OK...So Im a suspension idiot, ill admit!

Well I do not know much about suspension, but I will tell you what I did.

I got my D-Specs(shocks/struts), GT500 strut mounts,and Eibach springs all installed at the same time, as welll with sway bars and UC, and LCA's

If you do drag racing then maybe more suspension is required right away, but for street driving all you need is shocks and struts and springs, and maybe an adjustable panhard, which you may not even need that.

Eibach and Steeda springs are almost identical, I think they are actually made by the same people, if I remember correctly.

check out BMR, I love the crap out of their products.

yup, it took me 6 months of research before I was comfortable making the leap into suspension modding. I can say, there are a lot of opinion out there. No one really knows, because no one has actually installed and tested all the options.

I would not be surprised if Steeda springs are made by Eibach. Eibach makes springs for nearly everyone. The key point is to what specifications they make the spring. The Eibach pro-kit, for example, is made by Eibach based on what they think will sell well and have a reasonable performance gain. The Steeda springs are going to be what Steeda thinks will sell well and have a reasonable performance gain. I think Steeda knows better than Eibach because Steeda concentrates on making performance Mustangs only, whereas Eibach is a very general company. But really

I would say, just to save on install time, get dampers, strut mounts, and maybe a camber bolt, or caster camber plates with your springs. Dampers are very important when it comes to handling. Springs alone is going to be off balance, because you'll have stiff springs and soft dampers. Plus, Its basically the same amount of work the install dampers when you install springs. I mention the strut mounts b/c a number of people have had problems with the strut mounts coming apart while installing springs. (I did, it is annoying). And, these strut mounts can cause problems down the road. Of course, that can add up, so just get whatever you can afford, right? Thats what we all do. Spend any idle cash on suspension components...

There are also bump steer kits, control arm relocation brackets, etc. etc. You just have to draw the line at some point. For some, that is at the lowering springs, for others, that is at a full griggs set-up.

EDIT: Oh, and I meant to mention. I do not have any LCAs. People love them, they are cheap. Probably a good mod, but I have not done it. I have Steeda Springs, dampers, and roll bars, and MUCH better traction. (probably mostly due to the roll bar) If your main concern is lowering though, who give a crap about traction right? Steeda springs are nice, for handling, but H&R springs will really hit the floor with maximum lowering. Depends on what your goals are.

GreyDiesel said:

EDIT: Oh, and I meant to mention. I do not have any LCAs. People love them, they are cheap. Probably a good mod, but I have not done it. I have Steeda Springs, dampers, and roll bars, and MUCH better traction. (probably mostly due to the roll bar) If your main concern is lowering though, who give a crap about traction right? Steeda springs are nice, for handling, but H&R springs will really hit the floor with maximum lowering. Depends on what your goals are.

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How do you figure the roll bar gives you better traction? I am assuming you are talking about launching not cornering.

I put on the Steeda Ultralites and their non-adjustable shocks/struts last year and am very happy with them. Along with the Eibach anit-sway bars front and back. I am getting the LCAs, relocation brackets, adjustable UCAs, and adjustable panhard rod put on next week: these are all BMR stuff. You may need the camber bolts depending one how much the cars gets lowered. I didn't.

For just some quick handling improvements and lowering, on a daily driver that you don't race much, you don't really need the other stuff. I finally decided to finish up the suspension to correct the rear suspension geometry and to get some faster times at the drag strip.

The best source of information on S197 suspension that I have found is at Guide to Properly Lowering your S197.

You lose traction with a lowered suspension because the vehicles instant center has changed. Basically the rear lower control arms have an upward pitch which causes the rear end to roll upwards instead of being pushed towards the ground. The best way to counteract this is with relocation brackets, the best brackets on the market are from CHE, they are complete bolt on, very sturdy and high quality. Rear LCA's will help also but it's getting that downward pitch of the arms that does the trick. I have them on my car, put them on many customers cars 1 was a 600hp Saleen Extreme and they worked wonders. PM me for more details if you want I would like to talk to you about being a vendor anyway because I sell CHE products and have my own LCA's I would like to market.