Lowering info

[LS4me]

For those that want to lower for handling, this is from Jonathon Crocker, suspension engineer for the LS......

I recommend that you don't lower your LS. THe geometry and suspension compliances are all optimized to a specific ride height, so the ultimate grip may be slightly affected, but the transient response of the car will be changed in unforeseen ways. I talked in Irvine about the rear compliant steer effect which gives us great agility at low speeds yet makes the car stable at autobahn speeds - mess with it at your own risk. ... For more details, ask JR ( the marketing guy who had to move the rear-view mirror to the side window on the autocross... ha-ha!).

Just FYI.......

 

[gcwimmer]

Interesting, where did you find this?

 

[LS4me]

Interesting, where did you find this?

I was taking a walk down Memory Lane over at Edmunds. IIRC, that part of his post was in early 2001.

 

[Soopa009]

I personally don't even wanna lower my car. It doesnt look much better to me in my opinion but most people really like it, which is cool. Just not for some people..

Specially in MI where they are too broke to slow the roads.. *slap forehead*

 

[Angel12]

i'm prob not going to lower her good find +1

 

[05 LS8]

I personally don't even wanna lower my car. It doesnt look much better to me in my opinion but most people really like it, which is cool. Just not for some people..

Specially in MI where they are too broke to slow the roads.. *slap forehead*

Same here. I like it better not lowered.

 

[marco93L]

I more than likely will not lower mine, I like the look at it sits at with the 17's.
On a side note, not very many people are going to road race theirs, most people do it for cosmetic looks. I would still lower mine for daily driving if that was the look at I was going for.

 

[SPSully]

waiting for Quik who road races his car to respond

 

[SPSully]

in the meantime, I have lowered mine on intrax and my car is less boaty at high speeds and sucks to the ground very well around the twisties.

 

[pektel]

waiting for Quik who road races his car to respond

^what he said.

I love the lowered look of my LS. I have never had any adverse handling effects from it, in fact, quite the opposite.

Notice he just says it will affect the handling in "unforeseen ways"... which means they never tried it.

 

[SPSully]

for people looking for max speed, these cars (at least the first gen sports and those whoa re tuned) are governed by wind drag. Low the car lessen the drag, increase speed.

 

[Lincoln Jealous]

i know some will laugh, but if you look at the factory springs, if you cut off some of the bottom to make it one spring lower, will this be similar to aftermarkets? yes, the spring will be somewhat compromised, but it will still be the same factory spring, and taking off alittle of the spring doesnt look like it would make to much difference, but if anything, it would be at least an inch lowered.

 

[Quik LS]

i know some will laugh, but if you look at the factory springs, if you cut off some of the bottom to make it one spring lower, will this be similar to aftermarkets?

nope - by cutting the spring you remove some of the spring force and therefore you will not only be lower but have less spring rate.

Aftermarket springs use progressive windings to retain (and sometime increase) spring rate and be shorter. This is a much better deal - since you already reduced the gap in the suspension to allow roll, but have at leasted maintained the springs power to prevent compress in that now smaller gap.

 

[Lincoln Jealous]

nope - by cutting the spring you remove some of the spring force and therefore you will not only be lower but have less spring rate.

Aftermarket springs use progressive windings to retain (and sometime increase) spring rate and be shorter. This is a much better deal - since you already reduced the gap in the suspension to allow roll, but have at leasted maintained the springs power to prevent compress in that now smaller gap.

thanks quik, i knew it was a bootleg way to do it, but i thought maybe it could work, i understand, if you cut off 1 spring it may be like 2 springs and then every bump your rubbing

 

[Quik LS]

waiting for Quik who road races his car to respond

I take things like this in the sprit it is given. Of course the engineer who worked on it says he's done the best job to maximize the performance given the restraints he had. So, if you are not an engineer, and only changing one component without re-designing the entire system - you risk 'unforeseen' results.

Remember, he designed a 4-dr lux sedan that had to meet generally accepted ride height, noise, gas mileage, ....etc for a given cost to be acceptable for the 'average' target customer.

Can we improve it in specefic areas based on what we like in a car and willing to trade in other areas for? surely.

 

[pektel]

well said.

 

[Alax7]

Had me a little scared there for a sec, especially since I just bought my eibachs. I'm still going to lower mine. Quick makes a good point

 

[LS4me]

Notice he just says it will affect the handling in "unforeseen ways"... which means they never tried it.

One of these "unforeseen ways" is it makes the car a little "tail happy". That was Jonathon's description and I saw it on Jim Rogers' 2000 V6 LS during our first Lincoln sponsored autocross event in Irvine.

You all do remember that we have passive 4-wheel steering?

I talked in Irvine about the rear compliant steer effect

 

[Andrizzle]

Stock height is ugly IMO. The LS sits wayyyyy too high... I mean cmon you should not be able to see the inside of the fender well when looking at the car from the side like that, this is a sedan, not a truck.


Also I agree about it handling 'better' so to speak. It may be mostly psychological, but it feels better in turns and gliding along on the highway, then again I do not race my LS. All a matter of preference, but you have to agree, that the stock height is awkward... lol

 

[LS4me]

All a matter of preference, but you have to agree, that the stock height is awkward... lol

I do agree with that.