup. I don't mind "stiff", but I don't want to bounce.

btoth; If you buy the KYBs do it at the TireRack.com. A LOT cheaper.

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Alex4mula
:) Red-Original Owner & White-1/94 with PM (: