# To all who those lowered their car..



## Jaralaccs (Jan 18, 2004)

What kind did you use, and how much of a drop?

I was looking at these Eibach Sportline Kit Coil Springs and wondering if anyone knew if they were good or not. Plus they don't even advertise how much of a drop you get out of them. 
And also at what distance will you start having clearance issues with the wheel?


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## chucky200 (Jan 3, 2003)

Jaralaccs said:


> What kind did you use, and how much of a drop?
> 
> I was looking at these Eibach Sportline Kit Coil Springs and wondering if anyone knew if they were good or not. Plus they don't even advertise how much of a drop you get out of them.
> And also at what distance will you start having clearance issues with the wheel?


I got Eibach Prokits and despite what other ppl say about them I am happy with the ride and look for what I paid. For me, money isn't abundant, so I wanted to do the best/cheapest way to drop. Bought used protkit springs and installed them on stock shocks (which will be upgraded once they blow). I'm not sure if you have a ga16 or an sr20, but if you have a ga16, I recommend the sportlines b/c your shocks are slightly longer then the sr20 (car sits a little higher) so you need that little bit of an extra drop for it to look as low as the sr20 with the prokits. I think you'll be happy with the sportlines  It's all in personal preference though in how low you want the car, and the how stiff you want the ride. 

What are you looking at as far as shocks go? If you ahve the money, drop your car properply, if not, I think stock shocks do just fine until they blow 

this is my car looks like with prokits; I wouldn't want my ride any lower:


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## lshadoff (Nov 26, 2002)

The stock B14 suspension has a total of about 4 inches of travel. You lose an inch of travel for every inch you drop the car. You will definitely need new heavy struts/shocks (e.g. AGX adjustables) with after-market springs, and will have to shorten the stock bump stops. With a 2 inch drop (approx. what you get with Sportlines), you will still be hitting the bump stops on the suspension regularly even with new shocks.

The best way to lower the B14 is to get shortened struts such as Tiens. Alternatively you can get good quality coilovers. Search around the forum to see what others have done.

Lew


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

if you go with a spring setup go no lower than 1.5", get the kyb agx's with the prokit springs, koni bump stops and motivational rear strut mount for more travel


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## 7875 (Apr 3, 2003)

I have Teins on my '95 Sentra and couldn't be happier. I have about a 2" drop all around w/ OBX Camber Bolts and I am extremely happy with the quality of the ride. Tein Basics will run you around $700 brand new, but you can always go with the Eibach's and some shortened struts for a little less. :thumbup:


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

I jus wanted to mention something I found out from experience. The SR20 cars look lower b/c they are equipped with a front sway bar. The way sway bars are mounted, it sorta pulls the steering knuckle up into the wheel well a bit more.

Here's my setup:
Front: B13 AGX struts/Eibach Sportline springs
Rear: B14 AGX shocks/Eibach Pro-kit springs/Motivational upper mounts.

it sounds kinda mix-match, but I chose this setup to give me the most even drop along with the most suspension travel possible.


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## lshadoff (Nov 26, 2002)

Ninety-Nine SE-L said:


> The SR20 cars look lower b/c they are equipped with a front sway bar. The way sway bars are mounted, it sorta pulls the steering knuckle up into the wheel well a bit more.


If sway bars are installed correctly, they don't exert any force on the car when it is standing still. I installed ST sways in my car, and it didnt affect the stance at all. I took pains to be sure that there was no force on the bushings with the weight of the car on the wheels.

Lew


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## Jaralaccs (Jan 18, 2004)

Thanks for everyones help, I was planning on getting some KYB's but their $50 each, so I can't get them at the same time as the springs. And there's no I would feel like waiting to install both.


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

lshadoff said:


> If sway bars are installed correctly, they don't exert any force on the car when it is standing still. I installed ST sways in my car, and it didnt affect the stance at all. I took pains to be sure that there was no force on the bushings with the weight of the car on the wheels.
> 
> Lew


it's the factory bar...

I know it's pulling up on the steering knuckle b/c when I was getting the suspension off, it was giving me a real pain b/c it almost wanted to compress the assembly when the car was in the air and the wheel was off.


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## lshadoff (Nov 26, 2002)

Ninety-Nine SE-L said:


> it's the factory bar...
> 
> I know it's pulling up on the steering knuckle b/c when I was getting the suspension off, it was giving me a real pain b/c it almost wanted to compress the assembly when the car was in the air and the wheel was off.


With the weight off the wheels, it does pull because the bar can't travel that far. When the weight is on the wheels, it doesn't. The only time your car will see this force is if it leaves the ground.

Lew


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

hmmm, well, either way, I can't argue with the fact that the SR20 cars sit WAAAY batter than the GA16 cars. My current suspension is the exact suspension swapped over from my old 97GA. Even though it's the same suspension on basically the same car, I eliminated over an inch of front fender gap that I had on the GA. Even saw a blue SE-L on the SR20forum that has my setup and his looks good too. The only difference on both cars is the weight balance and the factory sway bar. And if it had anything to do with the weight, it would be just the opposite b/c the cast iron GA16 is heavier.


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

chucky200 said:


>


^^^
If that were an SE, I guarantee there would be an extra inch of wheel gap under the front fender.


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## lshadoff (Nov 26, 2002)

Ninety-Nine SE-L said:


> ^^^
> If that were an SE, I guarantee there would be an extra inch of wheel gap under the front fender.


According to the FSM, in '97 the SE-R came with 15 inch rims and the SE came with 14 inch. The front height measured from the top of the wheel well with original wheels/tires is listed as:

SE (175/65 x 14)
Front - 26.22 inches
Rear - 25.51 inches

SE-R (195/55 x 15)
Front - 26.34 inches
Rear - 25.59 inches

Pretty much the same height

So there would be more wheel gap on the SE (smaller wheels/tires and same fender height). You're right.

Lew


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

I mean assuming they have the same wheels. I noticed at stock height they look about the same, but still there's no doubt the AGX/sportlines look much better on the SE-L. I don't know why, but seriously the SR20 takes a drop MUCH better.

Same setup (wheels have almost the same outer diameter):


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## biff (May 14, 2004)

you are not going to have clearance issues with the wheel. i will promise you that the ride, although ok at first, will eventually suck. not saying don't do it, just a little heads up. for the money though, eh, not bad.


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## lshadoff (Nov 26, 2002)

Ninety-Nine SE-L said:


> I mean assuming they have the same wheels. I noticed at stock height they look about the same, but still there's no doubt the AGX/sportlines look much better on the SE-L. I don't know why, but seriously the SR20 takes a drop MUCH better.


I tend to agree with you. My car dropped more than I expected with Prokits.

Stock wheels 205/50x15 Kumho Ecast Supra 712s








16x7.5 Kosei K1 Racing with 205/50x16 Bridgrstone Potenza SO3 Pole Positions

The ride sucks, though. I hit the shortened bump stops every day with the GABs adjusted Front-2 Rear-4. On the track I can bottom the suspension in a wide sweeper with street tires.

I am considering getting the Tien SS setup now that Motivational has discontinued their Sentra coilovers.

Lew


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## JayL1967 (Apr 30, 2002)

[redacted] said:


> I have Teins on my '95 Sentra and couldn't be happier. I have about a 2" drop all around w/ OBX Camber Bolts and I am extremely happy with the quality of the ride. Tein Basics will run you around $700 brand new, but you can always go with the Eibach's and some shortened struts for a little less. :thumbup:


Where did u pick up the Camber Bolts?


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## Chuck (Nov 19, 2003)

ebay


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## 7875 (Apr 3, 2003)

JayL1967 said:


> Where did u pick up the Camber Bolts?


B14GEE...He may have more, just drop him a message.


Oh btw, here is what the drop did for me:










:thumbup:


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## Neil (Aug 13, 2002)

Tein Basics here. Ran me around $740 plus 2 front pillowball mounts for easy adjustability for $80. Had a tuner shop adjust them to alignment specs and balance the stance for me.

I don't know the exact numbers but I'm guessing since the teins are lowered min in the front 2.1" and in the rear .6" that my drop is about 2.5-3" in the front and 1.5" in the rear. I can put no fingers between the wheel well in the rear and about 1 finger in the front. I never bottom out, ride is def stiffer than stock but smooth. Two thumbs up from me. Makes the car look and ride a lot better.


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## nizzan4u2nv (Apr 14, 2004)

I have Ground Controls and AGX's on my car. If I had to do it over id probably get tein ha or ss, or [email protected] coilovers. In the future im going to upgrade to shortened koni yellows, ground control caster/camber plates and stiffer springs(around 400lb springs front and rear). If your strapped for cash just get prokits and kyb gr2 shocks. I suggest you do it right the first time so you dont regret it later.


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## 7875 (Apr 3, 2003)

^Very nice. I'd raise the front a bit so it matches up with the back a little better.


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

I got my camber bolts at sears when I got my first alignment (car was lowered then). I don't mind them although Kojima seems to disagree, I don't think they will slip much if torqued properly and checked every so often. It at least saves my tires (minus the burnouts ).

My rears bottom out pretty bad if I hit something too hard, but I don't tend to hear it bottom out too much, I take speed bumps slow like a ricer . I got no rubber on the shocks, unfortunately. I too am thinking of someday moving to the Tien SS w/pillowball. EFC sounds kinda tasty too, but that's a bit more than I need. I could also move to motivational's shortened struts, but $250/corner is insane.


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## 97PocketRocket (Jul 31, 2002)

Ninety-Nine SE-L said:


> ^^^
> If that were an SE, I guarantee there would be an extra inch of wheel gap under the front fender.


The reason Sentra's have so much gap in the front wheel well compared to the rear is due to the size of the wheel wells and it's not just limited to SE-R's, it's all B14's but the phenomena seems more noticable the larger the wheel gets on stock suspension, at least to me anyway. The front fender well is huge compared to the rear so it makes even large wheels look kind of small. That's why some spring kits offer a lower stance in the front than in the rear. There's also a few body kits I've seen in the past that offer front fenders that match the size of the rear wheel well so that it doesn't look so strange. Don't ask me who, it's been about 2 years but it shouldn't be too hard to find them.

Sentra's aren't the only cars with this "phenomena" though. Some Toyotas and Mitsu's (older ones, the newer ones seem to be normal heh) also have larger front wheel wells than the rears. As for why they do this, who knows. Maybe they had a little too much Saki before they came back to work hehe.


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

perhaps you should post this in the SUSPENSION forum instead of here?


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## lshadoff (Nov 26, 2002)

Good idea! It's moved.

Lew


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## sr20jet (Feb 5, 2003)

Here's my car with b13 AGX's front struts/b14 rear shocks w/ GC coils (325 fronts/300 rears), motivational rear mounts.


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## McLaren F1 2003 (Jan 2, 2003)

i have tein ss's


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## nizzan4u2nv (Apr 14, 2004)

[redacted] said:


> ^Very nice. I'd raise the front a bit so it matches up with the back a little better.


Its the street.


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## Jaralaccs (Jan 18, 2004)

chimmike said:


> perhaps you should post this in the SUSPENSION forum instead of here?


not really considering I only care about those who lowered their B14 (because thats what I own) not any other nissan. But whatever, I got my info


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## 200sxOuTKasT (Feb 24, 2003)

Wait wait, so let me get this straight, if I had an SE and an SE-R sitting side by side, and I gave them both Eibach Prokits that lower the car 1.4", the SE is still going to be uglier with that mad wheel gap?  Theres so many things going against my SE...no sideskirts...weaker engine...But hey, why exactly is it that the SE-R look way better in the front? Does it have different struts? Springs? A whole different fender and wheel well that doesn't have that gap?


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

200sxOuTKasT said:


> Wait wait, so let me get this straight, if I had an SE and an SE-R sitting side by side, and I gave them both Eibach Prokits that lower the car 1.4", the SE is still going to be uglier with that mad wheel gap?  Theres so many things going against my SE...no sideskirts...weaker engine...But hey, why exactly is it that the SE-R look way better in the front? Does it have different struts? Springs? A whole different fender and wheel well that doesn't have that gap?


well, I honestly don't know why, but from my experience, yes. If I still had the GXE and I sat it side by side with my SE-L with the same exact suspension, the SE-L would look WAAAAYYYYY better. THe only difference in the 2 car's suspension (that I know of) is that sway bar. It's the only thing I can think of.


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## Junbug (Oct 21, 2002)

My sportlines were great, but that's because I had the motivational front shortened struts. With the GAB's in front, I didn't like them as much, but still not a bad combo.

Jun


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## otakuspeed (Mar 15, 2004)

Do you think the weight of the motor would also make a diffrence?


Mine 
Before:









After:


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## B14GEE (Jul 10, 2003)

I dont have anymore camber bolts, i only had one extra set. This is my set up Kyb Agx's & Tein s-tech springs, camber bolts, and un-installed koni bumpstops...


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

otakuspeed said:


> Do you think the weight of the motor would also make a diffrence?


That is not the case for this reason: The SR20 is lighter than the GA16 (all aluminum vs. cast iron). If the weight of the engine was the factor, it would be jus the opposite effect.


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

Ninety-Nine SE-L said:


> The SR20 is lighter than the GA16 (all aluminum vs. cast iron). .



no it isn't. The sr20 is heavier. Just because the block is aluminum doesn't make the whole engine lighter. The SR20 is just that much larger than the GA16 that all the parts together make it heavier than the GA16.

hell, the SR20 is heavier than the QG18, which is also cast iron.


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

I still think the GA16 is heavier, at least that's what I've been told.


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## James (Apr 29, 2002)

its not.


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## Gimp (Jun 9, 2002)

This is actually with STOCK springs, but they're getting kinda worn out.










This is with AGX's/Sportlines/motivational mounts (STIFF)










AND finally....Progress springs......kinda noisy...nice, not great, ride


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