FAQ: Aftermarket Lowering Springs

robotennis61 wrote:

I'll take a pic tomorrow.

Believe it when I see it!

In my seemingly never ending quest to get low, I contacted these guys about this kit.

http://www.americanairsuspension.com/mobile/Product.aspx?id=37824

Red springs=eibach? Do Seville shocks and struts also interchange, or just springs? If not, maybe I can just get the springs if they actually have them. Or maybe they can Frankenstein a kit together for me that would work. 700 for new everything doesn't really seem too bad if it's quality parts.

I got my Eibachs for $170 shipped from the best Ebay buy I have ever found.

I highly recommend you create auto alerts for your Ebay account that emails you when keyword auctions are posted. That's how I found mine.

Good idea! Definitely doing that.

OK guys, here is the upshot of trying to get lowering springs from Coil Springs Specialties.  Over the past few months I have: purchased and sent them a rear spring because they had no specs for rears, during the process, I took the front springs out of my car and sent them a front spring for confirmation of specs., and many, many emails and phone calls attempting to get it right.

I ordered a set of fronts and rears with a 1 1/4" drop and a conservative 15% increase in spring rate.  What they sent me were rears that dropped the car 3/4" - and raised the fronts 3/4" above stock, and 2" above the front trim height requested.  The electronic control system was jacking up the back of the car to try to level with the front, and riding on the air shocks, not the springs.

The springs were installed by a professional performance suspension shop.  Because I replaced the struts with KYBs, C.S.S. accused the struts of being the problem.  However when installing the factory springs back in the car, the front height came back down by 3/4" as from the factory. The suspension shop says the spring rate is wrong.  In trying to resolve with C.S.S., they eventually refunded my original purchase price, but no allowance for the parts I sent them, and for the additional labor (several hundred $) to change out and reinstall the factory springs after they could not resolve the problem with their springs.  In contacting them, their solution to all of this is to pull the springs from the vehicle once again, and send them to C.S.S., so they can inspect them.  This would again take my car out of service (it is my only driver) and they have made no offer to absorb the new shipping or labor costs.

Bottom line:  I would avoid buying springs from these people.

Richouser wrote:

OK guys, here is the upshot of trying to get lowering springs from Coil Springs Specialties.  Over the past few months I have: purchased and sent them a rear spring because they had no specs for rears, during the process, I took the front springs out of my car and sent them a front spring for confirmation of specs., and many, many emails and phone calls attempting to get it right.

I ordered a set of fronts and rears with a 1 1/4" drop and a conservative 15% increase in spring rate.  What they sent me were rears that dropped the car 3/4" - and raised the fronts 3/4" above stock, and 2" above the front trim height requested.  The electronic control system was jacking up the back of the car to try to level with the front, and riding on the air shocks, not the springs.

The springs were installed by a professional performance suspension shop.  Because I replaced the struts with KYBs, C.S.S. accused the struts of being the problem.  However when installing the factory springs back in the car, the front height came back down by 3/4" as from the factory. The suspension shop says the spring rate is wrong.  In trying to resolve with C.S.S., they eventually refunded my original purchase price, but no allowance for the parts I sent them, and for the additional labor (several hundred $) to change out and reinstall the factory springs after they could not resolve the problem with their springs.  In contacting them, their solution to all of this is to pull the springs from the vehicle once again, and send them to C.S.S., so they can inspect them.  This would again take my car out of service (it is my only driver) and they have made no offer to absorb the new shipping or labor costs.

Bottom line:  I would avoid buying springs from these people.

Wow. I'm extremely glad you posted this. I've been in talks with them and was about to confirm my order on Monday. I'm going to bring up this mishap and Ser what they have to say. What guy were you working with? I've been talking to Kevin.

I was also working with Kevin. I truly believe he did all he could but he is not the owner and could only go so far.

I'm going to talk to him about this and see what he has to say. I know a couple people who have had really good luck with css, so i don't want to count them our yet. I was looking to get different specs than you (1.75" drop and +40% rate), but if their oem data is off then that would throw everything off.

Tyler,

Keep this in mind. I sent them a rear from a wrecking yard at the beginning, and I believe the rears would have been OK if the fronts had come down also as planned. They produced the fronts from their own specs, and they were the problem. When I sent them a front from my car to look at after they had sent me the ones that raised the car, they returned it at my request without comment. I had to get it back in my car and back on the road. I believe they could have eventually solved this by sending in my springs once again, at considerable additional cost and down time. My issue with them is no offer to do the right thing in the circumstance, other than expect me to go through the whole process again.

Ok. Thanks for the info. Maybe I will pull a front spring from a junkyard and send it in.

how much are custom coil springs and how much to do Robo's coilover mod?

Just guessing but if the coil overs are $1.5 - $2k and the coil overs are ~4-$500? then I'd rather save that money and put it towards the coil overs.

I cant wait to sell the Eibachs and do coil overs.

My purchase costs for the C.S.S. springs were $407 including freight to CA

...    

Hi Folks,

Here is the final word re lowering springs from my experience ; use extreme caution - especially with C.S.S.  Their final resolution to my saga is as follows, with no effort to offer compensation for all of the professional labor to install and then deinstall their faulty product.  They initially denied any any problems with their product as well.

"Hello Richard,
We are currently working with an active suspension, in conjunction with video sent to us by other individuals willing to work with us to solve this issue."

They did refund me the cost of the springs, but not in a complete fashion.  If you want more detail PM me.  I'm done with this and would never try this approach to lowering a 90's Riviera again.

^^^^^^^^shouldve went with robos coil over write up

You are so right. Didn't see it when I started this fools mission.

I kind of feel responsible for the whole CSS debacle,God knows I found them.I went through a similar experience and have the springs still.
My springs are ok but I think I'm gonna keep 'em.I don't want to be held accountable in the future for anything.But I had to jump through hoops to get what I wanted & even then wasn't totally happy with the purchase.Live & Learn

It looks like the Bonneville guys might have found a better option on the Eibach springs, possibly using the 3874.140 (Deville) instead of the 3872.140 (Seville). Both shared the same platform, so the springs SHOULD still work, right? And, unlike the Seville springs these things are actually possible to find.

http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/forum/performance-brainstorming/topic37941-20.html

I did a full comparison here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/022s70wzc9p7lu9/AAC5QtZDeEHIdVZaKQs_OgPCa?dl=0

All stock numbers are off of RockAuto. I know that there's been issues before, but it was the best I could do. It looks like the Deville springs would get you a 2" drop, but the numbers make it look like they would work out pretty well. I'll wait for some people to comment and my bank account to recover before making a move.

http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/forum/post358555.html

There's somebody who did Deville springs on a Bonneville...... Man my wallet is getting itchy.

Using OEM rears from Deville in a Riviera seems like a bad idea, but the Eibach versions looks like they would work. Good info. Someone needs to try this!

PS - if the Seville Eibachs were discontinued, why would they still be making a Deville kit? Just seems like there would be little or no demand. Any leads for purchasing?

We've got a few Bonnevilles out back for wholesale.....I might just have to go out there and have a look-see. We might even have a Deville.

I've found a few sites that claim to have them. I'll try it when I get the money. I don't think they are still produced though.

I thought Tyler was talking to Eibach to make a special production of riv springs?

We needed 20. Hasn't happened yet.