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Location:
EPPING SYDNEY
Registered:
June 2003
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How much Lower for Sprinter
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Thu, 30 October 2003 02:31
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I want to lower my Sprinter.
Current it has 15inch rims and the previous owner cut the springs
I am going to fit 16 inch rims but I cant measure how much i can lower the car. Do you guys think 1 1/2 inch or 2 1/2 inch ?
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Registered:
February 2003
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Re: How much Lower for Sprinter
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Thu, 30 October 2003 03:53
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A good set up for a sprinter would be 15 inch rims with 195/50/15 tyres. (or 205).
16's will be a tad heavy, and with regard to the height, not too low, but with the guards just over the tyres will be an adequate set-up.
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Location:
EPPING SYDNEY
Registered:
June 2003
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Re: How much Lower for Sprinter
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Thu, 30 October 2003 03:57
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roughly how many inches do u think ?
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Location:
sydney
Registered:
March 2003
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Location:
EPPING SYDNEY
Registered:
June 2003
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Re: How much Lower for Sprinter
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Thu, 30 October 2003 04:17
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How much gap is between the guard and the tyre?
I am looking at koni adjustable but can only lower 40mm =1.5 inch
KYB I can get the non adjustable to 2.5 inch
I am going to fit 16inch wheel with 215 tyres
I would like the guard nearly touch the wheel...
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Registered:
February 2003
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Re: How much Lower for Sprinter
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Thu, 30 October 2003 04:39
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I've had 16's on my car and after a while i whacked on some 15's and could never go back to something bigger nor smaller. Personally I think you should stick to the 15's with 195's, and just remember, bigger is not always better - especially in the ae86 world  . But it's up to you how you'd want the car to handle/perform.
Work out which size wheels you want and work your suspension around them.
I can fit only a finger between my guard and tyre (front and rear) and find it still needs a bit more slamming. I'd say it is about 2.5 inchs lower.
I'd advise you to get adjustables with RCA and sways/bushes.
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Location:
EPPING SYDNEY
Registered:
June 2003
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Re: How much Lower for Sprinter
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Thu, 30 October 2003 04:42
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I would love the adjustables but it can only lower 1.5 inch
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Perth, WA
Registered:
May 2003
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Re: How much Lower for Sprinter
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Thu, 30 October 2003 05:25
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turbotree, are your 15's for sale?
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Location:
EPPING SYDNEY
Registered:
June 2003
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Re: How much Lower for Sprinter
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Thu, 30 October 2003 05:31
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Donno yet
My friend might wanna take it off me
It's simmons 15x7
How much are they worth anyway?
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Location:
Melbourne
Registered:
April 2003
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Re: How much Lower for Sprinter
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Thu, 30 October 2003 07:01
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i tried some 16s, the wheels look great with the guards... but leaves around 20cm floor clearance that was with 205/50/16s and u want it to be lower on the ground,
personally id say get KYB shocks or just use ur current shocks and go like 2.5 -3inches... thats for looks only thou
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Location:
Eskilstuna, Sweden
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: How much Lower for Sprinter
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Thu, 30 October 2003 09:25
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I run 17s without any issues or scrubbing. The OVERALL diameter of the wheels is 6.6mm (not much at all) greater than the factory wheels. It is just a case of more rim and less tire.
Of course there will be people that will go on about unsprung weight and rotational mass etc. But the 17s are actually only slightly heavier than the factory wheels (including tires), and all this is so I can clear the front brake rotors so as far as I am concerned the car is much better off than it was before.
Wheel size is all personal taste at the end of the day
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Location:
Madrid - Spain
Registered:
August 2002
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Re: How much Lower for Sprinter
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Fri, 31 October 2003 02:35
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I might take a moment to clarify a couple of things. There is a difference between grip and handling. Grip is how well the tyres stick to the road. While Handling is how well you car can maintain it's grip.
Lowering your car may improve your grip but it may reduce your handling to a point where the car is a pig to drive and can't keep the tyres sticking.
Generally speaking, the lower the car is the better it will grip, because it is transferring less weight across the chassis, a bit like a lever effect. Unfortunatly this does not give you a liscence to drop it to the weeds without fear for ruining your handling.
By lowering your car, you will change the roll centre location which will load up the tyres differently. It will change your camber which may reduce tyres grip, both sideways and in braking. It may introduce bump steer which is just plain aweful for handling. It may bottom out going around corners which is one of the worst things you can do for handling. At the back end of a sprinter it will reduce your traction, making it good for drifting but crap for everything else.
Having said that, you should be able to lower your car 1 - 1.5 inches without seeing too many of these nasties. More than that you will start to notice strange things happening to your handling and you will find yourself liking your car less and less.
The alternative is you can do what I am doing and lower it too far and try and fix all the problems afterwards with a succession of bandaid fixes.
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Location:
NSW, East Coast
Registered:
July 2003
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Re: How much Lower for Sprinter
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Fri, 31 October 2003 03:54
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My car is lowered 40mm, that was the lowest i was aloud. Apparently there is a change that the springs can fall of their platform if you go to low.
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Location:
Eskilstuna, Sweden
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: How much Lower for Sprinter
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Fri, 31 October 2003 06:19
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This is true FKN16V, there is a requirement that the springs remain captured at full drop (car is off the ground, jacked up - whatever) where there is no load on the suspension.
You can get around this of course by going to a full coilover set-up.
The bottom line is no matter how much you lower your car by you need to get all controal arms, trailing arms etc back to as near factory positions at the lower ride height.
The factory suspension angles and so on did not occur by accident!
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