Suspension lowering...?

[Briomir]

Hi there, I was just wondering whether anyone can help me with this problem... (Well of course you can, but I thought I'd ask anyway.) My Mazda 2 has just been fitted with 17" alloys, but they used to have 15" steels and now the car feels slightly higher than before? I want to lower the suspension to a sensible height but I'm not sure how low to go with the wheels changed and all.. Is 30mm a good height? Or is that only for 15" wheels...? Please help!

~BRio

 

[Massive]

maybe 20mm might be better due to the wheel increase, best talking to your local garage to be honest about the lowest you can go without rubbing

 

[obi_waynne]

How much of a gap is there between the top of the tyre and the front/rear wheel arches?

 

[Prince]

What profile tires do you have?

 

[Briomir]

Hiya, thanks for the replies, but I haven't yet had time to go measure the info you's requested... But I'll do that as soon as possible.. Oh and a quick fire question, when we say 30mm, 20mm etc etc, what does the (x)mm actually measure?

~BRio

 

[obi_waynne]

It is the drop from the standard setting. The gap between the sill and road will typically be this much lower.

You need to factor in that your existing suspension is saggy and has probably already dropped 10 or 20mm.

 

[Prince]

Not forgetting that new suspension drops after being fitted as the new springs take some time to bed in. My Coupe dropped by another 10mm after my coilovers were fitted.

 

[Cen]

What a lot of guys don't realise when lowering cars is the problems arising from speed humps and the like with rubbing exhausts along with other problems. Obiously improves handling but as drawbacks

 

[pgarner]

it depends on how low you go, with most speed bumps youll get wy with a mild drop.
i cant lower mine as i struggle with the bumps at work already

 

[stamford]

One question, you have gone from 15" to 17", what size tyres were they and what are they now? My concern would be more to do with rolling circumference and an incorrect reading speedo.

When lowering take into account the change in suspension geometry as a change in tracking maybe required so as not to wear the tyres prematurely. Rubbing on full lock on arches and arch liners is another thing to watch now you have changed wheel dimensions, do you know what the ET was and is?