Question Regarding Lowering Springs...

"JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!" (jqj213) 07/20/2015 at 15:47 • Filed to: c30, volvo, advice, lowering, springs

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I want to slightly lower my car. Just enough to fill the wheel wells. But it still has to be a great daily driver. I want to not have to think twice about the route I take or go in a panic over speed bumps. Volvo sells an OEM 0.8” lowering spring kit, but will it be noticeable? Because that really doesn’t sound like much and I cannot find anything about it on Google. It’s nice since nothing gets voided and the original shocks will still work with it. And in all honestly, I can get them for less than $350 for the whole car. Do you think it will make a difference? Thanks!

Patrick Nichols > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 07/20/2015 at 15:52

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I wish my 2 door golf was a C30*

*My old S80 and my wallet assure me that I made the right decision though.

EL_ULY > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 07/20/2015 at 15:54

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cars at normal ride height come in all the time for oil pans lol (C70, S40, C30). If you do lower it the 0.8 or lower, be extra careful sir. Your car does NOT have an oil level sensor. About $470 for a replacement pan plus seals and labor

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > EL_ULY 07/20/2015 at 15:56

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I have to say Im shocked that there is no oil sensor!

I have to take it in next week for my 45K mile service and was confused as to why the car didn’t warn me about anything!

Also, that is kinda worrying...hopefully the OEM Volvo ones will work for me then!

EL_ULY > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 07/20/2015 at 15:57

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you’ll get a maintenance message eventually.

youshiftem > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 07/20/2015 at 15:59

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Every time I see a lowered car I think about the engineers who worked thousands of hours who designed every piece to work perfectly together all for someone to come and pay extra to ruin one of those pieces.

That being said, every single one of my cars suspensions have been changed in some way (cars lower and trucks higher) and they are better for it. I say absolutely yes it will make a difference and you should do it, if I don’t want to affect comfort levels in the car I always stay around 1” of difference. Just know that you car was probably designed with the best balance in mind and changing it will have it up sides and down sides.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > youshiftem 07/20/2015 at 16:01

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Thats one of the main reasons I feel more confident in the Volvo kit... I believe its basically the ones they use in the R Design Trim just without that price increase.

Volvo claims it’ll also handle a bit sharper but again, .8” sounds like nothing so I really don’t know. I just want to eliminate some wheel well gap and make her look pretty!

LongbowMkII > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 07/20/2015 at 16:10

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.8” is noticable

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > LongbowMkII 07/20/2015 at 16:10

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You get where im coming from though? My brain struggles to comprehend that measurement!

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > EL_ULY 07/20/2015 at 16:12

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Among the warnings in my book on Rover V8s: a mention that the Range Rover oil pan is the deepest stock one and best for racing, but due to the drain plug design and side of the pan it’s on, that a sports car running one risks unscrewing the plug when it bottoms out...

Ike > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 07/20/2015 at 16:13

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Lowering springs are the r design springs, really tough, really painful over bumps. I loved them but wife didn’t like the ride quality

Cé hé sin > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 07/20/2015 at 16:14

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It began as (presumably) 20mm but no, I wouldn’t notice either.

HammerheadFistpunch > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 07/20/2015 at 16:16

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.8 is 20 mm, my lift is 50 and I can tell you that is a lot more than it sounds. 20 sounds perfect for your goals

lone_liberal > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 07/20/2015 at 16:17

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I think if you take a measuring tape to it and get a good look at where .8” will put the fender in relation to the tire that you’ll be fine with it. Wondering if you could have gone lower is better than the constant scraping sound of going too low.

Textured Soy Protein > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 07/20/2015 at 16:21

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It’s like an inch, but a little less.

Brain feel better now?

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > youshiftem 07/20/2015 at 16:28

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“Work perfectly together” and “match a set of compromises perfectly” are sometimes not an equal set. When I think about several ways that Falcon/Mustang suspensions are deliberately “wrong”, something I’ve bothered to look into, I cringe to think how many systems out there I don’t know anything about are committing some unseen atrocity.

GTI Sprinks > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 07/20/2015 at 16:38

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VW does something similar in their “driver gear springs” which are just repainted eibach spring kits. And typically these are just eurospec anyways.

d15b > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 07/20/2015 at 16:46

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If you’re going to be upgrading something and want to do so in the most adult-like fashion, you might want to stick with that OEM kit.

DasWauto > GTI Sprinks 07/20/2015 at 17:18

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I wouldn’t say they’re repainted Eibach kits, rather a set of springs made for VW (their specs) by Eibach. Fairly common in aftermarket parts apparently, I read recently VWR springs are made by H&R.

I’ve got the DG springs on my Golf and I’m pleased with the handling changes.

DasWauto > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 07/20/2015 at 17:34

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You’ll notice. I went with the OEM sport spring kit for my car which lowered it 1-1.2” or so and I quite like the changes. It’s subtle appearance wise and not too low so that I can still use it in winter (this is important because Canada). Handling is improved; it rolls a bit less in the corners and rides a bit firmer. Most noticeable is the reduction in dive under braking and front end lift when accelerating. The car was a bit too squishy for my taste to begin with so these are all good things in my book.

Before: (sorry, don’t have a better before picture)

After: (bigger wheels too, which makes a difference for the appearance but the tire outside diameter is the same)

Your car already has less wheel gap than mine did so I think 0.8” will fill it out decently without getting too far away from the stock dynamics.

Oh, and if you’re handy, do the installation yourself. I was quoted about $600 for the install and spent probably $150 on tools (love buying tools anyway so who cares) to do it myself. Took me and my brother an afternoon.

I own dead car brands only > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 07/20/2015 at 17:56

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.8” is noticeable. Think of this way. Would you notice your dick being .8” longer? Or shorter?

Yes.

youshiftem > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 07/20/2015 at 17:59

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Yup.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 07/20/2015 at 18:11

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To me, “I want to slightly lower my car.” = “I want to slightly ruin my car.”

It will probably make a difference in that the car will ride more firmly and it will likely be worth less.

If it’s a great daily driver in stock form, then leave it alone. There are times when customizing makes sense. For example... Fox-body Mustangs. Upgrading the brakes and suspension were definitely worthwhile on those. But that’s because the stock brakes and stock suspension sucked.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 07/20/2015 at 18:12

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Do what i did when hunting for springs...go out and measure and inch or whatever amount is and picture the car in your head.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > DasWauto 07/20/2015 at 20:46

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You sir are a God for posting this!

I like using the Golf a lot for my comparisons!

From the looks of it, you did sit higher at first, so after your slightly larger lowering, we would be near equal. I LOVE how filled out the wheel wells look. And Im glad that you can still handle winter and daily driving.

And I see you used OEM parts without issues. I’m looking into some 18s to replace the 17s down the road (I have new tires so I want to use them first!)

Thanks again!

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Ike 07/20/2015 at 20:47

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Hmm...it firms it up that much?
But I do love how that looks with the wells full!

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 07/20/2015 at 20:48

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But these springs are what they use on the R Design trim level..so its not like im doing something Volvo has never seen or dealt with before. The fact that Volvo even offers it means that it must work well for their applications.

DasWauto > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 07/20/2015 at 21:26

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No problem, glad to help. I think appearance wise this option is what youre looking for but just check into how you can expect the car to ride with the specific setup your going for - untitled cars how’s comment would make me a little weary on those specific springs. If possible, maybe find an R-design on regular C30 with those springs to take a ride in so you know what you’re in for.

GTI Sprinks > DasWauto 07/21/2015 at 09:21

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Meh, semantics.

For all intents and purposes, DG Springs are equivalent to the Eibach pro kits. Manufactured by Eibach, sprayed a different color, distributed by VW and retains VW warrenty. They’re repainted eibach kits.

As for Racingline (aka VWR), that may be so.

wiffleballtony > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 07/21/2015 at 19:50

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I wouldn’t bother on a DD but that’s just me.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > wiffleballtony 07/21/2015 at 19:59

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Well these springs are what they use on the R-Design model. It’s not like im going to be slamming it and making it a useless daily.

sellphones2493 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 07/23/2015 at 00:35

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Here’s what .8 inches does:

Before:

After:

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > sellphones2493 07/23/2015 at 00:47

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I love how that looks!

I need to try and find some Pegasus wheels as well!

How much did it affect your ride?

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > sellphones2493 07/23/2015 at 10:55

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Oh and also, is that an OEM kit? Or some aftermarket company?

Sorry for all the questions

sellphones2493 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 07/23/2015 at 19:51

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Thanks! I really had no intentions of lowering the thing, but my rear coils were completely f***ed and actually became a safety hazard. I found these ones on eBay used (the guy did like 1000 miles on them then decided they were too low) for $225 for the entire set. That’s less than a single stock coil.

Not much difference in ride but much more responsive - then again, I also got a ton more mods added at the same time (FMIC, struts, downpipe, engine mounts, custom tune, etc), so i can’t say that this directly contributed to that.

It’s an eibach kit. When it comes to R’s, this is the least expensive option. I’ll eventually get the KW Adjustable once I can afford it ($2,300 in parts, alone).

This goes to show how f’ed my rear suspension was before I replace it.