eibach sportline lowering kit...

[TrueBlue03]

I do always...but i live in a really hilly area with angled and steep driveways and stuff. Scrape my chin spoiler at least twice a day ....and bottom out on a lot of speedbumps (especially if there are more than 2 people in the car) and my rear sway bar clunks on my catback after lowering.... but the look and stance is worth all the scraping.

 

[deftsound]

i like my frpp springs

 

[02GTRX]

roush springs lowered the rear about 1.6 - 1.8" i'd say. (i do have a heavy sub and box in the back tho) Almost as low as the sportlines SHOULD sit. they worked well, but they dont seem as stiff as sportlines. and they are still pretty low... if i could do it again, i'd get steeda sports in back to not lower it as much.


Here is a pic with the roush springs in.

Damn thats a nice gt! What size tires do you have in the rear? any rubbing issues?

""Yup, had 2 girls sit in my backseat yesterday and went over a bump or two and now i have some tire shredding in the back. Nothing thats major or dangerous, but definitely noticeable. This is crap, lets do somethin about it''

What can be done about it? I'd say first we should start a separate thread to find out how many people on here have had this problem with no compensation from eibach, then go from there.

 

[TrunkFunk]

Venturing out of 5.0 threads ...

Look closely at the wimpy rear rates of the Sportline Springs (140-295) ...
... of course they are going to sag.
Sportlines are only great in a Fox body, more specifically a notch.

H&R SS is what you need for a 2" drop on heavier steeds (99-04).
The healthy spring rates will ride 'sporty' as well.

 

[TrueBlue03]

Damn thats a nice gt! What size tires do you have in the rear? any rubbing issues?

295/35/18 BFG KD's in the rear

Yea i had huge rubbing issues with the fenders when i had the sportlines in. And the saleen replicas sit out really far in back due to their offset. I ended up losing one of my rear tires due to rubbing and shredding.

Currently, I do not have any rubbing issues at all because i put the roush springs in the rear and rolled the fenders....i think rolling the fenders is the only thing keeping them from still rubbing.

 

[02GTRX]

What did you roll them up with? That what I want to do but Im afraid it'll bend up another part of the fender

 

[trailblazr81]

I guess back in the day people used aluminum bat's.

 

[tomustang]

Look closely at the wimpy rear rates of the Sportline Springs (140-295) ...
... of course they are going to sag.
Sportlines are only great in a Fox body, more specifically a notch.

H&R SS is what you need for a 2" drop on heavier steeds (99-04).
The healthy spring rates will ride 'sporty' as well.

not all sportlines sag, it's due to low quality manufacturing

 

[TrueBlue03]

What did you roll them up with? That what I want to do but Im afraid it'll bend up another part of the fender

man i jacked up my car, popped the back wheels off and went at the fenders with a gigantic metal hammer and a huge pair of pliers. LOL!!!!

seriously tho....i thought it would bend the upper part of the fenders, but it didnt! I smashed up that lip with a small sledge hammer like like mallet and then use long handled pliers to bend up the edges....

Beware of the sharp edges tho. Slipped with the pliers and sliced my finger open on the jagged inside of the fender....cut down all the way to the bone and wouldnt stop bleeding for a loooong while. I shoulda got stiches, but oh well, it worked. I dont really recommend it to others cuz it chipped the pain on the inside of the fenders....but nothing visible at all on the outside.

 

[reeber]

I am more than happy with my eibach Pro-kit... Springs are still progressive rate which gives the car a great ride and with my long tubes, there is still enough clearance for "small" speed bumps... I don't think I could lower the car any more without having bottoming-out issues...

 

[TrunkFunk]

not all sportlines sag, it's due to low quality manufacturing

Eibach's manufacturing quality isn't low.
It's the spring rates and the weight you are placing upon them.

140lb/in makes a progressive spring soft on the first few coils.
Ad weight to these and their memory is going to go over a quicker period of time compared to a higher rate spring.

It's not poor manufacturing quality, it's poor salesmanship and poor choice of spring for the car.

 

[tomustang]

Eibach's manufacturing quality isn't low.
It's the spring rates and the weight you are placing upon them.

140lb/in makes a progressive spring soft on the first few coils.
Ad weight to these and their memory is going to go over a quicker period of time compared to a higher rate spring.

It's not poor manufacturing quality, it's poor salesmanship and poor choice of spring for the car.

I've had sportlines on 2 cars for over 4 years, no sagging. there goes that theroy, now poorer manufacturing where they aren't making them with full progressive lb rating they're suppose to be rated at will cause it

 

[trailblazr81]

Eibach's manufacturing quality isn't low.
It's the spring rates and the weight you are placing upon them.

140lb/in makes a progressive spring soft on the first few coils.
Ad weight to these and their memory is going to go over a quicker period of time compared to a higher rate spring.

It's not poor manufacturing quality, it's poor salesmanship and poor choice of spring for the car.

Then why dont cars with softer ride and low spring rates sag within a year? Ive had cars with low spring rates that would stay at "stock" height for years. And even if this were true why would Eibach list on their websight a "Million mile warranty" if a lower spring rate would cause them to sag over such a short period of time? And why is it others have had Sportlines on for 6 months and they sag and Ive had them on my car for a year and a half with no problems? Its either low quality control or just a poor product that they are selling.

 

[TrunkFunk]

I've had sportlines on 2 cars for over 4 years, no sagging. there goes that theroy, now poorer manufacturing where they aren't making them with full progressive lb rating they're suppose to be rated at will cause it

I have no idea what exact 2 cars you are referring to.
I realize dismissing spring rate helps drive your point ... no wait, are you dismissing spring rates or not?
Is a 140lb/in - 295lb spring good for the rear of a heavy Stang?
Seems a bit soft to me ... as rated, aside from what actually gets pumped outta the plant.

Companies do go through transitions and quality can suffer, yes that does happen as we are all aware. I'm not disputing that possiblility, I just do not see that evidence presented here.

Spring designs can also be revised and in your case above, it's possible the springs you received were the proper rates for the vehicles equiped with them ... Then again I don't know what truth there would be to any of what you said above, nor should I expect you to take anything I say as fact.
We both shall draw our own "theories" based on the evidences we have before us, right?

It is also possible that some may be experiencing the affects of outsourced manufacturing to China or other turd-world countries? Who knows, I have no idea where Eibach's spring plant is currently located and or what materials and methods are being employed ...

I do know that people more gripped in the Fox side of the Stang universe are not experiencing a proplem with Sportline sag on any sort of large scale (no manufacturer is 100% on). I'm not ruling it out as a possibility, I'm just saying the talk about it happening is not out there.
I suppose we would hear such gripes if guys were installing the springs in a GT vert or other heavier bodied model, but we're not hearing it.

Who knows, you could be right, but the buzz I hear all the time in 5.0 company is that of only good things about Eibach springs.

 

[TrunkFunk]

Then why dont cars with softer ride and low spring rates sag within a year? Ive had cars with low spring rates that would stay at "stock" height for years. And even if this were true why would Eibach list on their websight a "Million mile warranty" if a lower spring rate would cause them to sag over such a short period of time? And why is it others have had Sportlines on for 6 months and they sag and Ive had them on my car for a year and a half with no problems? Its either low quality control or just a poor product that they are selling.

Put Sportlines under a dumptruck and see if they hold their memory well.

What spring rates in which cars are you speaking of exactly.
That's as easy as me saying that I've had cars with high spring rates that sagged all the time. There's no true credibility in that line of input, is there. Now if I said I had 10lb/in springs in my Caddy and they sagged that would bring more physical input into the discussion.

The last 2 sentences you typed are good, they invoke thought as to what variables are different between the cases you are sighting. Eliminating all the variables involved here is where I think we will arrive at the conclusion.

You guys say crap manufacturing ... I say poor choice of rate for your cars.

Ps - You want quality control ... buy some weight jackers

 

[tomustang]

I have no idea what exact 2 cars you are referring to.

see sig

I realize dismissing spring rate helps drive your point ... no wait, are you dismissing spring rates or not?
Is a 140lb/in - 295lb spring good for the rear of a heavy Stang?
Seems a bit soft to me ... as rated, aside from what actually gets pumped outta the plant.

I'm not saying that applies for all cases of lower rates but it's not always true, 4+ years of my sportlines proves that, my car isn't a show car and has seen plenty of hauling days including bricks/concrete and other assorted heavy stuff

Companies do go through transitions and quality can suffer, yes that does happen as we are all aware. I'm not disputing that possiblility, I just do not see that evidence presented here.

me owning proof isn't evidence?

Spring designs can also be revised and in your case above, it's possible the springs you received were the proper rates for the vehicles equiped with them ... Then again I don't know what truth there would be to any of what you said above, nor should I expect you to take anything I say as fact.
We both shall draw our own "theories" based on the evidences we have before us, right?

I don't run around with theroys, i go by facts, i don't feed guessing games, If I know something I say it, I'm on this board to help people out just like you do

It is also possible that some may be experiencing the affects of outsourced manufacturing to China or other turd-world countries? Who knows, I have no idea where Eibach's spring plant is currently located and or what materials and methods are being employed ...

I wouldn't doubt it

I do know that people more gripped in the Fox side of the Stang universe are not experiencing a proplem with Sportline sag on any sort of large scale (no manufacturer is 100% on). I'm not ruling it out as a possibility, I'm just saying the talk about it happening is not out there.
I suppose we would hear such gripes if guys were installing the springs in a GT vert or other heavier bodied model, but we're not hearing it.

I haven't been to the 5.0 side lately so I have to take your world for it, don't really have an input for ya

Who knows, you could be right, but the buzz I hear all the time in 5.0 company is that of only good things about Eibach springs.

sounds like you guys have a small regiment

 

[TrunkFunk]

see sig
I'm not saying that applies for all cases of lower rates but it's not always true, 4+ years of my sportlines proves that, my car isn't a show car and has seen plenty of hauling days including bricks/concrete and other assorted heavy stuff

I can see your point.
What you've contributed (as evidence to me) I've combined with other peoples testimonies and conclude that the spring of 4+ years ago had a higher rate.
To bolster this theory, for me, I see that fox owners with Sportlines (prior to current production) would get a raked stance with them and could be a possible reason why Eibach lowered the inital rate on the springs ...
Rather than removing coils from the design to decrease ride heigth they reduced the initial rate.
Based on the 4+ year production design, it might have required complete revision to get the pigtails lined accurately and achieve the desired ride heigth. Where as reducing the rate was deemed easier to achieve the objective. As we know too well, some engineers take the easy route rather than do things correctly. In my line of work, I deal with it all the time.

Again, these are just theories, but when I see fox Stangs, with current production Sportlines, they sit way more level then the springs used to.

About your loading the car, that to me isn't enough evidence, because the load is not constant. Again I'm not ruling out that the tempering has been poor on 50% or whatever the claim is, I just don't see enough on the fox side of the coin to support it.

The ONLY reason I'm not running Sportlines on my notch are because of the "soft" initial rate. I recently decided to buy Progress springs instead which are 250-500 progressive in the rear and 580 fixed up front. They dropped the car about 2" and it rides exactly how I expected it to. I also run Steeda weight-jackers to adjust if these/others were ever to sag.

me owning proof isn't evidence?

It's evidence that something has changed or that you got lucky
What is the solution ... what is the reason

The solution I say is don't buy Sportlines for the SN and newer Stangs ... not because it has been concluded that Eibach's are crap, but because they sag on the heavier cars, for whatever reason.

I don't run around with theroys, i go by facts, i don't feed guessing games, If I know something I say it, I'm on this board to help people out just like you do

I run around with theories ... it's the "sickest" thing to do on StangNet lately

I haven't been to the 5.0 side lately so I have to take your world for it, don't really have an input for ya .......
........ sounds like you guys have a small regiment

Yeah ... and I'm a "private"

 

[HoustonGT]

TrunkFunk, i really don't see what your point is.

If the damn springs were made for a 99-04 GT's by Eibach, then how the crap is it our fault for choosing the wrong rate springs for our cars? These Sportlines were designed for our "heavy" Stangs and should not sag for any reason

 

[TrunkFunk]

TrunkFunk, i really don't see what your point is.

My point is that the Sportlines first coils are too soft.
They progressively stiffen from ONLY 140lbs of pressure to compress it 1" to 295 in a near maximum compressed state.
Most Mustang performance springs have rear rates starting at 250lb/in.
The first coils are softer on the Sportlines in order to achieve their rate and ride quality. Over time and continuous load, they will not retain their memory or rigidity as well as a stiffer rate spring.

It's common sense. A softer spring will collapse or sag with time.

If the damn springs were made for a 99-04 GT's by Eibach, then how the crap is it our fault for choosing the wrong rate springs for our cars? These Sportlines were designed for our "heavy" Stangs and should not sag for any reason

I agree, it isn't your fault for chosing the wrong rate if you don't know any better.
I also agree they should not be sold as a recommended part for a 95-04 just because they will fit on the car.
However, there are a lot of parts on the market that are sold for our cars that don't perform as desired.
The name BBK comes to mind for some unknown reason.

Eibach lists these Sportline Springs for '79-'04 Mustangs w/o IRS ... part number 4-1035.
Both your "heavy" Stang and my "light" Stang (3K lbs) should shoulder the same spring ... I don't think so

The weight distribution on the 95-04 is much better than the fox cars which is one factor (among many) why they ride better.
They distribute a little higher % of weight (including overall) to the rear springs. Hence the car sags after a little time.

Now do I contend this is the reason for all ... no.
I just think that the majority of the time this is the case and the other times it is the small percentage of bad apples.

Buyer beware.

 

[02GTRX]

I bent up my fender yesterday with a mollot not it only rubs on like 10% of the driveways I go up now It still rubs alittle so im gona go bend it alittle more