Oakenfire

Everyone says that lowering springs will cause your struts to wear out quicker. So I was wondering if there was a good way to prevent this or slow it down? Coilovers are too much to justify spending that much money just for a small drop, so I'm exploring other possibilities.

stealthee

The short answer, no. The long answer, no.

Oakenfire

Haha well, very succinct I like it. How long are struts expected to last normally vs. with springs? I'm wondering if the higher cost of coilovers would be worth it in the longer run.

heedtheninja67

My suspension guy estimated 50k miles when I put mine on around 50k.

Oakenfire

Are there any good after market struts that are made to last longer?

stealthee

Think about coilover cost like this.Yes, they are expensive, but what is the cost going to for springs AND replacement struts/shocks? I bet its pretty close in cost.

Oakenfire

If I only have to replace struts approx every 50k, then it would be cheaper, until about the 250k mile mark. I already did the math using oem strut prices. Though if I find some really good aftermarket struts that could make it longer than 50k with springs I may look into those.

dkmura

Better performing shocks are available from Koni or Bilstein for the G. You don't need to go to a coilover setup unless you need it for performance or track driving. A set of lowered springs on a set of Konis or Bilsteins will last a long, long time.

Oakenfire

This is the info I was looking for, Thank you sir.

G.AWD.zilla

Oakenfire, not sure what trim you have, but FWIW strut options are limited for the AWD

OEM, KYB or Monroe as far as I know

Oakenfire

Good info as well, thank you.

Hugh Jorgens

KYB seems to be a pretty tried and true option.

But...no, they won't last 50k (!!!) with most lowering springs. That's very optimistic.

They may not leak at 50K...but they almost for sure will be dead. They're not meant to damp that much spring rate. And since replacement shocks are the same length as stock, they will always be damping the bumpstop too.

I think most OE replacement shocks will die right around 20K with lowering springs.

Koni makes performance shocks, but they're still stock length and they cost $1000-1200 or something.

Tein Street Basis are $650. Why not get those? Those should last 50K or way more, as long as you leave the ride height reasonable. They'll ride better than OE replacement shocks with lowering springs and they cost in the same realm.

Coilovers aren't only for racing. There are a lot of advantages to using a good coilover on a street car. Setup is key, though.

If you're trying to spend a little more while keeping it reasonable...Tanabe Revel coilovers are like $875-950 at some stores. Again, though...setup is key with this type of coilover.

The Tein SB is a lot more simple, if you're trying to keep it simple.

If you have an AWD, you may not have as many good options, though...

In that case...buy KYB. Replace every 20-30K. Live your life one shock at a time.

Infinibini

I know this is an old thread, but there are great benefits to adding coilovers beyond the height adjustment. Handling will be greatly improved, extremely improved!!