lowering: stance vs drivability

[PHILMEWAGON]

hey,

I keep lookin at throwing some lowering springs on my mk3 FR, possibly with spacers front and rear as well.

I like the look of a slightly lower, slightly wider wheelbase car but...

at the minute the car handles really well. i mean it literally corners like its on tracks. I can burn round a 90 degree corner with ease at high entry speed.

Yesterday i was coming off a roundabout into a dual carriageway slip road so i booted it out of the roundabout. the sliproad and roundabout create an S bend. Underestimated the angle of the corner outside lane onto the main sliproad, and was going at excessive speed on the outside of the corner. Again the car didnt move. Totally planted.

so i guess im asking mk3 owners that have already lowered and like to occasionally push the envelope: is the car better or worse after lowering?

 

[pmmcbl]

I personally think the standard mk3 FR could do with a small amount of lowering and maybe stiffness. I have had mine for over a month and I feel the front could have less body roll and more feedback when turning in and out.

 

[Lentäjä]

I have AP coilovers set to be from hub center to arch 335mm front and rear.
10mm spacers on OEM 7,5x18" ET51 rims with 225/40R18 tyres.
Car is much better to drive, not harsh, but firm and a lot less body roll.
It is actually more comfy to drive, simply coz the body movements are better controlled.
When pushed in to B-road corners, inside wheel does not tend to lose grip no more and that reduces the understeering when accelerating out of the corner.
When going through S-corner, it feels a lot more planted.

 

[DANFR180]

hey,

I keep lookin at throwing some lowering springs on my mk3 FR, possibly with spacers front and rear as well.

I like the look of a slightly lower, slightly wider wheelbase car but...

at the minute the car handles really well. i mean it literally corners like its on tracks. I can burn round a 90 degree corner with ease at high entry speed.

Yesterday i was coming off a roundabout into a dual carriageway slip road so i booted it out of the roundabout. the sliproad and roundabout create an S bend. Underestimated the angle of the corner outside lane onto the main sliproad, and was going at excessive speed on the outside of the corner. Again the car didnt move. Totally planted.

so i guess im asking mk3 owners that have already lowered and like to occasionally push the envelope: is the car better or worse after lowering?

sounds like you need a track day

 

[pmmcbl]

Or a training course

 

[PHILMEWAGON]

hehe!

any training course gratefully accepted!

track day is on the cards but im trying to locate a suitable track slag before i go there

im not hugely prone to driver error: in the past 21 years Ive had 2 accidents both of which involved other drivers driving into me hehe.

Im not known for driving like a tool everywhere i go - id have bought a Mondeo if that was my plan.

I enjoy letting loose every now and then like everyone else and most of my driver error at the minute comes from being in a 1 tonne hatch instead of a 1.8 tonne 4wd. just adjusting.

thank you for the detailed response about coilovers