I'm torn between the two, can't decide which to get coilovers or lowering Springs ?

 

If you're not tracking your car then lowering springs or Tein Basis Z coilovers, these won't allow damping adjustment. If tracking your car is on the menu then coilovers w/ adjustable dampers for sure. FWIW the Tein Basis can be had for just a couple hundred more than lowering springs so if you want to have the ability to have a wide range of height adjustment then it would be money well spent. They are engineered to work as designed whereas a lowering spring + OEM dampers will be a compromise from an engineering standpoint.

 

depends on your budget. if money is not an issue, coilovers by all means.

 

Springs and a set of konis if you don't need 3-way adjustability

 

I used to have swift sport springs. The ride was unbearable. I recently switched to coilovers and it's a night and day difference, the coils are ALOT better. The swift springs were matched with the OEM shocks/struts that had ~30K on them, so they were used but I wouldn't say worn out completely. Some people don't have any issues with swift/OEM shocks, others do. So it's hit or miss imo. Because i'm awd, aftermarket shocks/struts are very limited. True choice racing can get the Koni's modified for the front (rears should fit fine), but the price point reaches into coilover territory.

 

I've been having the same dilemma but am leaning more towards coilover springs just due to the ability to adjust ride height easier. That way I can raise the ride height back up during the winter months when there is snow on the ground, and then lower back down foe the rest of the year

 

That depends. How are you using the car and what are your goals?

The ride height adjustability is not as easy as you might think with coilovers, especially after you have had them a few years and the threads gets all gunked up with road debris. You would probably have to raise them up about 2" to notice any difference in the winter, but that would take you forever to adjust- especially if you use the stock wrenches that cut into your hand. You would also need to change your alignment every time you raise and lower your car.

Just get springs to get rid of any wheel gap and the money you saved can be spent on good snow tires that will make a huge difference in the winter even compared to raising the car up a foot(if you could).

 

After an alignment, you may or may not discover a need for aftermarket camber arms. Some people don't factor that in until they drop the car, and some people spend the extra coin up front but maybe could have gotten by without.

There really is no correct advice on camber arms when dropping the car. Address it while dropping the car, or after dropping the car, or not at all... each approach has a valid argument. Point being, it's something to consider.

 

@4DRZ i was thinking more about the clearance of the ARK Grip mid pipe in the snow rather then handling at lowered vs. stock ride height in the snow. Figured it would be easier to adjust the height on coilovers rather then changing out springs. I didn't even take into account the fact of having to get an alignment every time the coilovers are adjusted. hmm...

 

if money is no issue then coils. at least you can change the height if you want. springs you can't change the height. it will be what you get

 

If you get your car aligned and do mild adjustments (+/- 1/4") your alignment should be reasonable if you're in factory specs. If you're pushing or exceeding the factory specs and you lower it further then it would also be a good idea to get it checked/readjusted.

 

I wouldn't worry at all about clearance for your mid pipe in the snow. Snow is not going to do any damage to a hot midpipe. Speedbumps? Now that is something to take into account.

Adjusting the height on coilovers might be slightly easier than swapping springs, but is still a huge pain in the **** and takes a lot more time than you would think to get any noticeable difference in height.

As far as alignment goes, you should realign it when you change the height. But then again, if you are driving mostly in snow you could always chance that it will drive ok and not screw up the tires too much for a few months and still be aligned correctly when you lower it back down in the spring. You could always try it first, but you might get some funny handling characteristics depending on how high you raise the car.

 

I would go with coilovers.

 

I'd recommend coilovers, there's a reason people pay the premium even when they're going for the same drop you'd get with springs.

For... reasons, I had to run my rears with stock shocks rather than the Fortune ones for a bit, so it was just the lowered Swift springs, and the rear end felt *really* unsettled when going over bumps.

 

Thanks man. Been bouincing around on swifts AWD g27 for abou a year. they blew my stock struts at 52KL so im planning on going either Ksport or BC coils this spring. Open to suggesions. Sorry for jacking your thread.