why lower a 172?

[sarge64]

3 months ago i brought my first 172 clio that had been stood for 3 years. The car came with lowered spring which i have to say based on todays UK doads made the car fecking horrible, infairness it was the first quick clio ihad driven. Over the years driven all the cosworth derivitives, intergralie 8 &16v, porsches of all types plenty of bmw m & b cars and the list goeson, any way i digress on getting this project i get started & mot'd without any drama and give it to the wife.
I drove it and thought if it was my daily runner it would be down the road by now!
Its harsh and almost tries to swop end when it hops around on bumps.
Any way brought some used springs, get the car in the air and the nsr shock has bottomed out due to the lack of movement, cbanged the rear springs back to standard, went to change the fronts had not checked them properly when i brought them and one was broken. Took the decision to cut the other one to match but when fitting once cut they do NOT fit the seat pans correctly. Any way running out of time decided to leave the front end lowered and run std rears, it transformed the car! It is now nice to drive, just done 130mls around the costwolds and i enjoyed the car, only reason i can see for lowering the car is for asthetic reasons as for handling i would suggest in normal road use ig ruins it!
maybe im wrong but unless its billiard ball smooth you are ruining a good car!

 

[Owen92]

So you complain about the car being lowered and handles poorly, yet you cut springs and admit they don't locate correctly?
Makes perfect sense! Obviously no logic in this thread.

 

[JaredHasNoBrain]

1. You cut the springs
2. They are obviously bad springs. Compression rate, how much they lower and it may be on standard shocks.
3. Just buy NEW decent springs.


oh oh and 4. Paragraphs are your friend, leave a little gap every now and then.

Cooksports are what everyone is looking for but is a waiting list, so just look online for Eibachs or something that arent stupid low.

 

[Chip-mk1]

A correctly matched set of decent shocks and springs makes for a mildly more entertaining drive than standard, but they do handle well as standard.

Yours sounds like it was a victim of knackered shocks etc which is far more likely to be the reason for the handling being poor than the fact it was lowered, so I think your analatyical skills in identifying cause and effect are probably a bit on the poor side TBH.

Glad you are enjoying it now, even though your comments make as much sense as if you said:

Why do people listen to radio 1?
I listened to radio 1 while driving a transit and it didnt handle very well, but I listed to capital fm while driving an Exige and it handled really well, so why do people ever listen to radio 1 when driving when its so much worse?

 

[105e]

Have to agree, my first phase 1 came lowered, just couldn't live with the ride quality, my second afaik is on standard suspension and is ok.

 

[Goodj]

Instant finger-bangs at any given retail park if you've got lowz IIRC?

 

[warwickstingray]

Some people just run Clios as weekend/occasional track cars and can live with a harder ride. Some parts of the country just have better roads so a harder ride doesn't matter. There lots of reasons why someone would do it. It really is a personal choice thing.

I can't understand why people buy VW's but each to their own. Do what makes you happy as long as it's safe and you won't hurt anyone and screw everyone else!