with my car i was told i could use coilovers to lower it and be fine but others tell me to use springs HELP!! which should i use for my 00 neon for the better ride??

 

If your looking at real coilovers (meaning they cost $800-$1,000+ new) no one in their right mind would tell you to buy springs instead, coilovers are the best...if your on a budget though get a nice strut/spring combo like Tokico HP Blue struts and Eibach Pro-Kit springs. Do not get fooled by those "coilovers" they sell on Ebay that are just sleeved lowering springs...

 

yeah the ebay coilovers are junk.....
real coilovers will give you a rough ride, but your ride is gonna be a little rough no matter how you lower it

 

Hey, if you have the money I would go with a full coilovers setup just getting sleeves is a waste of time and money. I just got some from IPP they are height adjustable of about -6 inches or so to stock height, 34 levels of dampening and you can adjust camber and spring preload without damaging the strut, they are about 1200 new but well worth the money.

http://www.imageperformance.biz/

 

I would only recommend a full coilover setup if you are a big buff on your suspension. Not only are true coilover expensive... but a PAIN to properly set up. You need LOTS of time, and places to tune them at (like auto-x events). For the everyday driver I would stick with the good ol' strut and shock combos. You wont need coil overs unless your doing road courses or auto-cross. Even drag racers don't need coilovers (just stiff shocks and struts is all you need).

P.S. I dont mean to come off as rude or anything... just trying to save you from spending more money then you need. Coilovers are designed to except TONS of variations for road racing and auto-cross. There are so many strut/shock options, the everyday driver/moderate drag racer need not worry over coilovers. You really need a place to work on coilovers, where shocks and struts are fairly simple and don't require as much "experimenting" to get the suspension right.

There are tons of choices for shocks/struts... and if you TRUELY need coilovers they are a wise investment.

 

mopar springs or goldline are the best lowering springs for the money!

 

I really like my Vogtland Sport Springs on my 2004 Neon

Here the Rates:
Front:
progressive
Initial: 25 N/mm = 143 lbf/in
Final: 45 N/mm = 257 lbf/in

Rear:
progressive
Initial: 16 N/mm = 91 lbf/in
Final: 24 N/mm = 137 lbf/in

That is only 51% higher than a SRT4 in front and 14% higher out back. Some rate increase is needed just to prevent bottoming out which it does less now than stock. Ride can be a bit rough especially on asphalt roads which are sinking due to settling underneath, but that is due to the fact the car hugs the road no matter were it is going. On the highway not bad 95+% of the time almost stock like.

Would probably listen to the others and spring for TOKICO HP Blues instead of KYB as they are supposed to be stiffer and last longer. Over 8K miles and counting, so far so good.

 

why do i need to get struts if i only want to lower my neon? dont i just need a shorter spring?

 

The Tokico HP blues will hold up to the drop better than stock stuff especially at their age. I try not to do things twice.