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Lowering springs curiosity / doubts!

21K views 37 replies 24 participants last post by  fredholliday 
#1 ·
Hey All,

I've been thinking about lowering my 14' GC SRT and I've poured through many threads on this site to get a feel of what your feedbacks are... I am looking real hard at the RM Mid-level drops with 1.8" front & Rear... Still, my concern was if going with the drop, will it affect the dampening of the OEM shocks... So, I placed a call to an SRT technician and posed to question to him. His answer is undoubtedly yes! The lowering springs however mild or aggressive will affect the way the shocks dampen... The ride will be stiffer and you will not feel the difference between the 'select' modes.

So, I guess it comes down to preference... I would really like the look of a lowered suspension but, not at the cost of eliminating the OEM shocks design / engineering abilities... Or having to modify the suspension with other parts that I am reading about.

For those of you that have done the RM Mid-level 1.8" drop all around, please provide me some feedback on yours.

Thanks
 
#6 ·
1.8" drop you will need the rear bars and a solution for the front to get rid of the negative camber otherwise you will wear the inside corner of your tires out faster than the rest. Luckily on the wk2 we can rotate the wheels front to back. Max camber front and rear with the stock adjustments is a -1.7 to -1.8. If your good with that then no need to change anything, I'm not. As for the ride you can tell a big difference in the suspension modes. The eibachs were stiffer all around than the road magnets. RMs are pretty close to stock, I think stock is actually a hair stiffer.
 
#7 ·
The ride feels pretty close to the same if not a little softer. Like others have said unless you want to wear out your tires asap you will need to get extended rear control arms. I opted to also upgrade the end links so that the geometry for the sway bars stays as design. In track mode it feels like a whole other animal, because of the lower center of gravity I feel like I can take any corner like I'm in a sports car and not in a Mack truck. Also the visual appearance is perfect haha.


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#8 · (Edited)
So, I placed a call to an SRT technician and posed to question to him. His answer is undoubtedly yes! The lowering springs however mild or aggressive will affect the way the shocks dampen... The ride will be stiffer and you will not feel the difference between the 'select' modes.
This is 100% false. You can feel and tell a difference in the ride quality, stiffness, and maneuvering when selecting between track mode and auto/street mode. I am unable to find any technical data regarding spring/compression rates but I'm sure if you wanted it you could email Eibach and Road Magnet regarding obtaining that data.

You could also have the air suspension mod setup done like Jeep Garage - Jeep Forum - View Profile: 14srt419 did seen here: http://www.jeepgarage.org/f97/well-shes-on-air-82922.html
 
#9 ·
I'm currently on Eibachs. I love them but feel that with 22s I need to go lower. I'm considering the 1/1.8 mid drop.

Here is my issue. Eibach puts extensive R&D into their springs and generally are accepted as equal to OEM from Auto manufacturers. Mainly, if you have a shock issue with Eibachs odds are they will still warranty it. My service adviser confirmed this. Most don't even realize it's been lowered and it's not obvious by looking at the springs. Loading the Jeep down and the Eibachs barely sag. There is zero settling with these springs. The rougher ride also makes me believe they are stiffer springs with less body roll and less flexibility, a good thing.

Road Magnet on the other hand is a much smaller company. From what I've gathered and seen from videos, under load they squat down a lot more than the Eibachs. Being that they're smoother this also concerns me, I enjoy the stiff sports car feel of my Jeep with the Eibachs. A lot of users have reported 2/10ths of an inch of settling. That concerns me.

So guys who have had both..please sell me on the RM other than just looks.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Let me fix all ^ seeing this may be why I may be getting all the calls I do with these exact questions.

seems like a lot of incorrect info here bro'

RM put as much work into their springs as well.

RM where actually released a year after Eibach because they where not done testing.

RM where and are still dynoed yes every set out the door is in fact tested.

The advertised drop is the settled drop not the drop when you put em on.

You want a bit of Squat when launching a stiff take of is not ideal for a car with power.

Road Magnets are stiffer then OEM not softer so the Mids and Extremes are 110% not softer.

Road Magnets have a 100% satisfaction guarantee Eibach does not.

Road magnet is not a small company and has been around longer than Eibach this is just their Auto line of making springs Company was formed in 1907
he Kirk-Habicht Spring Company custom-manufactures Precision Springs, Compression Springs, Extension Springs, Flat Springs, and Torsion Springs along with Rings, Wire Forms

The Squat:
RM is a 1.8 rear drop vs a .8 rear drop lets be realistic when you lower a vehicle negative effects can be expected and noting is OEM any more. So by dropping 1.8 compared to dropping .8 and a hard .8 (Eibach springs) hands down the RM are a better spring for comfort and retaining an OEM feel!

I have driven for a length of time on both springs and anyone who has made the switch will tell you hands down RM wins every time.

Ask Scott he couldn't say enough good about the Eibachs that is until he put the RM on.

I have received at least 14 calls with people telling me they hate the Eibachs.
2 calls where guys who wanted them over nighted because their wife's won't drive it any more because it's not comfortable.

I have sold about a dozen sets at best of the Eibachs and let me tell you I make more money off them and wish they where a better more comfortable ride quality because my pockets would be fatter LOL. I just can not recommend something I truly do not believe in ya know?

Now to the rubbing while towing on a Mid or Extreme spring it's the wheel well liner that may get a scratching sound when hitting a bump at high speeds while towing that is all.

The only people that have retuned a RM MID spring (2 people to be exact) where guys that towed 23'+ boats with 3 people in the back seat and one in the front 5 passengers. One customer was on the mids and 1 was on the extremes and both took their boat out 3-4 days a week. So when you drop 1.8" and tow well lets just say you gotta pay to play and if you want a certain look and don't want the OEM look then this is something you will have to deal with ya know?


The Camber
I just made a post about this in another thread.
No issues with the Mid fronts coming back to OEM
The rears 99% of the time DO come back into OEM Spec with the Mids.
The Extremes do NOT come back into the OEM specs front or rear.


The Modes
You can absolutely feel the mods when dialed.
 
#10 ·
Feeling the same way A-Kon... Along with possible excessive camber and accelerated tire wear is a concern for me to switch to RMs.

I put a lot of miles on my truck and excessive wear would not be acceptable. 36,000 miles since october 2013. Currently on Eibachs as well.
 
#11 ·
Just out of curiosity I have a 1.8/1.8 RM sitting in my garage waiting to be installed, I do a lot of hauling with a trailer and a RZR XP 1000, if installed will this squat the vehicle a crazy amount? I do like the look but since I do use mine as an SUV functionality needs to be maintained as well.
 
#12 ·
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Automotive design Personal luxury car
Land vehicle Vehicle Transport Car Motor vehicle

I use mine to tow my 2015 RZR and all my gear and a couple buddies. The only thing that has been affected is that I can't take it very far down a bad road since it's doesn't have a very high ground clearance. The ride is a bit more harsh but that is expected with a jeep loaded down like that.


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#18 ·
@blackopsautoworks
Can you explain the differences between the RM mid package and hybrid. ( I.e. rake, level, lower in front...)
 
#20 ·
Okay so with the RM mids (1" front 1.8" rear) everything aligns and can be dialed to within stock specs...

With the RM mids Hybrid (1.8" front 1.8" rear) the rear will be with in stock specs, but not the front...

If you want a raked look (front lower than rear), then you would want to go with the Hybrid option, but expect alignment issues...

If you want a lowered level look (front and rear are same height), then you would choose the standard RM mid option and have no alignment issues.

Obviously, changing your stock 20" wheels and tires to some other size will play a factor in your spring choice as well.

Are these above statements correct?

Mike
 
#21 ·
I have the RM mids and could not get the rear camber to align ... Arms are all the way out... So I had to order the rear control arms from blackops. Some jeeps can align mine just didn't

Fronts are spot on


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#23 ·
Just purchased RM mids from another member here, getting them installed soon... There weren’t any instructions, is it just take OEM springs off and put RM mids on or do I need to trim bump stops (thought I saw a how to somewhere for aggressive drops which states this)


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#25 ·
ended up answering my own question, only need to trim the front bump stops....
 
#27 ·
I bought RM mids for my 14 as well and needed the arms and links to get everything back in line.
I just bought a 15 and went to swap the springs when I noticed that the rm springs had bound up and ended up corroding on the spots where they touched. Not good. I never towed with the truck. Just had 4 adults in it a few times. I guess they aren't rated for anything but driver and one passenger


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#28 ·
I'm just wondering how you guys are getting a new SRT each year!????




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#31 ·
Lol! Sweet I'll just go buy $1000 worth of shares and get the trackhawk half price when it's released then, can't believe I didn't think of that....... ?


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