Hi all. I’ve been surfing on here for a while, and now it’s time to make my first post lol.

As the title states, I’m lowering my R52, and I’m wondering what if there’s anything I’m missing ,or if there’s any maintenance I should do to my suspension while I’m at it.

I just ordered some Koni yellows’s, that won’t be here till early October unfortunately, and I picked up some Tein S (I think) springs off of a local guy. I think I’ve gone with a good setup from what I’ve heard. Anyways, my car just crossed the 60k mile mark, so what should I do? Ive heard talk about bushing and some other things that could be replaced. Also, under the hood, the rubber piece that’s inside the strut tower is cracked on one side. I’m not totally sure what that’s called, but is that something I should replace (And what’s it called lol). I’ve been wrenching on cars my whole life, but I can’t put a name to quite everything yet.

As for lowering the car, what else could I do to make it ride somewhat close to stock ? I’ve read on other threads that the rear sway bar will make a difference, but I’m not sure how? I also have run flat tires, and from what I’ve heard they ride like terribly compared to non run flats. So I think I’m going to get a set of 205/50/17 atlas 4 tires. I’m going to go with a 5% increase in sidewall over what I have, because I like the look better, and I assume it would ride better. If anyone has any feedback on those tires, that would be appreciated. If there’s anything else I should know about lowering my car, let me know!

Thanks everyone!







And here’s a picture of my car =)

 

You want to lower the car but the 205/50x17 tires will raise it. Go with 215/45x17. I'd suggest a 19mm rear bar for better handling but, unless you plan on some spirited driving, don't bother. After lowering, you'll want to install adjustable rear lower control arms to be able to properly set rear camber and toe.

 

The rubber piece is part of the strut mount, and you should definitely replace it. You might consider swapping to adjustable camber plates, but at the very least you should probably add some sort of tower reinforcement if you don’t already have some. The stock mounts and towers have a tendency to deform, especially on cars with big wheels and run flats.

You should also check the lower front control arm bushings.

 

Ok gotcha. So camber plates would replace the rubber pieces? And if I got camber plates would I still need to get strut tower reinforcements, or no?

And as for the tire sizes, it would raise it, but not by much if I’m correct. There’s a .4” difference between 205/45/17 and 205/50/17. So would it raise the car by .2” or .4”? (If I’m thinking correctly.) It would also fill in wheel gap just a little bit more, which could make it appear lower?

 

When you lower the vehicle, the "wheel gap" will inherently decrease. If you're looking for a more compliant ride, the KONI Sports are not the best choice but they do accept lowering springs well. The 205/50x17 will soften it somewhat but, as I've stated, will raise it back up about 1/2 inch. Here's a great tool you can play with: https://www.wheel-size.com/calc/.

 

Strut tower plates, suspension refresh kit, mounts, rear adjustable camber arms. That's what i did on my R52 with ECS Coilovers. Running R112 wheels also on JCW 4 pots up front. 205/40r17 tires. All good here. I got a killer deals on the tires otherwise i would have done 205/45r17

 

Would there have been a better option than the KONI yellows? From what I read they seemed pretty decent on the softest setting, which is what I’ll be running them on.

 

On balance, I suppose you've made the best/easiest choice and I hope they will live up to your expectations. In your instance, I would've investigated the KONI Special Active Reds but, before anyone pounces on me for suggesting them, the OP isn't going to be tracking the car and will not be stressing the SA's to the point of hurting the valving with lowering springs. IMHO, it would give the OP a more compliant, comfortable ride.