H&R SPORT SPRINGS + 295/35/18 tires = shredding - HELP! Advice needed!!!

[03Predator]

Well, I can't say I wasn't warned. I have been out of the country for nearly three months. I come back, looking forward to driving my car after I had it lowered earlier this year. Take it out for ONE day and the left rear tire is shredded on the outside edge. I could hear it rubbing going over highway speed dips. I'm not an idiot so I slowed down. In town, I took a driveway slowly thinking I was acing it. WRONG. I get back on the highway and I hear a weird flapping sound. I already knew what the sound was. Terrified, I exit the car and yep, shredded to shit!

I have no other suspension mods. I run 295/35/18. BFG G-force KDW's in the rear. The guys who installed the springs had a helluva time putting them in 'cause they didn't have a compressor. Finally they had to get one. Duh! This shop's been around for awhile, good rep. Is it possible they messed something up? I hear a weird creaking sound from the rear, too. Not a lot, but sometimes. I'm pretty sure they left the stock isos on when they put the new springs in.

I knew these springs were softer sprung, but...is this normal??? I'm gutted, man. I can't even drive the damned car now. Obviously I'm taking the springs out but I'm afraid to put anything else in other than the stockers. I shouldn't have had to roll the fenders for a 295/18 tire, right? I mean...really? Now my husband is pissed and is trying to talk me in to putting the stockers back in. I understand his irritation but I want to try the Race Springs.

Any and all advice appreciated. Thank you.

 

[94slowbra1]

I run the sports too with one iso removed with a 315. I have my fenders rolled and have zero issues. Try the race springs, they are a little stiffer. If not then roll the fenders

 

[03Predator]

I don't really want to roll the fenders as I might want to sell the car some day. Thanks for the reply!

 

[Bigggy]

It all comes down to the offset of the wheel, lower the offset is, wider will be the stance. What are the spec of your wheels?

Look at your fender for any damage/place where it rubbed.

There's not much to it if you want to keep those wheels/spring, fender rolling is the way to go, but I understand the fact that you want to keep the car original.

 

[getTwisted]

Has to be the wheel offset. 295 KDW's aren't that wide. People are running them on 18" AFS reps without problems as far as I know.

On a side note, your shop didn't need to use a spring compressor. You can get the IRS low enough for the spring to fall out, but that wouldn't have anything to do with your rubbing issue.

 

[03Predator]

Biggy, there is no damage or any other markings on the fender at all from rubbing. You'd think there'd be SOMETHING but nope. The offset I'm not sure of. I got the wheels from True Forged and Steve asked me if I wanted the brake cut on them and I said yes. So...make of that what you will.

getTwisted, the shop said they tried pulling the spring out of there via the IRS but that didn't work. So I don't know. Don't people have different experiences with these springs? Some have rubbing issues, some don't. Although I attributed that to isos/no isos/cutting blah blah... All I know is the springs feel much softer than the stockers. The car is really low. I mean there's not much play in there at all. Obviously there would be rubbing with a soft spring being that low. Ugh!

 

[getTwisted]

Not sure if this helps or not but I installed sports on my car and they seem to ride pretty stiff to me. My car sits about how I expected it to. I used MM ISO's to bump the height up a little bit. here is a picture of what it looks like. Does your car look significantly lower than this?

 

[getTwisted]

edit: I just saw pics from your other thread it does look like its sits lower but it looks like it may be the difference between the stock ISO's and my MM ISO's. Has the car settled a lot since you put the springs on in March?

 

[03Predator]

First of all, looks great! I remember you said you hadn't installed yours yet last time we spoke on here. But you still run the factory wheels, correct? Not sure what the difference is in height between your car and mine with those wheels. But the width is different for sure. And yes, I believe my car is lower in the rear. The front looks about the same.

I don't know, man. My husband just told me he thinks they may have damaged the left rear shock absorber. THAT would make sense, yeah? That explains why it only rubs on one side??

Edit: when my husband called the shop who installed the springs, they did say they were having a hard time putting them in. It took all day and they weren't done yet. They had only put two in. They finished the next day. I recall feeling uneasy and very nervous and started having second thoughts. But I trusted them as they've been cool before and installed the exhaust without issue. But NO WAY should it take a day and a half to put springs in. They told me only one hour per side. It's gotta be the shock. I tried pushing down on the rear to see if it bounces but I'm not strong enough .LOL! It is much more giving while going over bumps...

 

[03Predator]

Yes, the isos do make the difference probably. I don't think it's any lower now than when I took those pics. I haven't even driven the car 300 miles since then. Not sure how long it takes for springs to settle??

edit: I just saw pics from your other thread it does look like its sits lower but it looks like it may be the difference between the stock ISO's and my MM ISO's. Has the car settled a lot since you put the springs on in March?

 

[getTwisted]

Yea I'm still running the factory wheels. The height of the car will be the same when you change wheels, because when you get a bigger diameter wheel you also get a thinner sidewall tire and the overall diameter of the wheel/tire combo should be the same.

You could try buying new shocks for the rear and see if that will help absorb the impact better. After that I can only suggest buying either MM ISO's to raise the car another .25-.50" or going with race springs.


good luck! :beer:

 

[03Predator]

As always, thanks! My husband just took the car to Les Schwab to have the shocks checked. It's not my first choice but when you live in such a small town you haven't much to choose from. If it turns out the shocks are damaged I'll give the springs a pass for the time being. I might however go MM ISO's. I should have done that to begin with but I had them on my '96 and they were so noisy. Is there a quieter alternative now? I lowered that car in 2003 I think. Surely they've made them quieter in 11 years? LOL

Yea I'm still running the factory wheels. The height of the car will be the same when you change wheels, because when you get a bigger diameter wheel you also get a thinner sidewall tire and the overall diameter of the wheel/tire combo should be the same.

You could try buying new shocks for the rear and see if that will help absorb the impact better. After that I can only suggest buying either MM ISO's to raise the car another .25-.50" or going with race springs.


good luck! :beer:

 

[FromGTtoSVT]

Bottom line on these cars is 18" wheels and tires most likely need the fenders rolled. Don't waste your time and money on shocks or replacing ISO's. Just roll the fenders and be done with it.
I went through the same issue as you, although not quite as bad. I was like you and DEAD against it.

When I bought my CCW's I was told I would not need to roll the fenders

I put them on and they rubbed After a lot of cursing I bit the bullet and had the fenders rolled....issue resolved

I wouldn't worry about rolling the fenders, not going to really affect resale at all.

 

[03Predator]

Really? Where were you when I made this decision? I know that 315 or 335's require rolling fenders but...295's? What tires do you run? I wouldn't even know where to have that done...or who to trust!

I'm so tired of this. EVERY time I lower a car it turns out badly. Maybe the 4x4 look isn't so bad. Les Schwab just called and said nothing is wrong and...wait for it..."The car is already customized from the factory and it's too complicated for them to work on." I kid you not. They said that.

Bottom line on these cars is 18" wheels and tires most likely need the fenders rolled. Don't waste your time and money on shocks or replacing ISO's. Just roll the fenders and be done with it.
I went through the same issue as you, although not quite as bad. I was like you and DEAD against it.

When I bought my CCW's I was told I would not need to roll the fenders

I put them on and they rubbed After a lot of cursing I bit the bullet and had the fenders rolled....issue resolved

I wouldn't worry about rolling the fenders, not going to really affect resale at all.

 

[getTwisted]

Not all 18" wheels need to have the fenders rolled. I think it is just a problem with High-End aftermarket wheels that have fender flush off-sets.

I had Steeda Springs on my 03 Cobra, they sat like my H&R Sports do now. I had 295/35/18 BFG KDW's with zero issues.

I'm like you 03Predator, I would not want to have to roll the fenders.

 

[getTwisted]

To add about the noisy MM's ISO's. I am not having any issues with noises with mine so far.

 

[03Predator]

Yeah, not my first choice to roll fenders. Were the Steeda's comparable to H&R in rates? Les Schwab says there's nothing wrong with the shocks so I don't know where to take it. I hate to go back to the OE springs. I'm thinking if I do to just do the rear and leave the fronts alone. The car would be raked. Not my favorite look.

Not all 18" wheels need to have the fenders rolled. I think it is just a problem with High-End aftermarket wheels that have fender flush off-sets.

I had Steeda Springs on my 03 Cobra, they sat like my H&R Sports do now. I had 295/35/18 BFG KDW's with zero issues.

I'm like you 03Predator, I would not want to have to roll the fenders.

 

[getTwisted]

Not completely sure if the Spring Rates were comparable or not. I had to remove ALL Rear ISO's to achieve this look. the Steeda's had to much Rake for my taste.


If you put the stock rear springs in it is going to look terrible to be honest. You would be better off just swapping out for some Race Springs. And if at all possible find somebody that can do it in about 5 hours. lol.

It took me 7 hours to do mine by myself in my garage and I took a 30 minute lunch break and another 30 minutes to the auto parts store and back.

 

[03Predator]

Yeah the rake is a concern. I'm not sure about H&R anything at this point. I'm afraid it'll still scrape. I know the race springs aren't as low or as soft, though.

Not completely sure if the Spring Rates were comparable or not. I had to remove ALL Rear ISO's to achieve this look. the Steeda's had to much Rake for my taste.


If you put the stock rear springs in it is going to look terrible to be honest. You would be better off just swapping out for some Race Springs. And if at all possible find somebody that can do it in about 5 hours. lol.

It took me 7 hours to do mine by myself in my garage and I took a 30 minute lunch break and another 30 minutes to the auto parts store and back.

 

[jblood37]

It is a little strange that 295s would rub. Also, whoever put the springs in must be an idiot. Remove the two rear subframe bolts and a few misc bolts and the whole sub frame pivots down. Should probably take an hour to do rear springs. I'd say 2 if you've never done it before.