I just installd a set of GTWORX springs on my 2011 MR. The springs are great, but the drop is pretty low. Initially I was going to go with Swift Sport Springs, but why install springs that are prety much softer then stock. Performance wise I have everything I want, but I live in Colorado and come winter time I have some concerns about the drop.

I come from the Subaru space, and I have utilized spring spacers in the past that sit on top of the tophat to offset a low drop. Curious if anyone has used these on an X. With a 1/4" or 1/2" spacer I don't think I would cause any performance issues.

Wanted to get your thoughts..........

 

GTWORX low? I find that odd as they are a very mild drop. Do you have pic?
I have never heard of anyone using spacers, but I supose it would be ok.

 

There is roughly a 1" gap in front and and 0.75" in rear. I know people's preferences can be different, but I don't like the slammed look, especially since I am on stock wheels right now (soon I will be on Advan RG2 18x9 +22) that will help. From a Colorado perspective and driving in the mountains I would still like it to sit a little higher.

I know Miles and team claim a 1.2" drop, but after going from monster truck to this, it seems like more to me. From reading around, seems like others feel the same.

I don't think the spacers will impact performance, as long as I don't mess with the geometry.

 

Can I be blunt? Getting lowering springs and then spacing them back up makes no sense at all to me. If all you wanted was a higher spring-rate, there are much better ways to achieve this. And while spacers (obviously) don't change the suspension geometry, they can cause the spring to exert a side-force when the suspension cycles. That will cause stiction and also (over time) damage the shock. I see no upsides to this plan other than price.

 

I am fine with blunt! I appreciate the insight. I agree with you in some aspects, except I'm not saying I want to go back to stock right height, I’m talking about adding 1/4" to 1/2" as most. That is still taking my high from like a 3" gap to a 1.5" gap. However, I don't want to cause the issues you note above. I guess I should have gone with the Swift Sports, but once again, I wanted to improve performance, not just looks. Swifts are worthless when it comes to that improvement. Come mid Feb in Colorado mountains with heavy snow I’ll be plowing. I’ve used coilovers on cars enough to know that come winter, it gets unbearably horrible IMO.

I do find it interesting that RCE's spring for the STI didn't drop the car at all and that was what they identified as best performance wise. RCE's spring for EVO X has a more significant drop. I am not questioning what they have done, because obviously they build great springs, it’s just interesting that two cars in the same category, have such different needs.

 

Here is the most-likely explanation. A lowered Evo X still has a pretty flat bump-steer curve, so lowering doesn't cause much grief. But a lowered STi, partly because the steering rack is in front, not behind, has awful bump-steer once lowered. So you just don't lower the thing unless you're ready to really get involved in the suspension.

Now, I'm quite sure that lots of companies would be happy to sell you lowering springs for an STi without any bits and pieces to fix the bump-steer. But good companies will not. And that's probably what you come across with RCE.

 

Good point. Agreed, that's why I like the RCE guys, they don't do anything that is going to impact the performance of the car.

 

I still have an RCK to install. Can't imagine it would, but does this tend to adjust ride height in the front at all?

 

Not at all. The part that goes on the lower LCA only alters the roll center's height and the part that goes on the steering arms only puts the bump-steer curve back to being near-flat.