I'd have to say that going 225/35/zr18 probably would have solved my problems, but the unfortinuate fact of the matter is that 225/40 = $500, 225/35 = $1000

i'm sure that i can come up with another solution for under $500...

anyways, i took another look, and it looks like the the springs come down to right above the tire and only stick out over it a tiny bit (hence the fact it only rubs on tight turns.... usually right). i'm going back into les schwab today for the 100 mile checkup thing anyway, so i may as well ask their advice on it.

thanks for the replies tho!

 

the 35 will not rub unless u got the wrong uhhh what is it....offset?

 

actually, i have a 40 series sidewall, not a 35. i was saying that's what i should have gone with (and probably would have) had it not been so expensive.

i took another look since it's brighter during the day (no, really???), and i don't really see how my tire could be rubbing my spring. phew...
not sure why it sounds so metallic, but it is in fact the tire rubbing the mudflap. i'm gonna grind it down later because it's starting to peel the very outer layer of my tire off, and that's pissing me off! (no real damage.. just cosmetic)

here's a shot of the tire next to the spring. notice how it's RIGHT BELOW IT

 

as for the dropping, i've taken a look around for springs and how far they drop. here's what i came up with...

eibach pro kit: 1" front, .8" rear
h&r springs: 1.4" front, 1.3" rear
progress (oz): 1.5" front & rear
tien s.tech: 1.8" front, 1.1" rear
tien h.tech: 1.2" front, .5" rear

seems like i'll need the oz front suspension.

i've decided to stay away from all mirage springs and any coilovers that aren't a full suspension setup (like the tiens). I also tried to stay away from any no-name brands. I took a couple measurments, and came up with a conclusion: the tien h.tech are my best bet. here are some pictures that i took including calculations:

front: 1.5" - 1.2" = .3" rear: .65" - .5" = .15"
.3-.15 = .15 (a very small number). the drop difference for front and back would be hardly noticable. the only thing i'd need to do to keep my car from looking so high would be to get a body kit. nice thing will be that i won't have to worry about running into a speed bump and ripping my fb off at this height =).

 

wow with those rims, you already look like you have a drop..

 

Ken looks great, congrats brotha, guess what im still waiting on?

 

woops, kinda made a mistake, and thot this thread was forgotten anyway . i wasn't exactly on level ground (and didn't even seem to notice) when i was taking measurments. i took some more last night (as i ground away on the inside of my wheel well... then it it with a hammer), and it looks like i have about a 2 inch gap in the front, and a 1.8 inch gap in the rear. i called h&r up today about some springs, and they said to check back in 6-8 weeks... still under development. just as well i guess, not like i have the money to spend right now anyway
but yea, the es h&r will most likely drop like the oz ones, so a 1.4 in the front and a 1.3 in the rear will be just about right imo.

hmm.. if i gotta guess, i'm gonna say ur header. sorry about the wait dood, i feel for ya. if it makes u feel any better, you probably won't notice much on the performance side unless u have already done a catback and a high flow cat / test pipe. it is a bit louder and it does increase throttle response a bit tho!