ive read and read and read and read. everybody here says to buy new LCA's and a new panhard bar. is there anyway to just customize your existing LCA's? bought new struts and shocks today. just replacement shocks from oreillys. i planned on just dropping my front end cause it sits much higher than the back does. planned on lowering it about an inch but it could honestly use about 2 inch drop. decided to try and get a 1.5" drop for the front, but that would make the back way to high lol. so i wanna lower my rear end to, but i dont wanna have to spend a crap load of money on a car thats not the next SEMA winner. i drive this car like twice a week tops, so its not like the ride really matters to much, but i really hate the way it sits. i wanna drop it all around but wanna keep my LCA's. ill get a rear panhard bar since i cant just make one (prolly could make one but it'd be easier to buy one) so anybody just use their LCA's? if so how exactly did you do it. oh and yeah i know i need an adjustable torque arm as well. anyway i could rig that sucker to work as well?

 

I bought new LCA's, panhard bar and what not....but did not buy adjustable ones, so they are the same length as stock, and my car is lowered 2" all way around And i have no problems what so ever...you should be fine with stock ones....people say it will knock out the alignment of rear axel, but only by a smidge....not enough to affect anything IMO....you alignment shifts more when you hit a corner than dropping car...that's just my opinion...keep all stock stuff and lower the car!! good luck.

 

My car was within 1/4 of center with a stock length panhard bar, after the drop. I'd guess to say it was off factory.

Don't worry about the control arms, just get the relocate brackets. That way the geometry stays correct and you don't suffer wheel hop and ride quality issues.

 

thanks guys thats good news. itll be lowered in a couple days im excited ha.

 

No NEED to buy anything new.

I never did on my previous RSs. Just cut the springs & reused the same struts/shocks/LCA/a-arms/Panhard Bar, etc.

First issue that will come up though, is the rearend being off center. An adjustable panhard bar will solve the off center problem.

But it sounds like your rear springs have given up & compressed some. I'd recommend buying all new springs. Either lowering springs or stock ones (then cut those, if desired. Or go all out & get Weight Jack springs.

 

lol if i was gonna go ALL OUT id get an air ride setup but dont think i can get a loan at the moment haha.

well believe it or not i DID think for a long time about replacing my springs, and id really like to go with something new, but for right now the most i would eb able to go is some used springs. but my new shocks and struts will help a WHOLE lot. i could go outside grab the front fender of my car pull it up and then push down once and it would go up and down prolly 5 times before it finally came to a rest. rear was the same way.

someday very soon ill be getting a new(ish) set of springs, but for right now i think im gonna have to use these ones. even if i get new springs next week, i can still use these springs as some what of a practice set. ill prolly swap the springs the same time i swap in a posi rear, bout that time ill also replace all my bushings, and maybe get a couple new red components

 

Bare in mind, that if you use either off the shelf lowering springs or cut stock springs and the stock replacement shocks, the ride and handling of the car will suffer in short order as the springs will wear out the shocks must faster. My prokit destroyed the fairly new Monroes in about 6-8 months.
You don't have to replace the LCAs, but it's a good idea to. It was sometime between the installment of the ProKit and the new LCAs on my car, but you could notice a difference in handling. The most important parts to replace/install would be a adjustable PHB and LCARBs (lower control arm relocation brackets). These brackets correct the suspension geometry that's altered when the car is lowered. You can just replace the stock bushings in the LCAs if you want to while your under there. You can make your own PHB in similar fashion as I did my LCAs (click my signature picture and go to page 2 to see what I mean).

 

I agree the LCA relocation brackets is what you need when lowering.

 

alright so ill prolly go ahead and make my own LCARB's, but how much do i change them. how will i know when my rear end is right again? ill be dropping it about 1.5"-1.75"

 

You want the LCA to rest parrallel with the ground when the car is sitting flat and level.

 

also agree with above...drop brackets help..and fairly cheap......but it sounds like your shocks/struts are gone....you car should only bounce once or not at all when you push on it ...not bounce five times...that's very bad....and the front springs are easily modified....pretty much you cut one coil off the spring and re-install it....you can do this because the spring is the same spring rate all the way up from bottom to top (coils are all same distance apart)......just some more ideas for ya

 

Hello
Lower Control Arm Relocation Brackets will eliminate your wheel hop and allow your lower control to be more parallel with the ground allow you to have better traction but another piece of advise a adjustable pan-hard bar to allow you to re-center the rear when the vehicle is lowered. If you have any other questions feel free to ask and I will be glad to help! Below is a few links to show you what we have to offer!

http://umiperformance.com/2012

http://umiperformance.com/2021
Thanks
Brad

 

I highly recommend these guys....very very good products!!!

 

hey 91 intercepter, thanks for the info about how to make it straight again, and about the shocks and struts, they ARE VERY bad, thats why i have brand new ones sitting in the back seat

UMI sales, im DEFFF going with your product as soon as i do my entire suspension. as for now, im oing things as cheap as possible, and yet having a great ride.

the panhard bar, i know some people have fabricated their own, would it be as easy as taking mine off, and making it the exact same shape and demensions, but make it adjustable? i have access to a lot of materials that would be needed to do it, so it would be very cheap, if not free. ill fabricate something for free and save 120 dollars any day lol.

 

Forgot Something

oh and by the way, how long will this take to settle? obviously i cant fix my LCA's RIGHT after i cut the springs, it may drop another 1/2 after it settles. thinking i could just leave it in the garage for about a week before i go ahead and fix the LCA's?

 

Remember...LCAs are simply short versions of a Panhard Bar.....And a Panhard Bar is a long LCA.

If you can make 1 at home, you can build all 3.

 

excelent i see a new suspension set up coming my way '

btw thanks again for those blueprints of the LCARB's, it helped a LOT. appreciated!!