5 Suspension Mods That Can Ruin Your Car

5 Suspension Mods That Can Ruin Your Car.

Lowering springs, lowering clamps, wheel spacers, camber kits, anti-roll bars, coilovers, the works. Suspensions very frequently modified but very challenging to setup in a performance enhancing manor. Lowering clamps lower your car without changing the spring rate, lowering springs won't match the damping rate of your shocks, camber should only be slightly negative, wheel spacers can decrease braking stability, and roll bars should be used to fine tune steering dynamics.

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[dstarr]

I can't believe someone would look at those spring clamps and think "Yeah, that's a great idea. I want that on my car."

[BmacRDX]

A couple comments, as an engineer myself, who has a significant vehicle dynamics knowledge.

1. Lowering springs developed for performance and not just looks, matched with an appropriate damper, such as a Koni sport, Bilstein, etc. can be used daily without much sacrifice. In many cases the car will have an improved ride overall (better control), with a slight increase in initial impact harshness.

2. Yes, increasing roll and pitch stiffness via springs can reduce mechanical grip, although load transfer remains identical if the ride height (and thus CG to roll center relationship) is unchanged. The caveat is that increasing roll stiffness, in particular, will often improve geometric control enough to where you do not lose, and can often gain mechanical grip by maintaining contact patch and reducing roll center migration. It also has handling benefits in that the car will respond more quickly to inputs. That said, you do want the softest springs you can get away with that maintain acceptable transitional handling in order to reduce sensitivity to inputs and improve compliance for imperfect surfaces, both of which improve usable grip and make the car easier to drive.

3. Wheel spacers with their own studs function identically to a wider offset wheel if they are hubcentric type. If they are not hubcentric, like the one you showed in this video, then yes, they put significant load to the studs in a way they were not designed to take. Hubcentric spacers transfer radial load to the hub bore with their own hub bore, and provide another external hub bore for the wheel to mount to, such that the studs are providing clamping force and not dealing with significant radial load, just as they did stock.

4. Camber kits can be an excellent choice if you have coilovers (many include them in their top mounts), or a matched set of performance-minded lowering springs and matched dampers. They allow for adjustment beyond what the factory tolerances will in order to get back to appropriate road-use settings (~1-1.5 deg negative).

5. Anti-roll bars can be an extremely effective tuning aid provided you do not go overboard. If you autocross, the Street class allows for one roll bar change. For most cars, due to their on-purpose, understeer-biased factory suspension tuning, a stiffer rear bar improves handling balance significantly without a big effect on ride quality, provided you do not go super stiff. You always want to exercise caution on anti-roll bar stiffness on the driven axles because you do not want to limit/remove load on the inside wheel. This is bad for any differential type, but particularly open diffs or torsen diffs.

[smbmxdirt]

Just ordered those spring clamps. Thanks for the tip

[EngineeringExplained]

A lot of people commenting that the spring clamps are for removing the springs - this is not the case, the clamps shown (I'm as surprised as you are) are to remain in the car, to lower it. They're labeled as "lowering clamps" on the packaging. Spring compressors are much larger, so you can clamp more than just one spiral of springs. As a side note, most auto parts stores will let you rent springs compressors for free, if you're ever in need. Have a great day everyone!

[MrXlchaoslx]

This guy is this type of person who reads the entire cereal box before eating it

[sheawilliams]

I ordered lowering springs, opened youtube, and this was the first video reccomended to me

[ebrainz]

This is pretty good stuff. In the racing world, it's all about combinations of springs versus sway bars. The Camaros we used to race with Pratt and Miller would run VERY soft springs (whatever number you're thinking, take 300lbs out of it) and VERY still sway bars. The idea was to control and balance the body mid-corner but allow for lots of mechanical grip under braking and acceleration. Won us a championship, and was a blast to drive. Felt like a really fast school bus.

[troger]

I'm a strong independent Black suspension who don't need no sway bar

[tilepusher]

By changing out my stock springs for Eibach 1" drop springs & Koni Struts, I have seen no negative tire wear or handling issues. My car handles much better everywhere, under all conditions. I did get a full alignment from one of the few suspension shops on town that specializes in lowered suspensions & to be fair, I do have a much stiffer ride.

[Fcreveryoung]

Dude you need to be a college professor. This channel is a class I would pay to take, no joke

[lshssprings]

this is the most anti-ricer video ive ever watched.

[gureno]

Pfft, spring clamps.

Just cut the springs in half with an angle grinder like a real man.

[Vok]

"You can't just change your suspension geometry!"

"Haha cosmetic mods go

[Ledface]

What about using hockey puck with a hole drilled in the middle as a spring

[MitchlTmas]

Lowering springs + Spacers = $300

Coilovers + Upper control arms + Wheels with correct offset = $2500

I guess we're staying stock

[Chewsstudio]

Gran turismo should reach out to you to make optional video explanations for each setting they let you tweak, I think it would be an awesome fit.

[turlus]

Just want to say that you make stock seem so much better, but at the same time sadden all the mod ideas I had. I enjoy your videos and hope you keep educating us on one of the most important things to us. If done incorrectly, the car is a deadly uncontrollable weapon. Thank you

[starz]

all car enthusiasts have a percentage of rice in them wether u like it or not😂😂😂

[TheOfficialNeumann]

That first one had me laughing. i can't believe that is for real!

[bobdroidsky]

If you're getting lowering springs, get a proper shock/strut(adjustable performance shocks will let you fine-tune the damper to the spring rate) to match it, and get the camber kit to correct the camber. That's the proper way to lower your car using the lowering springs. Foregoing the shocks/struts and the camber kit will make your car unsafe to drive. (I speak from experience, especially when you go over something at freeway speeds). Also, don't be hesitant to splurge on a set of new polyurethane bushings to replace the stock rubber ones.