[DML] Re: Lowering a D

[William T Wilson <fluffy@xxxx>]

On Tue, 20 Apr 1999 Jus4sho@xxxx wrote:

> I'd like to lower my D from its original ride height. I've read that you can 
> put the rear springs in the front and put the front in the rear (after 
> cutting 3-1/2 coils out). I also know that lowering coils can be purchased. 
> I'd like to hear from someone who did the "switch and cut" method and
> what their impression of the results was. Final car stance? Ride
> quality? etc. Mechanically speaking, I know it's "proper" to buy the
> lowering springs, but is there anything really wrong with this method?

I don't have a cut-and-swap conversion, but the reason that lowering is so
popular with the DeLorean is that the DeLorean as produced is not the same
as the DeLorean as designed. At the last minute the front end was raised
to meet changing federal bumper height requirements. Either form of
lowering is an improvement, but the cut-and-swap method lowers both the
front and rear, whereas the original design was lower only in the front. 
Therefore, the lowered-spring conversion adjusts not only ride height, but
also the pitch angle of the car. This improves the aerodynamics and
visibility, which means that the lowering spring method is probably
better. Lotus is a better suspension tuner than I am, and so I tend to
believe that returning the car to as close to the design as possible is
going to be better.

There is some anecdotal evidence that the lowering spring conversion
really does improve the handling noticeably. Original Car & Driver
reviews of the DeLorean complained about high speed instability,
unpredictability and twitchiness in the steering, and chassis flexing.
Lowering corrects the first two of these and improves the third, although
chassis stiffness has always been a (fairly minor) problem.

There is also some danger in cutting your springs that you will screw it
up, and then they will come loose or break. So that's bad, but I've never
heard of this happening in practice *on a DeLorean*. I have heard of it
happening on poorly lowered Civics. You will also affect the spring rate
by cutting springs (no matter how hard you try not to) and this can affect
your ride quality and/or handling. I think the cut-and-swap was more
popular before the lowering springs became available.

I've also heard that the cut-and-swap method makes the car sufficiently
low in the back that bottoming out is a real danger on things like speed
bumps and inclined driveways. The DeLorean only has 5 inches of ground
clearance to start with.

Of course, the lowering springs (which affect only the front) are less
work, because you only have to take the front end apart instead of the
whole suspension.


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