5 Suspension Mods That Can Ruin Your Car 

I can't believe someone would look at those spring clamps and think "Yeah, that's a great idea. I want that on my car."

A couple comments, as an engineer myself, who has a significant vehicle dynamics knowledge. 1. Lowering springs developed for performance and not just looks, matched with an appropriate damper, such as a Koni sport, Bilstein, etc. can be used daily without much sacrifice. In many cases the car will have an improved ride overall (better control), with a slight increase in initial impact harshness. 2. Yes, increasing roll and pitch stiffness via springs can reduce mechanical grip, although load transfer remains identical if the ride height (and thus CG to roll center relationship) is unchanged. The caveat is that increasing roll stiffness, in particular, will often improve geometric control enough to where you do not lose, and can often gain mechanical grip by maintaining contact patch and reducing roll center migration. It also has handling benefits in that the car will respond more quickly to inputs. That said, you do want the softest springs you can get away with that maintain acceptable transitional handling in order to reduce sensitivity to inputs and improve compliance for imperfect surfaces, both of which improve usable grip and make the car easier to drive. 3. Wheel spacers with their own studs function identically to a wider offset wheel if they are hubcentric type. If they are not hubcentric, like the one you showed in this video, then yes, they put significant load to the studs in a way they were not designed to take. Hubcentric spacers transfer radial load to the hub bore with their own hub bore, and provide another external hub bore for the wheel to mount to, such that the studs are providing clamping force and not dealing with significant radial load, just as they did stock. 4. Camber kits can be an excellent choice if you have coilovers (many include them in their top mounts), or a matched set of performance-minded lowering springs and matched dampers. They allow for adjustment beyond what the factory tolerances will in order to get back to appropriate road-use settings (~1-1.5 deg negative). 5. Anti-roll bars can be an extremely effective tuning aid provided you do not go overboard. If you autocross, the Street class allows for one roll bar change. For most cars, due to their on-purpose, understeer-biased factory suspension tuning, a stiffer rear bar improves handling balance significantly without a big effect on ride quality, provided you do not go super stiff. You always want to exercise caution on anti-roll bar stiffness on the driven axles because you do not want to limit/remove load on the inside wheel. This is bad for any differential type, but particularly open diffs or torsen diffs.

I ordered lowering springs, opened youtube, and this was the first video reccomended to me

This is pretty good stuff. In the racing world, it's all about combinations of springs versus sway bars. The Camaros we used to race with Pratt and Miller would run VERY soft springs (whatever number you're thinking, take 300lbs out of it) and VERY still sway bars. The idea was to control and balance the body mid-corner but allow for lots of mechanical grip under braking and acceleration. Won us a championship, and was a blast to drive. Felt like a really fast school bus.

A lot of people commenting that the spring clamps are for removing the springs - this is not the case, the clamps shown (I'm as surprised as you are) are to remain in the car, to lower it. They're labeled as "lowering clamps" on the packaging. Spring compressors are much larger, so you can clamp more than just one spiral of springs. As a side note, most auto parts stores will let you rent springs compressors for free, if you're ever in need. Have a great day everyone!

I'm a strong independent Black suspension who don't need no sway bar

Just ordered those spring clamps. Thanks for the tip

This guy is this type of person who reads the entire cereal box before eating it

this is the most anti-ricer video ive ever watched.

Pfft, spring clamps. Just cut the springs in half with an angle grinder like a real man.

"You can't just change your suspension geometry!" "Haha cosmetic mods go brrrrrr"

Lowering springs + Spacers = $300 Coilovers + Upper control arms + Wheels with correct offset = $2500 I guess we're staying stock

Dude you need to be a college professor. This channel is a class I would pay to take, no joke

What about using hockey puck with a hole drilled in the middle as a spring

Gran turismo should reach out to you to make optional video explanations for each setting they let you tweak, I think it would be an awesome fit.

By changing out my stock springs for Eibach 1" drop springs & Koni Struts, I have seen no negative tire wear or handling issues. My car handles much better everywhere, under all conditions. I did get a full alignment from one of the few suspension shops on town that specializes in lowered suspensions & to be fair, I do have a much stiffer ride.

That first one had me laughing. i can't believe that is for real!

But bro, you just don't understand #StanceNation and living the JDM LYFE.

all car enthusiasts have a percentage of rice in them wether u like it or not😂😂😂

Just want to say that you make stock seem so much better, but at the same time sadden all the mod ideas I had. I enjoy your videos and hope you keep educating us on one of the most important things to us. If done incorrectly, the car is a deadly uncontrollable weapon. Thank you

Hold On! You forgot a big one for the list! Super low profile tires in general, and especially ones that are stretched to fit a rim that is to wide! The side wall of a tire is a super important aspect in relation to suspension performance and cornering grip.

I installed lowering springs into my car to improve the look of it with the wheels that were installed. I could care less if I slid into a flooded quarry thus entombing myself in the car at the bottom. I'll look good doing it. That's all that matters.

I love your videos man. I've read suspension engineering books that didn't cover anti-roll bars. That's new information for me and great to know!

My TCP coil overs on the front of my 68 Mustang have made a huge difference and so far is the best performance upgrade i have done. This is one of my favorite channels!

Camber correction kits are OK for coil-over lowered cars and helps retain correct suspension geometry. Having hubcentric spacers is the same as having lower offset wheels. That's why you can get them as an option even from Porsche on GT3s. This is my experience from owning both road cars and race cars.

If you're getting lowering springs, get a proper shock/strut(adjustable performance shocks will let you fine-tune the damper to the spring rate) to match it, and get the camber kit to correct the camber. That's the proper way to lower your car using the lowering springs. Foregoing the shocks/struts and the camber kit will make your car unsafe to drive. (I speak from experience, especially when you go over something at freeway speeds). Also, don't be hesitant to splurge on a set of new polyurethane bushings to replace the stock rubber ones.

Great info as always and "explained" well. Thank you and keep up the great work!

Great videos! Would love to see similar stuff for motorcycles if you are so inclined. Simplified suspension tutorials are always cool.

You should do a "ultimate" series where you give tips on building the "Ultimate" FWD/RWD/AWD/Macpherson/Double-A suspensions. I know this isn't a blanket application BUT I think that the formulas should be very similar depending on application. Just figured I'd toss that out there. Nice shirt btw! :D

I've seen those spring clamp things to remove a spring without having a real spring compressor. That's all I thought they were for.

when I had my Z, i did Swift springs paired wtih KONI Yellow adjustable shocks, and a strut tower bar. Handled like a cat on carpet

I enjoy your lessons. Very informative and to the point!

I love how informative your videos are, backed up by science and math. def what RU-vid needs

Very informative, thanks for all the work and time you put into this site!

While I have some knowledge of the issues with alignment you take it to a new level. Thanks for the YOU TUBE and I am looking forward to viewing more of your stuff.

Great explanation on how anti roll bars can worsen handling. Thanks for posting.

Too much camber is actually a bad thing (looks over at car throttle tuner list and hella flush community

637 ricers didn't like this video

These videos are amazing. You, sir, just got yourself another subscriber.

I think for most people lowering springs +shocks is a better option than coilovers. I've had stock, cut springs, and coilovers. Coilovers are probably too harsh for most people, if you're slammed you pretty much need them, but for a 1-2" drop and better handling I would say lowering springs AND shocks- i agree mismatched damping is a no no. Love your videos and keep it up!

But my street car is a race car

Taking all of this new knowledge and applying it to my set ups in DiRT Rally.

mercedes benz ABC suspension is pretty amazing. No sway bar and adjusts with hydraulic fluid... but expensive as hell to maintain

I really appreciate this video because I was planning on getting wheel spacers and with that info, now I don't think so. Thanks man.

I've had Tein springs and I'm happy with it . my alignment is on point . The drop isn't more than 1.5 inchs

Not gonna lie, used the spring clamps for 3 years. I trimmed the bolts and had no problems. Didn't even blow the struts but still should have done it the right way lol

Excellent job !! Yes suspension travel is a good thing. far too many knuckle heads with way too much negative camber.

I went with lowering springs on my mazdaspeed 3 mostly because of budget constraints, couldn't afford coil overs. I went with springs with a modest drop if 3/4 inch in front and 1/2 inch in rear and they're only 5 percent stiffer. I also swapped out the struts with ones that are supposedly designed for lowering springs and put a bigger roll bar in the rear. The car for the most part still drives like it's stock, it's a little stiffer , gotta watch out going over steep inclines and I have more lift off over steer. No adverse camber wear that I've seen yet so I'm pretty happy how it came out

I’ve seen wheel camber at like 45° where half the tire wasn’t even in contact with the road anymore. Truly horrifying.

When I first bought my 280zx... it has spring locks.... stance bro.. great find

Well made! Driving your points all the way: suspension is w system not just individual parts & adjustability is key!

Another great video!! This guy is awesome!

The ricers(hellaflush) kids must hate this guy.

I have been running 1.75" lowering springs on my 2002 maxima for 7 years and have put a little over 100,000 miles on it with no issue. no tire wear issues or blown out struts..

First time seeing this channel, great content keep em coming!

wheel spacers and control arm mods allow for camber adjustment in lifted vehicles without resulting in any of the drawbacks discussed. p.s. i have learned so much from your videos. thank you for posting them, keep up the good work.

1) Spring clamps = for compressing springs during service, why would you drive with them on? 2) Lowering springs = Stock DOT spec sports/GT cars have a hard enough time, why would you go even lower. 3) Camber Kit = Adjustable anything is not bad if it is sturdy, just don't go crazy. 4) Wheel spacers = Find wheels that fit.... period. There are more options in cheap good wheels than ever. 5) Larger roll bar = Depending on stock setup could be good.

amen.keep up your excelent videos.much love from aldinga beach australia,ox

I know this video was made a while back so if this comment never reaches the light of day I understand, but I'd be interested to see if you could do a similar video but focused on off-road style vehicles. The sections about wheel spacers and anti-roll bars interested me because in my experience owning a Jeep Wrangler, I've seen that wheel spacers are used quite often to achieve necessary tire clearance and track width, but anti-roll/sway bars (as safe as they are) are often an afterthought (think: sway bar disconnects). Great videos, thanks for sharing your knowledge!

Just installed bilstein b8 shocks and eibach sportline springs on my bmw e91 320d. Feels amazing, handles better, absorbes the small bumps better, and looks nice

This was the most informational and easily understood video regarding these Mods.. 👍👍👍

aren't spring clamps for removing coil springs. I have used something like that in my autos class

Hey! I love your videos and how well you actually explain the reasons for various things. I've seen several videos of what not to do to your car, but I was wondering what you would suggest to get the best performance out of something like... Oh let me pull a random example... A 2016 Ford Fiesta S (base model).

A great factual and informative video, this channel is great

wouldnt pretty much all of the cons you listed for wheel spacers(not including the thread engagement) still occur if you just bought a wider wheel with a lower offset?? ...

This is a little more complicated then the explanation. Yes, you can not do one modification and expect it to work perfectly well. Also the changes are usually small, so pretty much fine tune the suspension or tune it towards more neutral handling from the factory under-steer. For example - sway bars should be installed in pairs, keeping the balance. If you want to reduce under-steer add a 10-15% stiffer front bar. Adding a 20% stiffer all around will not cause the wheel-hopping you mentioned. Also the lower and stiffer springs - they are 12-18% more siffer and 0.5" lower then factory. They can lower the understeer tendency and added benefit are ower ride height, so not that much weight transfer. etc etc. I could go on but we don't want to write a book here. So bottom line is you are correct in many points but a complete overhaul of a suspension can give you better grip on a track. Street cars ? Nope, the factory settings usually works, as long as shocks, springs, bushings are in good shape. As a general rule - get the best tire in the size that fits your wheel/car. This is the single most important modification and also with the most benefit. Crappy tires do crappy grip and cause accidents.

Very informative! As long as you do things using quality parts and do it the right way (not ghetto rig it), your car should be fine, regardless, this is a great video that details and explains the rationale/science behind it.

Looks like coil overs are the way to go for best results. Maybe a camber kit if you plan on racing. Thanks for the video!

"and uh, this is crazy for SEVERAL reasons" hahaha. gotta love this.

This has gotta be one of the best channels on RU-vid.

Nice job, and congratulation to EE for all that interesting footage! One of my car is equipped with front and rear bars upgraded, balance of the car is quite similar to the original setup. You're right concerning feedback to the other wheel, as I noticed that when my left rear wheel takes a hard bump, the other one seems to take off... One question anyway, concerns the anti-roll bars. What do you mean by "increases rate that slip angle increases"?

I like how GM is offering the Malibu with optional lowering springs from the factory. No guesswork, alignment issues, or worries about fender clearance and shock matching

ricers, learn here

How about switching out the spring for a hockey puck? Cheap stance yo

loads of good info as always 👍 those spring clamps!! 😨😬😂 wheel spacers will also add to your unsprung weight which has a negative effect on suspension performance, as well as reducing acceleration and braking due to the area you are adding the weight..

Your videos are always appreciated

I'd recommend anyone interested in doing actual performance upgrades to their suspension to do some proper research of their own. This video really just applies to people who want to retain a nice cushy ride on the street. The only item shown in this video that is actually a bad thing are the clamps. Lowering springs can be a good thing, stiffer anti-roll bars can be a good thing, adjustable camber arms etc. can be a good thing, increased negative camber can be a good thing, wheel spacers can be a good thing, and so on.

Do a explanation over a cantilever suspension, 4 link, and the watts links

Couple questions I would love answered: (quick disclaimer i love your videos, no hate, just curiosity) What was the calculation you did for performance % gain from having the wheel spacers? And whats the % of added wear on the bearings and suspension in comparison? This way people can make a more educated decision if its worth it. ie.1” spacer obtains x% performance benefit and y% added wear and 2” spacer obtains a% performance benefit with b% added wear. Thanks for all your intriguing videos!

Hi I'm driving honda fit gk3 2019 and I've installed front and rear strut bar and rigid coller and coils coming soon. Will that be enough for daily driving?

Was really waiting for him to say "you're gonna have a bad time" XD

i improved the handling of many rear drive cars, trucks by adding more front sway bar, shocks, stiffer rear springs and finally to eliminate under steer, add a rear sway bar and at the same time i always upgrade to a better pad and disc brake rotor...that way if any road rager who wants to follow me home i can just go into hyperspace mode and blow away most ragers and if you want to improve the handling more you can go to a wider and or lower tire, once all thats complete its time to upgrade the motor if you want (i always do k&n and exhaust)

Great video as usual, have you done a similar one for 5 mods that can actually increase your car handling?

Please do more video on this subject... lifting, lowering, suspension geometry, tire adhesion...

Protip: Cut the springs and use hockey pucks. #haggard #mint

Ok some of You might disagree for unknown reason but I've put ONLY lowering springs (-35mm) on stock suspension kit and my car handling has improved greatly so I don't agree with people who claim lowering springs will ruin the handling. With only lowering springs there is so much less roll on cornering and feel of connection to the road surface has wastly improved. I am going through corners with 20/30kmh faster than before without any problems on public roads. The ride is not bouncy and there is no kidney-hurting when going through potholes. The only negative side is I scratch stuff sometimes since it's lower. If You put the proper lowering springs desinged specifically for Your car, You will know what I mean. You don't need different suspension unless the drop is -4cm or more. The rest in video is great as always, Cheers! :)

For road maybe not so much an issue if your car is for looks, but spacers can also induce more stress into the lower damper arm where it bolts on, they can bend and or worse break if in an off road situation. Also if independent more stress is put onto you CVs and axle, always better esp if off roading doing it right and with in spec of the lift parameters, great video.

Great video as always! Why are all your suggestions the most expensive ways?! Arg. Can you make a video on the best cheap mods for daily driven sports cars?

Can you do a video of all you mods on your STI (if there are any) and explaining why you did them? Thanks

Just buzz killed four of my planned mods. I don't think I could have a beer with this guy.

Another great video. You're awesome

Lowering springs typically have a different spring rate to ensure your car doesn't bottom out. Unless you're talking about beaching your car. Same problem with coilovers if you put them too low. You're also always supposed to get an alignment when altering with suspension, which gets rid of the camber issue. You'll also need to replace struts and shocks when using lowering springs. Find some that are made for lowered cars and you're good.

I absolutely love my lowering springs; looks better, handles better, low investment. There are no proper lowering kits for my car anyway so this was the only choice. 1.4" drop produces a slight camber problem but almost 3 years later the tires don't look bad at all. The upgraded rear sway bar is also a no regret decision!

Video Topic Suggestion: Torque Steer on FWD cars.

I drive a lifted truck that wonders all over the highway when I drive over bumpy/rough roads. Installed 1.25 spacers and saw a notable increase in stability...plus it looks cool

Thanks for that. Just in the right time you upload something like that. => Was going to buy a used car, but the pre-owner had just bad mods fitted to the car like the wheel spacer you mentioned. Because of that and the tips in the video and a bad feeling I turned down the purchase...

An important part to consider when watching this video is the "when done improperly" that he says in the 1st couple of seconds of the video as some of these when done properly can improve handling...except for the 1st one that's just a bad idea.

Have you done a video on changing your differential ratio and how it affects daily drive-ability?

Hi, I want to decrease the distance my rear coil springs travel when I load up my 4WD CALDDINA WAGON ST195. What stiffer spings can I use, or should I use ones wth more coils? presently the coils kiss when I go over bumps with load.

Spacers or off-set wheels can be used to plant the tire in exactly the same relationship to the rest of the suspension. Suspension geometry will be identical with either method, so except for the fact that off-set wheels are the most reliable way to do it, all of the same disadvantages you cite for wider track apply equally to both methods.