Lowering the car will neither compress or decompress the springs. What happens when you lower using the coilover adjustment is you are lowering the bottom contact point of the spring. When the weight is placed back on the spring, it will still decompress by the same amount as it did before (give or take a mm). The reason that the springs become loose is because either the shock absorber has reached the bottom of the stroke or because the bumpstops on the car have started to hit. (Don't think that macpherson struts normally have bump stops though.)
It is possible to get longer springs with softer compressions to further lower the car but there will be a limit. And besides whenever you go over a speed hump or hit a pothole it is going to stuff the underside of the car. Well at least all the sparks will look cool
Thu, 17 July 2003 10:42
