So I've been thinking about dropping my ride height a lot lately and I don't want to spend a lot of money of coilovers. Are lowering springs still a good option on this car if it's daily driven and only dropped around 2 or less inches? And if I do drop my car, would I need a camber kit?

 

Based on your posts, I'm assuming you have a G37x AWD Sedan

Whatever springs you choose, always get new struts (and maybe stronger sway bar links - Moog or SPL adjustable) to minimize hitting the bump stops and maximize road comfort. Also road force balance your wheels for a clean slate in case you wanted to confirm any issues.

The Swift Spring 4N911 and KYB GR-2 combo has been tried and true, and it's what I have for my daily driving in Boston. With all lowering options, you need to stop driving like you have a Raptor. Ride is barely discernible from OEM; slightly more road feel on broken roads but otherwise super smooth.

I personally got SPC 72052 Rear Camber Arms + Toe Bolts since the stock adjustments have a tendency to rust out, but your adjustment will primarily be limited due to the lack of adjustments in the front. If you wanted to maintain OEM specs entirely, you'll also need adjustable front upper control arms, though they are very difficult to adjust and can make alignments costly. Some of them to sketchy to me personally.

I'd just getting rear camber arms and toe bolts to maximize adjust-ability within reason. SPC (or you can get the Moog-branded SPC ones) or SPL if you wanted to be slightly overkill.

People have claimed that it's possible to be within spec, but assume that you'll have increased camber (1.5 to 2 degrees) and ensure that toe is zero'ed out.

 

Plenty of AWD Sedan owners here on the forum have had reasonable experiences simply swapping in Swift lowering springs (for the AWD Sedan), without doing anything else except an alignment; (which will be out of spec, but not by much.) And you don't necessarily have to replace shocks or end links or control arms or rear camber arms... unless you're shooting for perfection. For most people dropping their car on a budget, "good enough" is a reasonable goal.

 

You'll pay a lot more for a spring install than you would for coilovers because of how complicated the process is up front with the awd. It can be a 4-6 hour job. New struts are highly recommended too because you will be bottoming out those oem shocks with any springs, So at this point you're at the same price as decent coilovers. Coils give you more adjustability, better dampening, you can change height for different seasons, and can corner balance your car. Take it from someone on swift springs on a g37x sedan. It seems like a cheaper option, but in the long run, it isnt. Two brands to consider are BC Racing and Fortune Auto. And yes, in either case, you will need arms. Rear for sure, but front, some people get away with stock arms. Oh and springs wont really give you a 2" drop unless you cut them. Not recommended.

 

I currently have a set of Swift springs ready to go on my X, just waiting on the Z1 arms which should arrive this month. How often do you bottom out the OEM struts? Would you recommend the KYB's? I'd like to replace all the struts/springs at the same time if necessary. For what it's worth I will be doing all the work myself, so I should still save quite a bit compared to coilovers, even if I do purchase new struts.

 

KYB's are the same length as stock...so...they will bottom out just the same.

Virtually all cars use their bumpstops as additonal spring rate. Its not realistic to NEVER bumpstop out. You probably bumpstop your stock height suspension almost every time you drive.

In my experience, at stock height, a lot of sedans have between 1 and 2" of shock travel before the bumpstop. Motion ratios for each car dictate actual wheel movement.

Its not realistic to lower a car 2" on stock length shocks and have it ride anywhere near decently. Modern cars aren't built with a ton of shock travel.

Lowering a car too much will mean you are either always pre-compressing the bumpstops and using a spring rate of (spring + pre-compressed bumpstop) ....or will mean that you have a tiny amount of free shock travel and you'll use the bumpstop more than intended. Either way, the massive increase in spring rate from this situation is what prematurely wears out the shock.

Bumpstops are usually a progressive foam spring. The more you squish them...the harder they are. Cutting them may be a solution, but you'll have a very hard/sudden increase in rate when you do use them.

Swifts lower the car like 1.2"F and 0.8"R. That's probably still way too much for a stock length shock. But it seems to work "ok".

I don't know if anyone sells shortened shocks. But seems like Koni Yellows are available if your car is RWD, and if you want a stock length shock that can handle a lot of spring rate.

Coilovers can be a solution for very low cars. BUT if you preload the spring too much or shorten the body too much to result in too much travel for a set height...you'll just end up hitting the tyre or suspension on the chassis somewhere. I don't generally install coilovers without taking a ton of measurements first. I can literally take the fun out of anything, bruv.

 

Yup, I swapped all my shocks to KYB, but as mentioned above, on Swift's it does get rough on bad roads and hitting medium holes sounds like you drove over an open manhole. I'm looking at some fortune auto coilovers for next season myself, as much as I live my swift springs.

 

What region are you from? Just asking for reference. I live in the Chicago area and I'm contemplating modifications

 

My car is an X so it's AWD, also the Swift springs for AWD sedans actually lower it even further 1.3"F and 1.0"R. Also if I were to replace the shocks when I do the springs, I'd like to stay considerably below the cost of coilovers. If I'm only saving a couple hundred dollars I'd sell my springs and get coilovers.

 

The X has shorter front shocks. I'm guessing that's one of the reasons why Infinti raised it up from the RWD models.

If you live in CA or AZ or somewhere with good roads, you may be fine.

If you live in the Midwest or NYC or anywhere northeast...ehhh....you'd have to get a nice set of coilovers and really take time setting the preloads/travel/damping.

 

I'd like to Fortune Auto's one day but the budget isn't there this year. I'll be on the lookout for some KYB shocks and see if I can get them for a good price. As far as the rough roads are concerned, here in TN that's not much of an issue. TN might lack in a lot of areas but road quality isn't one of them.

 

Looks like we were thinking about the same thing. I had just responded that we have nice road quality here in TN.

 

Have an X with Swifts on stock struts. Springs went on around 40K miles and have been on till 53K. I do regret just not going coils in the beginning but my thought process is ill ride these till the oem struts pop and then go the coil route. I ended up getting SPC FCAs and SPC rear camber arms and toe bolt kit. Toe was in spec but camber was out to too much for my liking especially putting expensive tires on, I wanted them to last. I look at it now that I'm pretty much setup for coil overs when its time, to make sure whatever drop I go next is adjustable. I daily it and as stated torn up roads are a little rough, really anything that when you are at stock height you makes a little noise when you go over it the swifts sound like you just ran over a 4ft hole. Can't complain for $300 though.

 

Oops, missed this one, I'm in Toronto, Canada, slightly warmer climate than yours, but almost the same. I actually drove to Chicago 2 years ago for St. Patricks day and our roads are similarly bad lol.

 

The Swifts I ordered are looking less and less attractive. I can't drive a car that doesn't ride properly.