Hi guys,

Wondering if anyone on the board has installed H&R springs on their car and what your feedback and thoughts are? Thank you in advance

 

I did not install them myself, but can wax poetic about the results. Let me know what info you are looking for.

 

Awesome! wax on brother!!

Here's what I'm looking for:

• I'd like to lower the car as I think it sits way too high while retaining reasonable quality. From what I understand, it'll lower the car 1.2" all around and the ride is supposed to be better than stock? true?
• with the lower stance, are you finding you're scraping often?
• How long did it take your shop to get them on?
• any complications or landmines that I need to be aware of during installation?

Thanks much!

 

I had no experience doing anything to my car but the suspension is pretty much a bolt on bolt off operation. I got the eibach springs which doesnt give nearly as much drop on a RWD V6S. It took me about 2 hours each a corner, most of the time was getting the rusty bolts off and compressing the springs. Here is a good video to gauge difficulty.
Front Suspension
What you need to bolt off (aside from the struct hardware): Upper ball joint, Antiroll bar
When taking off these two parts, use a Bungie cord to hold the hub since it's not supported anymore. Also, lift the lower control arm with a jack or you will snap the anti-roll bar bolt when unbolting it. I did it but the replacement part was only 35 bucks.

Rear Suspension
What you need to bolt off: Tow arm

You will need to clock your bushings, meaning all bolts should be fully tightened when the car is on its own weight meaning you need to bring these to a shop with a lift. You can probably ask your alignment shop to do this. Highly recommend alignment after lowering anyways.
OR you can do the hacky way and use a jack to push your lower control arm right so its slightly lifting the car by that then tighten. I heard you can do it on ramps too. If you don't clock your bushings, then it will accelerate the wear on them and maybe not give you the desired drop. Also, the front is a lot more tricky than the rear, you really need another person to push down on the lower control arm while you swing the struct in.

 

Answers to your questions in line.

Here's what I'm looking for:

• I'd like to lower the car as I think it sits way too high while retaining reasonable quality. From what I understand, it'll lower the car 1.2" all around and the ride is supposed to be better than stock? true?
• H&R's are the lowest of all springs available for the F-Type. Therefore, you will lose damper travel. For this reason, I elected to go with Eibach. The ride sits a little higher than I'd like, but I'd rather maintain the ride quality and travel as much as I can.
• with the lower stance, are you finding you're scraping often?
• I don't, but I've been driving very low cars for 10 years.
• How long did it take your shop to get them on?
• any complications or landmines that I need to be aware of during installation?
• Nope, easy stuff.

 

Lowering the car helps significantly as a visual upgrade. Do not overlook the Velocity AP spring option - pricey, but great quality and a true progressive spring with a 7/8" drop I find perfect for my taste.

Some have posted about pinched adjustable suspension or abs wires during installation, but if your shop is reasonably competent they should not mess this up.

Had to chuckle about the idea that a lowered car will ride better. Really? Best you can hope for is to not make the ride harsher over small and medium bumps, with reduced suspension travel, large road imperfections will be felt noticeably more.

 

Exactly! As far as springs go, the lower you go, the faster you hit bump stops, the more jarring of a ride you have. Velocity AP is a great option, pricey, and because of that, I couldn't find a reason to go Velocity over Eibach which is also fairly conservative in terms of drop.

Here are a few pics of Eibach. As you can see, the rear is a little tall.

 

Here's my feedback on the H&Rs:
1)They lowered the front 1.25" and the rear 1.5". I appreciated the additional drop on the rear as the car appears to be pointed downhill on the stock suspension.
2)I found the stock suspension to be too floaty in standard mode, so I always had it set to dynamic mode. With the H&Rs, I now leave it in standard mode unless I'm getting into the twisties pretty heavily.
3) Scraping occurs only very occasionally and only on very tall speed bumps or garage ramps. Approaching at an angle can minimize this, but I've never scraped anything other than the cheap front 3 whiskers (~$100 in total), and though I have a spare set, I've never replaced mine. I just trim the streamers with a knife about once per year.
4)Labor should run about 6 hours, so about $600 at a good indy.
5) The best part with the H&Rs is that reducing the ride height has dramatically reduced the perceived roll through high speed curves.

 

I love the H&R look on mine, the ride does suffer but is also much more stable. It took me roughly 30mins a wheel to install (if i had to guess). easy straightforward install on a lift. does scrub slightly over larger road bumps but not horrible( i also had the 17mm spacers).

 

Beeeyootiful car bro! what size wheels are you running?

 

Awesome info brother! thank you for the details. Just ordered my H&Rs!

 

thank you!! 20" fronts are 10.5 (265 tire) and the rear are 11.5. (305 tire) i can't remember the offsets but i do have them someplace if you need them.

 

Anyone know what type of rear spoiler in in VeeDubs video

 

Josh,

What wheels are you sporting so vividly there? Pre-finished or post finished?

 

hey! i got a deal on them as is, Ferrada F8's i believe come in bronze factory, and they will be returning to bronze soon.

 

They do. I thought you may be in the Holiday spirit ahead of schedule. Nice looking wheels regardless.

 

For those who have Installed lowering springs themselves, can anyone confirm tools needed?

To remove the front struts
13mm socket
T60 Torx
18mm wrench
(unknown Allen key size)

For the rear struts
13mm socket
21mm socket

and of course jack, jack stands, spring compressors.

also does anyone know the torque specs for each bolt and nut, and are the front and rear H&R springs labeled and distinguishable?

 

I will admit I was skeptical when we first started working on these springs several years ago. However, when I get emails like this (copied verbatim) I'm a believer (the author also posted here on the forum):

All,

I'd like to provide some feedback on your Velocity AP tapered wire lowering springs for the F-Type, because I feel your website could make more of the benefits they confer to the F -Type in particular.

My one significant criticism of the F-Type (mine is a V6S) echoes a number of road testers; it has an uncomfortably stiff suspension, in both Default and Dynamic modes. Particularly at lower speeds, it crashes over pot holes, broken and washboard surfaces and if the seat back is reclined to any degree, the experience can be like being repeatedly punched in the back - on some roads it's highly uncomfortable.

The Velocity AP website does say that the tapered wire progressive rate design permits more progressive absorption of bumps, but it also says the springs provide “…a substantial increase in spring rate (…) with no loss of ride comfort.”

The impression I got from this was that the springs would possibly go some way to addressing the F-Type’s suspension over-stiffness whilst at worst being no harder than standard.


Now I have them fitted, I’d like to confirm unequivocally that they do indeed make a noticeable difference to the car; it retains a stiff ride but I can now make progress over broken and pot-holed country roads at any speed with the suspension absorbing the irregularities and the car flowing over them rather than crashing into them and pummelling the driver. In both Default and Dynamic modes, the car is now as comfortable as my previous XK. Characteristic F-Type steering precision is retained, and stability in high speed corners seems improved.

I’m an extremely happy customer and I think you should make more of the fact that these springs noticeably improve the F-Type’s main dynamic flaw.

Best regards,

(Redacted for Privacy)

 

I would invest in an electric impact wrench if I were you. This will cut the time in half for you. Bolts will break free and will be able to be removed and re installed super fast.
https://www.harborfreight.com/automo...nch-61173.html

 

One piece of advice on H&R spring install, after installing as far as rear alignment is concerned. As we know the camber is increased (good thing) and not adjustable, but if you leave the toe adjustment at factory spec you will scrub your inner tear tread in short order. I dialed out the toe to near zero angle after installing H&R's. I'm running Falkin Azenis FK510's and after nearly 8 months of daily driving (5k miles) there is no perceivable wear on the inner section of the tire with no impact on street handling. I will say that on track the car will be twitchy on heavy braking unless the wheel is straight, but street I have noticed no impact.
I am taking the car up to WGI this Mon-Tue so I dialed the factory toe settings back in for track use. (FYI, two flats on the toe link)