Effects of lowering my 97 formula one inch?

there isnt no down falls besides bumps and dips in road. it will handle better .

Let's just say that every time I run over a quarter, I can tell if it's heads or tails.:lol:

Other than that, it handles great!!!

steveo said:

even with an inch of drop, you need to do something about the lower control arm angle (lca relocation brackets) as well as an adjustable panhard rod to re-center the axle

it will be a harder ride too, lowering springs are stiffer than stock. good time to upgrade your shocks, or the rebound will suck. your factory shocks are probably toast anyway, making the problem worse

so, proper lowering job:

- lca relocation brackets
- trim air dam
- adj. panhard rod
- new shocks
- lowering springs
- alignment

lowering a solid rear axle car properly isn't cheap

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Thanks alot. Not to disrespect anyone else's answers, but this is the answer that i was looking for...substantial information.. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that one of the bmr 1993-2002 f-body handling performance package is what I need....plus the alignment and the air dam trimming?

Only downfall is you will catch more speed bumps or like me get stuck on one going into an airbase. the guards got a real kick out of that one.

i can live with that...i will just ride over the high ones that are actually used for security reasons at an angle. this car is going to be my baby, and i might actually take it on an autocross track from from time to time

I agree with everyone. I did just Lowering on Mine of 1.5 and it was fine for years although advers effects of lower ride, stiffer, could use the panhard etc.. no real downfall though ie you can only tell minimally.. then did the panhard shocks etc.. you can notice it a bit better . It could still use a camber adjustment , but that's really not a big deal given how long that takes to wear the tires.... So If. You really want to just do it. And if you dont like the ride do the other stuff or put it back... Lowered there is no way you can do headers longtube headers . And of course every driveway you gotta do sideways. And avoid all potholes etc..

If you wanna do it for better handling don't.. in My opinion handling is actually reduced due to less spring travel .. if I corner hard i get more roll even with a lower stance... Just My 2 cents.. and I had to trim My fender wells so I don't rub in hard cornering... In My opinion this is a pure looks mod.

on your 97z? did you do all of the other supporting mods too? i.e the lca relocations, adj pan hard bar etc? I haven't done anything as of yet.

After years of no mods, yes I did. You notice the difference ,but its subtle. It being your car you notice it but Any random person would never know the diff one way or the other.

97z,
You mentioned not being able to go with long tube headers after lowering, that could definitely be a show stopper for me bc I already have em. If that's the case then I can use the money on something else.

From everyone ive heard you will scrape longtubes if you lower ... I don't know firsthand .. but im sure others will confirm, deny

Yeah... got long tubes on mine. No problem. Only thing I've scraped under the car has been the cat. Driven lowered cars for years. You tend to get good at driving over things carefully just by habit.

97z28convt said:

..Any random person would never know the diff one way or the other..

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see.. unless you're driving it like a soccer mom, you'll feel an improperly done lowering job. a stock f-body doesn't wheel hop much if you spin the tires. lowered with no other changes wheel hops like hell, because the geometry is suddenly broken

i've lived in some pretty bumpy areas... i wouldn't say a 1" drop will make you scrape more easily, because lowering springs are stiffer. it's at slow speeds in parking lots that you have to watch out

stiffer lowering springs, which give you a lower center of gravity in corners is a huge improvement. i wouldn't say it's just for appearance... is it worth the $1000 or whatever you'll spend doing it properly? not sure, depends how much subtle improvements in hard cornering matters to you

Having a nice ride that handles like a high-end sports car is one of the goals I'd like to reach with this build. I'm ironing out the details one system at a time. Since the engine and trans are already situated, the next logical step to me is the suspension, then after I've saves up more money...the rearend. Having something that corners well is definitely high on my list. I had an 06 stratus R/T that handled amazingly for what it was. Every since then I've been a fan of r/t suspensions. So as long as my long tubes don't drag the ground I'm good. Ive also taken an evasive driving course that was about as much fun as a rollercoaster. So, yeah, a daily driver that corners is right online with my idea of fun. I do appreciate everyone's input.

I can see a lot of deniro being spent rapidly in your future. There are plenty of brands out there that sell quality components. Coil overs front and rear should be on that list of your along with well just about everything else they sell aftermarket for our cars.

I don't mind spending the money that I have set aside for the car. My biggest concern is making sure I'm buying the right combination of parts. I'd hate to have the city and my nosy neighbors all in my yard bc of the stock pile of parts I'd accumulate. Plus doing this the right way, the first time is the least I can do for my wife's nerves. I'd be content if I constantly had something to wrench on, but like I said bt my neighbors, the city and my wife, there would be issues. I'm definitely looking for quality components, bc I only want to have to buy em once.

If you want an expert opinion or suggestion contact Sam Strano.