What Shocks Should I Use On A Lowered Car?
What Shocks Should I Use On A Lowered Car?
Lowering your car to improve its looks or performance is a tradition almost as old as the automobile - in fact, there are plenty of Model Ts out there scraping over speed bumps every day. Lowering your car properly can improve its handling and braking, as long as you use the proper shocks.
You should always use shocks designed to work with lowered suspensions on your car or truck. Using shocks outside of their designated operating range can cause poor ride quality, premature wear and even unsafe handling characteristics. Most shocks adjust to road conditions based on the shock piston position, so a shock that is a few inches below the normal riding height will act as if it is mid-impact all the time.
Lowering springs typically use a higher spring rate than factory springs, so a shock or strut needs to be designed to keep that stronger spring in control. If you've ever seen a lowered car bouncing down a smooth road like a jack-in-the-box when every other car is smoothly cruising, you've seen why it is so important to use correctly matched shocks with a lowered car.
The following shocks are the only shocks we recommend for use with lowered suspensions:
In some cases, there may not be a specifically designed lowered shock for your vehicle. In those cases, we recommend using a high pressure monotube shock such as the Bilstein B6 Heavy Duty or the KYB Gasajust, but those shocks should not be used with any drop lower than 1-2 inches below the stock ride height.