Should I upgrade coilovers @ 15k miles to lower or springs?

[the1stTree]

Hey guys,

I want to lower the my 09 M35S which only has 15k miles. Wondering if it makes sense to replace coilovers for ability to adjust height at such low mileage.
Thinking lower springs makes more sense and replace coilovers at about 60k. I did quite a bit of reading on the threads around lowering and the FAQ link but most are at much higher mileage.
Can the experts advise me on the best thing to do to lower the vehicle? Thx guys.

[EniGmA1987]

Coilovers replace the stock suspension, which makes them popular upgrades to higher mileage cars since the suspension is worn already anyway. You can do whatever you want but I think springs are a better way to go at low mileage too. If you buy coils now then the suspension will still be worn out around the same time frame and the coilovers will have to be replaced with new ones. Buying two sets of coilovers is a lot more expensive than buying a set of springs and 1 set of coilovers later.

[the1stTree]

Thanks Enigma. Sounds like I was thinking correctly.

Anyone do the same type of replacement over time with their vehicle?

[06M4.5]

It all depends how low you want to go & how good are your roads.

[the1stTree]

Hey,
Charlotte has pretty good roads. I don't encounter a lot of pot holes. Very little salt down for snow every year helps a lot and many roads are not that old here.

I am not looking for a big drop. Based on what I can tell, Tein H Tech would do fine. Want stiffer but still comfortable and looks great.

[06M4.5]

you'll be fine with the H-Tech springs & oem struts.

[Wangtang408]

Hey,
Charlotte has pretty good roads. I don't encounter a lot of pot holes. Very little salt down for snow every year helps a lot and many roads are not that old here.

I am not looking for a big drop. Based on what I can tell, Tein H Tech would do fine. Want stiffer but still comfortable and looks great.

I'm on S Techs

Before


After

[the1stTree]

Thanks Wangtang.

I like that drop height. thanks for the pics.

No rubbing or scraping?

[TXT]

The1stTree, nice to see someone else from the Charlotte area. As you can see from the pic below in my sig, I'm also dropped. I'm on eibachs however. Reason I chose Eibach was because after much research and comments from other users, The H Tech's seem to drop the car more in the back than the front. The eibach's don't have that "issue".

[06M4.5]

only S-Tech has that problem

[the1stTree]

Hey TXT, good to meet you as well.
Thanks for the info. Hear lots of good info on Eibachs. Wondering if it will be too low for my taste and ride preference hence looking at H Techs. Any scraping or rubbing with Eibachs?

Thanks 06M4.5 for the detail note as well.

[TXT]

Hey TXT, good to meet you as well.
Thanks for the info. Hear lots of good info on Eibachs. Wondering if it will be too low for my taste and ride preference hence looking at H Techs. Any scraping or rubbing with Eibachs?

Thanks 06M4.5 for the detail note as well.

I do just fine with my Eibachs. I do almost all highway and I live right off of 77 so I barely do any city driving. Roads in my area are good too and I never scrape or rub unless I come to a steep include which rarely happens. I was having issues going over speed humps and my front splash guards rubbing badly so I took them off as you can see in the picture. I never have to swerve for pot holes either but I'm sure you might have to living in Charlotte.
The eibachs really aren't bad. I was thinking of going with the H-tech or S-tech (don't know the difference between the two) because I noticed the drop wasn't that much and all I wanted was to get rid of the wheel gap but once I saw that the back was lower than the front of the car from the pics I saw (reversed rake), I opted with the eibachs.

I recently got new tires and got the car aligned. The camber is slightly out but I can do free tire rotations so I get that done every oil change to keep the tire wear even.

[Wangtang408]

Thanks Wangtang.

I like that drop height. thanks for the pics.

No rubbing or scraping?

The drop height was exactly what I was looking for on the S techs (they are lower than H techs).
No rubbing but like TXT mention the splash guard scrapes sometimes on steep driveway but able to go over most speed bumps.
Also my front bumper will not clear curbs when I park.
Springs vs Coil overs also depends on how of a drop are you looking for... just to clear the fender gap (like me & TXT) or aggressive low stance.
I am very pleased with the 19" sports rims so I decided springs was enough to clear the gap, I also changed the shocks/struts with KYB. Springs + KYB = cheaper than coil overs.
To be honest, sometimes I do wish that I went coil overs because the nice things about them and they can be adjusted.
Maybe next time...

[the1stTree]

TXT and WangTang > Appreciate the additional info!!!

I am looking to mainly clear the fender gap. Ability to adjust is very nice option. However, I would only want an occasional very low stance which is why I can wait to time to replace struts with coilovers at higher mileage.
I will check out the height difference between Tein S and H springs. Thanks again.