tirerack has H&R springs for $200, how much does the local mechanic charge on average for the installation? also would this void any warranty on my car which has extended warranty?

 

This should take a mechanic about an hour to finish. I would guess it would be from $80-120/hr. You might as well do it yourself.

If you have a suspension related problem the dealer has the right to null your warranty based on your obvious modification of the suspension system, but the law says this is valid only if the root cause of the failure is directly correlated to your lowering springs.

 

i see, its actually not a dealer warranty, its a "certified pre-owned mini extended warranty" up to 6years 100k. Maybe i should call the local dealer in Orange County and ask them but i feel like they will say that it will void the warranty even if it does not legally.

 

I HIGHLY suggest you not install aftermarket springs without upgrading the shocks to an appropriate replacement.. Koni Yellows, for instance, or another shock made for use with lowering springs.

Your warranty should be unaffected, other than for the shocks (since they are now mismatched with a shorter/stiffer spring), and the springs themselves (bfd, they're now gone).

 

thanks for the advice, but i want to know if it is possible to just install the springs and if there are any mini drivers that has that setup and happy with it...

 

Sure, it's possible, it's done all the time. People are happy with it for 2 reasons - one, it's an improvement over the horrible stock setup, even with the the inadequate dampers left in place, and secondly because they don't know any better - they haven't driven a similar car to their own with both a shock & spring upgrade. If they had, they'd realize the difference, and a lot of them would opt to do it the "right" way. I'm sure many more would not, feeling that the springs-only solution was adequate for them. Fair enough. But even in that scenario, all is not rosy - the stock shocks aren't going to last long at all when used with lowering springs.

 

so whats the one you have "H&R touring cup kit"? is that a better option or do i still need to get shocks?

 

Coilovers are a better option all together. But if your on a budget, springs can be an okay solution. You can do what I am going to do, buy springs now, and once the OEM shocks go out I will get some real coilover suspension.

 

The H&R kit 's a good option for the price - I paid $600 on a holiday deal, you might be able to do as well shopping around. That includes H&R OE Sport springs (1.4" lowering) and H&R branded Koni single adjustables, same as Koni sells as "Yellows" or "Sports", but with custom valving for H&R, allegedly tuned for each kit's application. I'm happy with it, especially for the price, but I find it to be a bit soft for what it is. But still a big-time upgrade over the stock setup. Even my GF, who doesn't give a rat's patootie about cars and would never notice most details, noticed right away that ride quality had improved over stock.

Coilovers are probably your best option, but are expensive, and overkill unless you are autocrossing or doing some other type of competitive driving.

 

It won't be long before they go out Brandon. I had the Eibach springs for 15k and the stockers were shot. Hell my H&R RSS are pretty much toast after 85k. Good thing they have a lifetime warranty