Lowering Springs Vs Coilovers: Which Are The Most Effective Car Lowering Options?

Lowered vehicles have a reduced gravity center, bringing car owners a lower rollover risk when turning, better traction, less air drag, etc. However, when it comes to lowering vehicles, people usually confuse lowering springs and coilovers and don’t know which one to choose—so, lowering springs vs coilovers: which one is better?

Driverevolve will help answer that question in today’s post with a detailed comparison of these 2 options. 

	Lowering Springs	Coilovers
Use	On streets for everyday driving.	On racetracks for high-speed driving.
Riding Experience	Potentially risky and uncomfortable in bumpy areas.	Excellent performance with exceptional control.
Durability	Lifetime.	Up to 150,000 miles.
Ease Of Installation	Harder than coilovers.	Easier than lowering springs.
Installing Time	3 hours at most.	3 to 5 hours (and even more).
Installation Price	$300 – $1500.	$900 – $4000.

What Is A Lowering Spring?

Lowering springs are a fundamental part of every suspension setup. Simply said, their purpose is to reduce the height of your car.

Most of the time, cars already come with stock springs. However, if drivers still want to lower their car a couple of inches shorter than the standards, they could install extra lowering springs on their shocks.

This means that there is no leeway or flexibility. Spring height and rate always arrive with predetermined numbers, defining the final car height. In other words, adjusting the spring’s lowering height and effects is impossible.

Note: Your pair of lowering springs and the factory shocks with your vehicle might not work together because of the disparity in spring rates and shock damping. That can make for a bumpy voyage.

Pros Of Lowering Springs On Cars

• Affordable and reasonably priced ($100 to $700).
• A simple setup procedure that even a novice may do at home.
• A reasonable trade-off between enhanced handling and ride quality.
• OEM shock spring rates might be incompatible, interfering and even prohibiting the car from running.

Cons Of Lowering Springs On Cars 

• They may force your tires to grind against your fenders, wearing out the tires quicker than usual.
• It may be unsafe for your everyday driving due to the low height.
• Having a low ride height might attract the attention of law enforcement, resulting in hefty fines.

What Is A Coilover?

Simply put, a coilover is a kind of shock absorber with an adjustable coil spring. These coil springs get mounted onto your shocks through a springy perch affixed to the shock’s chassis.

Once the spring is in position, a cap secures it. You may change your vehicle height by moving the shocks’ spring perches either higher or lower. The lower your springs, the lower your automobile will be.

With this setup, you can simply change the height and stance of your car. Not happy with how it rests? Using only 2 spanner wrenches, one can easily adjust the height in the blink of an eye. 

In other words, now you will no longer need to purchase a new set of coil springs or lowering springs every time you want to adjust the height of your vehicle.

Note: Most of the time, a coilover goes smooth, and you never have issues with noise, clunk, or squeaking. Still, some cheap coilovers might cause a squeaking noise while driving but not brakes applied.    

Pros Of Coilovers On Car 

• Customizable ride height.
• More efficiency-focused. 
• Perfect for novices who wish to experiment with suspensions.
• More reliable on rough terrain.

Cons Of Coilovers On Cars 

• Pricey (up to $3000). 
• A complex mechanism with numerous moving mechanical components. 
• A few car owners may have an issue with the space between the tires and the fenders. 
• Your vehicle may be too low for everyday driving.
• Lower-priced models may squeak, causing an irritating driving experience.

Lowering Springs Vs Coilovers: A Comprehensive Comparison

Street Use 

If you’re a car owner on a shoestring budget and have no plans to take your vehicle to the racetrack, a simple pair of lowering springs should do the trick. Since you don’t require the same amount of accuracy and customization in the city as you need on the racetrack, lowering springs are a fantastic budget choice. 

On the other hand, if you install coilovers to lower your vehicle, you risk damaging it if you hit any obstacles, such as speed bumps or potholes. Simple activities like turning into your driveway or petrol station might become more challenging.

Track Use 

If you are the kind of car owner that enjoys nothing more than ripping up a racecourse, you should prepare your vehicle for that.

 For those willing to invest a bit extra, coilovers provide significantly more flexibility and are ideal for racetracks. Coilovers are optimal for high-speed drives because they provide superior steering and stability in turns.

Ride Quality 

Coilovers enable car owners to lower their cars while maintaining the driving experience they’re accustomed to, making them a popular choice among drivers. It’s not always the case, but if you want your vehicle to travel as seamlessly as possible, coilovers are the way to go.

Durability 

While lowering springs may serve a lifetime, professionally fitted and serviced coilovers can only last for a maximum of 150,000 miles. 

Installing Time 

Installing coilovers requires no more than 3 hours. Because they are less complicated to set up, expect to finish setting up front coilovers on conventional cars in 45 minutes to an hour. Setup time for the back coilovers is about 1 hour to 1.5 hours.

Fitting lowering springs (even on a complex car) typically takes between 3 and 5 hours at a reputable facility, which is way longer than a coilover setup. After installing the springs, you’ll also need to align them, adding yet another variable to the procedure.

Ease Of Installation 

To reduce your vehicle’s ride height, you may adjust its suspension by replacing the stock springs and shocks with custom-fitted lowering springs and coilovers. Both procedures are simple, so anybody with a garage, a few simple tools, and some basic mechanical skills may execute this adjustment.

However, since most coilovers are sold as a complete unit, the coilover assembling process is much easier. Meanwhile, you must compress the lowering springs first for easier removal, which can be super tricky and dangerous, especially in a MacPherson strut structure.

Price 

When it comes to lowering your automobile, lowering springs is the most cost-effective option ($100 to $700 for parts and $200 to $800 for labor). 

On the other hand, installing coilovers is often very costly ($300 to $3000 for parts and $600 to $1000 for labor) due to the pricey components and a more complicated installation process.

That said, if you are working with a limited budget, lowering springs will prove to be the quickest, simplest, and most cost-efficient solution.

Which One Is The Best For You: Coilovers Or Lowering Springs? 

Lowering springs and coilovers are 2 excellent choices to lower your car; each has its disadvantages and advantages. 

Coil-overs are the best option if you are a dedicated street racer who takes his vehicle to the racetrack every week and enjoys exceptional control at high speeds. If this doesn’t describe you, then a pair of lowering springs is probably what you need.

However, keep in mind that the rough rides that coil-overs provide may wear you out soon if you regularly take your vehicle out on the streets. Coil-overs reduce the height of your car more than a couple of springs would, putting it at risk on steep areas like driveways, potholes, and bumpy terrain.

Wrapping Up 

Coilovers and lowering springs both achieve the same effect. Both have pros and cons, but either one will bring you home safely after a day of hot laps at the racetrack.

Thus, there is no right or wrong answer when deciding between lowering springs vs coilovers; instead, it all comes down to your preferences and budget. Leave us a comment below if you have further questions.

For more posts like this, refer to our Fun Autopart section.