Ebay and parts
#1
12-05-2005, 07:58 PM
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location:
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ebay and parts
Just a couple of questions.
Is the only reason not to buy the lowering kits on Ebay the fact that their hard to install and ride rough or are they just crap. I'm on a budjet, but dont want junk. I want to lower it about 2 inches.
What about the stainless headers on there???
Does anyone have the backlit gauges with the white face?? Go or no go
Thanks guys for all the help
Is the only reason not to buy the lowering kits on Ebay the fact that their hard to install and ride rough or are they just crap. I'm on a budjet, but dont want junk. I want to lower it about 2 inches.
What about the stainless headers on there???
Does anyone have the backlit gauges with the white face?? Go or no go
Thanks guys for all the help
#2
12-06-2005, 08:29 AM
Record Breaker
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location:
Posts: 1,205
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Ebay and parts
Are you talking about the coilover sleeves? Even though they say that no other modification is required, they've obviously never tried installing them on a Neon. If you put them on stock struts, the lowest you will get is a 1-2" lift... no lowering. If you want to keep your stock struts, you have to take a Dremel and cut off the spring perch (keep in mind this is a pressurized gas cylinder...). Then you'd have to get a length of exhaust tubing and an exhaust clamp to make your own new spring perch for the coilover sleeve to sit on. Once that's all done, you'll get to enjoy the lower ride for a couple of months before the struts blow. The spring rates are very high, and the valving on the stock struts can't handle it. Plus the struts were designed to operate over a certain range of travel, and lowering the car that much will tend to bottom out the struts which also shortens their lifespan significantly. In addition to being a "harsh ride", it will be a bouncy ride, even more so after your struts are shot.
Auto parts stores usually carry "spring helpers", which are nothing more than clamps that you use to either push two adjacent coils further apart, or pull two coils closer together. They run $10-15 for a set of 4 (2 per spring, so you'll need 2 sets). You can clamp two coils together and get a pretty decent drop out of it. you'll need to rent a spring compressor to do it though (free at Autozone), and you'll probably want to remove the spring from the strut, although it's not entirely necessary. But it's a tight fit in there, I think at least removing the strut/spring assemblies from the car is really the only way. Even then, you've lowered the car, which means more bottoming out... shorter life...
There really is no cheap way to lower the car reliably on the stock struts. The cheapest reliable way would be to go with a set of Koni's (MUCH stiffer valving) and a good lowering spring, preferably Mopar High Rates (1.5" drop or so), but you can use H&R Race springs (1.5" drop or so) or even the Eibach Pro's (ditto). I wouldn't go with the Eibach Sports (2"+ drop) on Koni's though, you'll bottom out even the Koni's... A Koni/Mopar combo will run you $800 or so new. I've seen used parts go for a lot less on ebay or other forum classifieds though, but it's rare...
For $950, you can get a complete coilover setup (struts and springs). They are height adjustable, camber adjustable, and compression rebound adjustable. Even if you aren't going to be competing (show or go), they're probably the best way to go all around. The ride is definitely going to be tiffer, but that's the price you pay for lowering a car that only has less than 3" of suspension travel to begin with... www.phantomhp.com is where I've seen the lowest prices.
Most of the headers on ebay are more for just the sake of having a header. Yeah, they'll improve performance some, but they aren't top notch. They do tend to be 50-state legal though (doesn't move/remove the cat) which is a plus for most folks.
I've had 2 sets of the indiglo-type guage faces. First one died out completely after a few months. Just got tired of the second one (sticking needles)... You do have to remove (and hence replace) the needles to get them on, which can be a pain. And if you don't use rubber cement or something around the holes, they'll lift up a bit and make the needles stick at the most inoportune times... They do look nice though. If I wasn't going to a complete standalone set of guages, I'd probably get another unit.
Best of luck!
Auto parts stores usually carry "spring helpers", which are nothing more than clamps that you use to either push two adjacent coils further apart, or pull two coils closer together. They run $10-15 for a set of 4 (2 per spring, so you'll need 2 sets). You can clamp two coils together and get a pretty decent drop out of it. you'll need to rent a spring compressor to do it though (free at Autozone), and you'll probably want to remove the spring from the strut, although it's not entirely necessary. But it's a tight fit in there, I think at least removing the strut/spring assemblies from the car is really the only way. Even then, you've lowered the car, which means more bottoming out... shorter life...
There really is no cheap way to lower the car reliably on the stock struts. The cheapest reliable way would be to go with a set of Koni's (MUCH stiffer valving) and a good lowering spring, preferably Mopar High Rates (1.5" drop or so), but you can use H&R Race springs (1.5" drop or so) or even the Eibach Pro's (ditto). I wouldn't go with the Eibach Sports (2"+ drop) on Koni's though, you'll bottom out even the Koni's... A Koni/Mopar combo will run you $800 or so new. I've seen used parts go for a lot less on ebay or other forum classifieds though, but it's rare...
For $950, you can get a complete coilover setup (struts and springs). They are height adjustable, camber adjustable, and compression rebound adjustable. Even if you aren't going to be competing (show or go), they're probably the best way to go all around. The ride is definitely going to be tiffer, but that's the price you pay for lowering a car that only has less than 3" of suspension travel to begin with... www.phantomhp.com is where I've seen the lowest prices.
Most of the headers on ebay are more for just the sake of having a header. Yeah, they'll improve performance some, but they aren't top notch. They do tend to be 50-state legal though (doesn't move/remove the cat) which is a plus for most folks.
I've had 2 sets of the indiglo-type guage faces. First one died out completely after a few months. Just got tired of the second one (sticking needles)... You do have to remove (and hence replace) the needles to get them on, which can be a pain. And if you don't use rubber cement or something around the holes, they'll lift up a bit and make the needles stick at the most inoportune times... They do look nice though. If I wasn't going to a complete standalone set of guages, I'd probably get another unit.
Best of luck!
#3
12-09-2005, 04:39 PM
#4
12-12-2005, 12:46 AM
