Not a big fan of modifying suspensions of cars, but, one thing the R/T needs, IMHO, is to be lowered 1", mayber even 2".
I'm pondering a 6 speed R/T with 18" Rims. Looking at one on the sales floor, and I can't get over how tall it looks, and how much space is betwixt the wheels and the fender openings.
I don't want a low rider, but, I can't help thinking how much better the R/T would look lowered (front & rear) 2".
Is it feasible? What about clearance and rebound? Anybody do it yet?
Revmarc,
can you post a bigger photo so I can see it?
also, got a pic direct from the side too?
All I see is your avatar and it's tiny......8)
I'm in R/T suspension Hell right now.
Put the whole SRT Suspension on my R/T but something keeps popping in the front. plus I think it looks weird having the rear end so low with a white car.
I want to lift that back up.
So I'm thinking of going back to stock R/T suspension and maybe do your trick.
No real disprespect intended, just having a laugh at some of the things said earlier in the thread. 2'' drop to me seems like a very small thing but some in this thread seem to think so.
Not that this thread needs more replys, but I went with OE SRT springs and acheived 1.5 on the front and about .5 on the back. The drive is still very comfortable but a much better feel for the road. I wasn't too happy with the height of the rear so I tool off the rear springs and cut half a coil off the springs, something I used to do with 3rd gen. F bodies. Well it dropped another .5 and now it really looks good. my .02 cents
If you replace the self leveling shocks you will be happy with the drop without cutting the springs. In my mind that is dangerous if you dont know what your doing. You can purchase the non self leveling shock (part # 4895717AD) and you will be happy.
I know this is an old thread, but misinformation bothers me, so I have to reply.
Shocks/struts blowing up with lowering springs is not due to the shock being a little lower (1-2") in its stroke, or any other voodoo ...
The purpose of a shock is to dampen (resist) the oscillation of a coil spring. The shock works by moving fluid/gas from the main chamber into a reserve chamber via small holes. The quicker it can transfer, the "softer" the shock is, and the less capable it is to resist the actions of the coil spring. The slower the transfer, the "stiffer" it is and the better it is suited to dampen stiffer rate coil springs.
By putting stiffer lowering springs on (designed to be stiffer to avoid the suspension bottoming out due to less compression travel) you are forcing the shocks/struts to work harder. If the lowering spring rate is a dramatic change from stock, it will cause the shock to fail quicker than it would under the stock spring rates. The failure is not linear however, as the rate increases, the force increases exponentially.
However, any civilized lowering spring (one that does not result in a harsh ride) is generally not severe enough to dramatically shorten the life of the shock. But, it makes more sense to replace the shocks with units that are designed to work in conjunction with the new lowering springs, so that their rates compliment each other and you get the best ride possible, and generally speaking, a longer service life from your shocks/struts.
This is a great kit but is not compatible for 2011 models, if you want your 2011 RT lowered to SRT levels you have to get a 2011 SRT Shocks/Struts and Isloators. No kit is available for 11's but I believe speedlogix has the components, partsforyourcar. I got all the components for a 11' SRT from ebay with 80 miles on it for 375 shipped..... so jsut search around if you wanna use it for a 2011
Wow, a year and a half would indicate the springs were not a very good match for the factory struts/shocks. Could also be where you live, and/or drive? Areas with rough roads that make suspensions compress and rebound more than other areas are harder on things also ... in conjunction with poorly matched springs/shocks can really accelerate failure.
What lowering springs did you put on your Challenger that helped blow out your shocks?
So what different types of settings would be recommended for say, a 1/4 run vs. a bit of spirited street driving? How would you change the settings on adjustable coilovers for these two different applications, that is, if you'd adjust them at all?
I'd like to lower my front a bit, maybe 1" or so, but I actually like where the back is sitting currently (I have 20" wheels and stock exhaust and the look in the back doesn't bother me - I think it's okay for now).
But, since I'd like the front to sit a bit lower, I was thinking about going with coilovers on both front and rear; and for looks, adjusting only the front for a lowered look, while leaving the rear height alone - I don't know how much this would affect how the vehicle handles for different purposes (drag run vs. street driving, as mentioned above). Any insights?
So, I went through this whole thread, and still have some questions.
First, I thought with the 6-speed, and the Nivomats you MUST replace the shocks if you replace the springs.
Secondly, I had a Mustang and put FRPP (Ford Racing Performance Parts) lowering springs on with stock shocks/struts, and had no problems at all. Put roughly 40K on it like that. Why does it sound like Challengers require shocks/struts + I heard that you may need a camber kit to align properly?
Just curious, as I've already decided if I do anything, I'll go with the MOPAR coil-over kit, to keep it factory.
First, I thought with the 6-speed, and the Nivomats you MUST replace the shocks if you replace the springs.
Secondly, I had a Mustang and put FRPP (Ford Racing Performance Parts) lowering springs on with stock shocks/struts, and had no problems at all. Put roughly 40K on it like that. Why does it sound like Challengers require shocks/struts + I heard that you may need a camber kit to align properly?
IF your 6spd has Nivomats (Sachs), instead of Bilstein shocks, and you install lowering springs, the rear will not come down as low as it should, without replacing those rear shocks. Is it a "MUST"? No ... if you don't mind the ass end of your car sticking up in the air? Because my R/T 6spd came with factory Bilstein shocks, the rear of mine would lower without the issue associated with cars having the Nivomats.
Perhaps the FRPP springs you put on your Mustang had a RATE that was close to the stock springs? I believe the 'B' or 'C' springs from FRPP only lowered Mustangs like an inch, so it was not necessary for Ford to dramatically alter the rate of their lowering springs from that of the factory spring rate. Also, it is possible that you did have reduced performance from your shocks over those 40K miles of use, but didn't really notice because it was day to day small increments of degradation? Hard to say for sure without knowing all the variables ... including your interpretation of events?
Challengers don't need new shocks more than any other car that is lowered, unless you go with a spring that has a RATE greater than the factory springs, by a margin large enough to significantly decrease the service life of the shock ... Also, the R/T has softer springs than the SRT, so there is some more room for failure in that regard, as shocks for the R/T are designed to dampen a softer spring ... therefore a stiff rate spring installed in an R/T will make the stock R/T shock fail quicker than a stock SRT shock.
A camber kit becomes necessary when you lower the Challenger too much. When lowered, the increased change in camber can NOT be adjusted out without a camber kit installed. Typically, if you go lower than a 1.5" drop, you will want to get the kit installed to remove any additional tire wear from your car having too much camber.
I don't think you can mix-n-match. You have have to get the full SRT Bilstein and shock set or an equivalent full strut/spring set: Eibach, Hotchkis, etc. Sway bars are optional.
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