What is the easiest way to lower the car a few centimeters?

Hi guys,
I would like my car to go a few centimeters lower, mainly due to aesthetics, since I don't like the large space between the tire and the sheet.
My 308 currently has the 14-inch xwx and I do not want to change it because I love its retro style.
I have been told that there are suspension kits, but taking into account that my shock absorbers are in good condition, it would be possible to reduce the height only by putting a few springs shorter and keeping the koni shock absorbers that I have now ?.

Thanks.

 

Remove the wheels, unmount the shocks. Once off the car, they can be adjusted (although you may need to remove or compress the spring). Another option would be to swap in the Superformance UK replacement springs. Seemed to lower my car noticeably. Switching to 16" wheels from 14 and installing lower profile modern tires will also close down the OEM giant wheel gap a bit, but you seem to want to keep the 14s. NOTE: If you're not experienced, be VERY careful or have a shop do the work on your springs/shocks before you kill yourself. Perfectly safe to remove the shock from the car, but quite dangerous to remove the spring from the shock.

 

No you don't change anything out. You turn the spring collars and that will change the rideheight. Have a shop do it because you need tools you don't have. Basically the spring is compressed in a spring compressor and the spring collars are turned and the spring released. You drive and the car settles and that's your new rideheight. Look in the WSM is may have or other 308 guys may know the motion ratio of the front and rear. MR speaks to the shock angle meaning you lover the collar 1mm may only be 0.75mm of lowering. So using the MR and knowing the thread pitch of the shock often 1.5 pitch or 1.5mm per turn, you can calculate how many turns of the collar is needed to get the height you want. This saves the hassle of guessing 3 turns then opps need 3 more, opps lets go back 1 turn...ok perfect. So doing the math saves the guessing. So lets say the shocks are 1.5 pitch and you want to lower 1/2" that's less than 8.5 turns because of the MR

 

308 factory shocks are adjustable? That's news to me.

 

Three ways that I'm aware of to lower a 308 (from lowest cost to highest cost):

1) Different (custom) lower spring perches,
2) Different shorter springs (maybe SuperformanceUK has some other spring options available),
3) Change over shocks & springs to type that does have an adjustable lower spring perch.

OP - Do a search in the 308/328 section using "lower spring perch". Those threads (and the threads they reference) should give you a lot of prior discussion.

 

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Brain fade! Been years since I owned and worked a 308 You have this ^

Too bad you need that....


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I did the #1 choice on the front on mine, looks and works great.

 

What is the easiest way to lower the car a few centimeters? … let some air out of the tires!

Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.

 

Get a fat girl friend in the passenger seat

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login I installed some adjustable konis

 

My car now sits at a similar height. I fitted adjustable suspension, it looks great but in the UK it does actually limit where I can go! I have to park 200 yards from my parents house because of the enormous speed bumps.
As a result, every year or two, I fill and repaint the damage. I do this myself, as removing the spoiler, taking it to the bodyshop and the refitting it is really tedious (also handing over £200+ doesn't help!)

 

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You can also send your Koni's to have threaded sleeves installed that make the ride height adjustment possible. Here is a picture of mine after the sleeves were installed. Not an inexpensive option.

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login If you are planning on removing your springs be very careful. I use this spring compressor with great confidence.

 

4right - probably missed a giant thread on this.... I assume the ride height is pretty much reduced from stock by adjusting. Did you keep the same springs or change them at all? I assume It’s just keeping stock under greater tension.


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I thought someone here had a "eureka" moment a few years back and realized the OEM Konis are adjustable if the spring and shock are taken apart. Maybe it was this recent adapter solution mentioned above. At any rate, my OEM 14" wheels looked like this ad before, and now look like the images attached (mind you, swapped out to 16", but the shocks played a big part in closing the gap). It's a totally new OEM-spec suspension, but the Superformance springs instead of the OEMs. Side by side, the springs were about an inch shorter...

 

That's very interesting. When I lowered my car I did ask on this forum if anyone had fitted the Superformance springs but it didn't go very far.
I baulked at them because the cost of having the Koni's rebuilt, plus the cost of 4 new Superformance springs was considerably more than buying 4 new adjustable shocks & springs.
And obviously, the adjustable shocks meant that I could choose how low the car sat - and I could also specify the spring rates.

 

Assuming stock Koni shocks your options for lowering are as follows:

1. Replace the springs for shorter units
2. Replace the lower spring perches for custom units that lower the perch height and therefore lower the car. Perches like this are not commercially available and need to be made from scratch. It is also important to note the different motion ratios between the front and rear suspension to ensure an even ride height (the perches are not the same front and rear!)

The stock shocks are adjustable for dampening force but this does NOT control the ride height.

Outside of using totally stock shocks your options are:

1. Have the Koni shocks custom threaded to accept adjustable perches (as photographed above)
2. Replace the entire shock spring unit for an aftermarket part where you can control the perch height and spring length. Note that in many instances changing the shocks also require modifying the suspension arms to clear the new spring/shock assemblies.

 

Sort of off-topic (or maybe not) - but there looks to be some really odd camber on that rear wheel:

 

I think it's just distortion from the iphone camera angle. I was trying to fit the whole car in the frame and had an air compressor behind me, so couldn't back up too far. I see what you're saying, but in person it looks normal.

 

Here's the link for Superformance springs: http://www.superformance.co.uk/308/suspension_308.html

As I recall, I was being quoted outrageous numbers for new OEM springs, like $300-400ea, and these "uprated" springs were $100ea. Superformance doesn't explicitly detail exactly what makes these "uprated," although other forumers have noted that the springs have slightly higher tensile rating than OEM, but one less coil. In terms of ride quality, there's an unavoidable set of gnarly train tracks near my house, which rattle my Jeep, and the Ferrari glides smoothly over them. Probably more attributable to the new Konis and rubber bushings, but the "uprated" springs definitely don't cause a harsher ride. To my eye, the car now has the perfect stance - neither too slammed nor too floating above the tires.

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Agreed...news to me that the OEM shocks are adjustable. I went with Koni Coilovers to get the ride height I wanted.

 

You can only adjust the rebound setting on a Stock Koni.

 

I just installed Nick's coilovers. They can be ordered 1" shorter than normal, are adjustable for ride height and damping in both directions.

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login This is what I have for years now and still have not install it yet. VariShock Coil over with Eibach springs 350 lbs front and 300 lbs rear, oh and Verell’s Paper weight complete with bushings, this should be perfect for street performance as I don’t trac my car anyway.