Suspension

How Low Can You Go?

If going low gets you high, read on to learn about lower height coil springs, coil-over spring/shock combos, air systems, and ride height adjustments

Lowering is high on the list of many people who want to improve the appearance of their car. Let’s face it, bringing down those guards so they’re closer to the upgraded wheels makes the car look much better. Getting rid of that ugly stock ride height gap between the guards and tyres is what makes your run of the mill daily driver into a sport tuner head turner. But just how do you go about lowering a car? There are a few options, so read on to find the one that’s right for you.

We all have to deal with a budget when we’re working on our cars, but the suspension is one area where you shouldn’t skimp. You won’t find info on cutting springs or putting clamps on the stock springs to lower the car here. That’s for cowboys, steer clear! Those methods may be inexpensive, but they can also cause bodily injury or damage to the car. If you want to lower your car with the coil springs, then replacing them with lowering springs is the way to go. The coils on lowering springs are closer together than the factory springs and this will give you the drop you seek. In general, you want to look for lowering springs with a higher or stiffer spring rate to keep the car from bottoming out or having a rough or bouncy ride. Once you’ve found the correct lowering kit and the correct spring rate you’re in business.

Spring Rate

But what is spring rate, anyway? The spring rate is how much weight in pounds it will take for one coil to compress or squeeze by one inch. For example, if you have a progressive spring rate that is 5 lbs. to 20 lbs., it will take 5 lbs. to compress the spring the first inch, and then 6.5 lbs. for the second inch and so on until the last inch of travel, which will take 20 lbs. to compress.

Continuing with this example, if you lower a vehicle 1 inch you’ll want to make sure the spring rate is at least 1.5 times greater than the original rate to keep the vehicle from bottoming out. This will be equal to a progressive spring rate of about 7.5 lbs. to 30 lbs., hypothetically speaking of course; spring rates will vary from vehicle to vehicle. To determine the proper spring rate for your car it will depend on how much you are lowering the car and the stock spring rate. If the spring rate is not higher on a lowered vehicle, then bottoming out will become unavoidable. You should definitely get the spring rate right if you drive on city streets that contain a lot of potholes.

Coil-Over Shocks

But what if you want to lower your car and also make it handle better? If that’s your goal then consider coil-over shocks. Coil-over shocks replace the original springs and shock absorbers. With coil-overs, not only is the ride height adjustable but you can also change the stiffness of the shocks. In some cases you can adjust the stiffness to suit your driving conditions. For example, if you use your car on track days you can stiffen the shocks so there is less travel around corners, and then you can soften the suspension to make the car ride more comfortably on regular streets.

Lowering your vehicle and stiffening the shocks with coil-overs helps with body lean and keeps the weight transfer to a minimum to help with handling. Aerodynamics improves at higher speeds as well. By lowering the vehicle, the drag coefficient is reduced, which means you can cut through the air with less effort! Coil-over springs and shocks are designed to work in unison and they’re developed to work better with a lowered suspension height. They provide the sporty feeling and aggressive stance that will turn heads and make everyone want to borrow your car. This is the most popular way to lower a car and the good thing is most kits out there start off at the same price as replacement shocks and springs!

Airbag System

Finally, airbags are another option that is becoming more popular with going low. The airbag system (not to be mistaken with the safety devices in your interior!) is similar to the hydraulics you see in low riders in the way the car can be lowered and raised. However, unlike the hydraulic system that uses compressed oil or fluid, the air bag system uses compressed air to fill a bag to raise the vehicle, and a valve system that deflates the bag when you want to go low. You can also drop the back, front or sides and have a crazy look when rolling down the street. The biggest plus with an air bag system is you can have the vehicle sit at stock ride height during normal driving conditions. Air bag systems are available in universal kits where modification to the vehicle is necessary, and model specific kits that are custom tailored to the vehicle. For more detail, pricing and options please email us at sales@wheelworx.com.au or give us a call on 08 8371 5711

Universal airbag kits are a complete custom installation and the least common of all. Modifications to the factory shocks are needed to make the airbags fit. These kits are mostly comprised of the air bags, air compressor, air valves, switch box, airline, fittings and a pressure switch. The system works to keep the bags inflated to the programmed pressure. If you want to inflate the airbags, just hit the button and the compressor will pressurize and fill them to the desired pressure. When lowering is desired, the system uses the valves to deflate the airbags. When you want to go low, just hit the button to release the pressure in the bags and the valve system will release to the proper pressure for the correct height adjustment. The system works simply and is user friendly. The second type of kit is the model specific kit. No modifications to the vehicle are necessary, just replace the factory shocks and wire up the tank and associated parts and you’re done. This system works in the same way as the universal airbag kits that require modification. The main difference is the price range. Airbag systems are fully custom and expensive.

Body Lifts & Suspension Lifts From 1 to 10 Inches | What are my Lift Kit Choices?

Whether you want to raise your truck’s front to correct factory nose-down rake, or go up 10 inches all around, we guide you to the right lift kits and components.

Has this happened to you? You catch a glimpse of a truck like yours in a carpark or around town that, for some reason, you like better than your own. It seems to have a stance that’s more rugged-looking and more suited to a 4×4 than yours does. Maybe you get a chance to stop and take a closer look immediately, or maybe it’s days or weeks before you see the other truck again.

Subtle amounts of ride height increase are often all that’s needed to make a production vehicle look so much better, you’ll wonder why the factory didn’t build it that way. Here, a Jeep Wrangler is shown with a 2.5″ ride height increase and a larger wheel/tyre combination.

Then a moment of clarity occurs when you discover that the reason for your envy is legitimate. The other truck has been treated to a ride height increase thanks to a lift kit, or a leveling kit. If your next thought is “Lift kits are complicated and expensive, I can’t afford one”, we’re here to tell you that it IS possible to lift your truck – simply, and for a cost that’s a lot lower than you’d expect.

Email us at sales@wheelworx.com.au with your vehicle details for a quote.

In short, lift kits make alterations to your vehicle in order to lift its body into the air. Those alterations can be as simple as “spacer” blocks which mount between the body and frame, or they can include an array of replacement components that improve your entire suspension geometry. Some spacer kits also include replacement shock absorbers with greater length that are designed to keep your vehicle’s ride more stable.

Taller replacement springs are another simple way to lift your ride, and we offer them with or without shock absorbers as well. And if you’re looking to do serious off-roading, more extensive lift kits with redesigned suspension components such as control arms and related linkages allow greater wheel travel and flexibility over uneven terrain.

Deciding how much ride height increase to give your vehicle is a matter of personal preference. Spacers work effectively for 1-3 inches of lift, while new shocks and springs are recommended if you intend to go up 4 inches or more. There’s also the choice of raising just the front of your vehicle with a “leveling” kit, raising all four wheels, or boosting only the rear to create a classic muscle look.

Leveling kits allow you to increase the ride height of the front of your vehicle to offset slope-nose front designs many modern 4x4s have – in effect, “leveling” your truck to a more heavy-duty stance. Some leveling kits come with components to raise only the front end, while others lift all four wheels – raising the front more than the rear. Other lift kits provide equal lift all around.

To help clarify this, we specify height increases that 4-wheel lift kits provide for both the front and rear of the vehicle on our website. For example, 4 x 2.5 means a kit provides 4 inches of lift for the front of the vehicle and 2.5 inches for the rear. 3×3 signifies an even 3 inches of lift for both the front and rear suspension.

Perhaps the most obvious benefit of lifting or leveling your truck is that larger-than-stock tyres can be used without danger of them rubbing against the inside of fenders or bumpers during turns. And because of nose-down rake, many modern pickups have less clearance in the front wheel wells than in the rear – a condition made worse if a heavy plow or winch is bolted on to the front of the vehicle. For this reason, many 4-wheel lift kits provide more lift for the front than the rear.

Many modern pickups are built with a “nose down rake”. We offer lift kits designed to level your vehicle for a higher stance, improved appearance, and greater clearance for larger tyres.

When you consider that modern 4x4s are usually equipped with car-height bumpers for safety, lift kits can protect them as well as exhaust systems and running boards from damage during off-roading. Plus, greater ride height will prove a huge overall advantage when the bottom of your truck doesn’t drag on high snowdrifts or become submerged in deep water during storms.

Since suspension designs differ among 4x4s, all of the lift kits we sell are tailored specifically for the factory equipment and handling characteristics of individual makes and models. Often, kits include hardware and replacement brackets to relocate steering components that can be affected by ride height lifts.

Spacer Kits

Shown here is a typical coil spring spacer designed to be inserted on top of a spring to push the axle and body of the vehicle further apart. While this spacer only adds one inch of lift, we offer others that provide up to four inches of ride height increase.

Body Lift Kits such as Daystar’s 1″ x 1″ Front and Rear Body Lift Kit shown here raise body height by inserting blocks between a truck’s frame and body.

Spacer lift kits increase the overall ride height of your vehicle for minimal cost because your existing factory springs and shocks/struts can be retained. Instead of replacing those expensive suspension parts, spacers are normally added at the top or bottom of a spring or strut to push the axle and frame of the truck further apart.

We offer spacer kits for ride height increases between 1-4 inches. On certain models where stability of original suspension designs has been shown to benefit from the addition of longer-length shock absorbers, you’ll see replacement shocks offered as standard with the kit, or they can be purchased as an extra-cost option.

Value Kits With Replacement Springs

When maximum ride comfort or greater wheel articulation are your goals, lifting your vehicle with longer replacement springs is an excellent choice. For starters, we’ve got kits with just coil springs for the front of vehicles so equipped.

We’ve also got front spring replacement kits that add performance monotube shock absorbers for better handling on the trails such as Pedders and King Coil Spring Lift Kit for a variety of vehicles, available with coil spring lift ranging from 2.5″ to 5″.

More Complete Lift Kits That Add Shocks, Longer Linkages, And Other Components

For those who seek maximum wheel articulation for rock climbing or more aggressive off-roading, we’ve got full suspension lift kits (from 2″ to 10″ of height increase) that allow you to do a more thorough suspension rework on your vehicle. While spacers, taller springs, and extended-length shocks are great for cruising around town, the more extensive kits with redesigned control arms, track bars, cross-brace pieces, trailing links, and even skid plates are the ones that will keep your vehicle upright – ensuring an easy drive home

These kits do more than let your wheels travel up or down a huge amount – they also keep tyres evenly pressed against uneven terrain, no matter what angle of incline you’re facing. Thus, your center of gravity remains stable and rock climbing stays fun – not traumatizing. In such kits, replacement control arms may be longer than OEM equipment with ball joints that allow the greatest degree of pivot in all directions. Replacement front/rear track bars and brackets allow front and/or rear axles to be properly re-centered after a huge lift.

And because components in these kits are modified to fit specific makes and models, more clearance exists between steering components for big tyres. Higher lift kits often come with longer replacement brake lines should they be necessary for your vehicle.

Repair vs Performance Parts | Springs & Shocks more details

We clarify the differences between “replacement” (OE style) and “performance” (improved) types of springs and shocks (including struts) – discussing various styles of each, and how they differ.

If upgrading springs and shocks to improve handling, comfort, or even change ride height has always been on your wish list, there’s never a bad time to go forward with the changes. But making upgrades at the point when your old springs and shocks are worn out makes a great deal of economic sense. Since you’ve gotten your full money’s worth out of those existing parts, spending a little more for exactly what you want now means just that – spending only a little more. Time and labor must be spent removing old suspension parts anyway, no matter what you decide to replace them with.

Springs

Springs play a major role when it comes to safety, ride quality, and handling ability. Not only do they keep a vehicle at a designated standing height by supporting its full weight, they provide recoil necessary to bounce back after suspension components move up and down over uneven road surfaces. Springs can be soft and bouncier, or they can be stiffer and less bounce-prone.

There are three main types: coil springs, leaf springs, and torsion bar springs. These types of springs are not interchangeable with one another, and all must be replaced with like kind only.

Shown here are typical layouts for coil springs. On MacPherson type struts (left), a coil spring surrounds the shock absorber – both of which are mounted on a strut. On other vehicles without struts (right), coil springs are mounted separately from shock absorbers.

Replacement Coil Springs

If you’re happy with the contribution to ride quality and handling that your factory springs provided during their lifespan, you’ll find satisfaction and value with our OE style replacement springs. These are built to match the overall dimensions, thicknesses, compression rates, tensile strength, and on-the-road performance for your specific year, make, and model vehicle.

They’ll install without any modifications or adjustments. While they’re being replaced, it makes sense to install new spring seats (top and bottom rubber insulators) because they wear out and lose their cushioning resilience as well. Check boxes along the left of the screen will also let you browse through our assorted mounting brackets if you should need them, and adjusters/shims which provide additional support or adjustment to the original mounting position.

Performance Coil Springs For On-Road Handling

If you’re looking to modify your suspension, performance coil springs will give you the edge you need.

Keep in mind that variable rate performance springs allow better absorption of bumps during normal street use, then become stiffer around turns to reduce body roll during aggressive driving. This is ideal for performance-oriented cars with a low ride height.

Performance Coil Springs For Off-Roading

Performance coil springs can also be configured to allow for a greater amount of up and down wheel travel during off-road applications, which is a huge advantage on rutted and rocky off-road trails. For those who seek maximum wheel articulation for rock climbing or more aggressive off-roading, we’ve got Performance Lift Kits (from 2″ to 10″ of height increase) that allow you to do a suspension rework on your vehicle. Many of these kits include taller coil springs, extended-length shocks, and even spacers (see below).

Performance Coil Spring Spacers

Also solidly in the “performance” category are basic 4×4 suspension lift kits that use spacers positioned underneath standard-height coil springs to raise ride height between 1 and 3 inches. With minor amounts of lift like this, standard-length shocks can usually be kept in place. Many modern 4x4s and utilities such as this one feature nose-down suspension settings from the factory to improve wind resistance and fuel economy. We offer leveling lift kits designed to raise the front stance back up for improved appearance and greater clearance for larger tyres.

Replacement Leaf Springs

If you’re happy with the contribution to ride quality and handling that your factory leaf springs provided during their lifespan, you’ll find satisfaction and value with our OE style replacement leaf springs. These are designed to install without modifications or adjustments because they’re built to match overall dimensions, thicknesses, compression rates, tensile strength, and on-the-road performance of your specific car or truck.

For related OEM style leaf spring replacement needs, we’ve also got shackles, spring eye bushings, bumpers/insulators, spacers/shims, and assorted hardware pieces. These will help restore your ride quality to factory new specifications.

Performance Leaf Springs

If you’re interested in modifying your factory leaf spring setup to handle increased power contact us on 08 8371 5711 or sales@wheelworx.com.au

Shock Absorbers & Struts

Shock absorbers are a major contributor to your ride comfort and safety because they are the suspension item which stops the springs on your car or truck from bouncing up and down endlessly after a bump.

We offer both Replacement Shock Absorbers and Struts and Performance Shock Absorbers and Struts