I ordered the Hotchkis springs and my local speed shop says my shocks will be gone in 3k miles at the most and I am wasting my time. I don't auto cross or track my car plus there are no aftermarket shocks available I tell him. He frowned and said not to get mad and come back when they go. I have searched and read guys with these springs have 20xxx plus miles with no problem. Is he over reacting or am I going to have issues .

 

He's probably wondering why you're installing springs when it's not for the purpose of improving the handling for future racing events...that's what I would be wondering if I was the installer.

But really, I've never heard of that BS about your shocks going bad in 3k miles. Tons of people on here have springs for no reason other than looks, but you don't see them coming back a few months later talking about blown shocks. You also don't hear that from those who race, although I'm guessing most hard-core racers go straight to coilovers instead of lowering springs, but still...

 

try another shop

 

Diy

 

yea just a spring compressor from your local shop and diy, there is even a hot-to on this in the installation section of this forum...

 

ive had tein stech on my 04 for over a year and not a problem, and the tein actually sits a little lower in the front so you have nothing to worry about. If you were in Atlanta I would put the springs on for $75.

 

I have nearly 70,000 miles on my Esplier springs on my S2000...still running the original 2001 OEM shocks.

 

This is one of those old wives tales. Sure, years ago and even today on some cars if you go to low you stick the shock into a constant position a little lower than it was designed to operate in = bouncy ride, worse handling and dangerous to boot.

But the Evo has quite a bit of travel and decent factory shocks and if you drop 1" you should be good to go after an alignment, thats all. You will not kill the shocks in 3k, not even 10k. Will they wear faster? Yes, I would guess so. Will you kill them in a year or two? Not unless your driving 20k per year.

Those selling coil over kits will tell you otherwise. But if you do 99.9% street driving you can get away with the springs optimized for stock shocks, they are out there (Swift, Works etc).

 

Just go somewhere else, he has no idea what he's talking about.

 

I would concur with these guys. The OEM shocks seem fairly stiff and should be able to handle the lowered stance/higher spring rates (if at all).

DIY. can't be that hard. I haven't looked at the rear yet but the front is just a conventional mac strut setup.

 

ive had the hotchkis for about 15k miles, no problems whatsoever.

 

I call BS.

I have the Hotchkis springs on my car and my shocks have held up for >10k miles. It handles great and rides like stock. Boostfed on this board also has this setup with ZERO problems.

You WILL have to get an alignment though, because the front TOE will be messed up and you'll eat up tires in the front.

 

10K plus on hotchks and no problems.. thats retarted.. but honestly your much better off just getting your self a new set of coilovers.. first of all you could easily install them yourself.. so the cost to the get the spring and have them installed is like 350.. when you could buy the ksport coilovers and get and actually greate performance gain for around 700.. then you just need the alignment. Now my buddy was testing out a new prototype coilover for his freind.. cost 700 dollars and he improved his autox times significantly from his old coilovers which were works tuned zeals!.. He now is 4-5 seconds faster then me, when my car is making more power.. hmm, huge difference between those coilovers and my hotchks springs i must say.

plus if you couldnt do this then why does ralliart produce a factory spring that you could have installed when you buy the car in japan?.. under warranty and everything.

 

Tell your installer to quit being a sissy and install them for you. Is he a car counselor or an installer?

 

He is right in a way. If you the springs lower you car too much, you greatly run the risk of bottoming out your stock shocks, which would it turn blow them. You also run the risk of moving the shock out of its efficiency range. This doesn't mean you can lower your car, just not too much, anything 1.5inches lower or more is asking for trouble.