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wheels and lowering


edgemama

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Hi I'm new around here (and new to car mods) so forgive me if this is in the wrong spot!

 

I'm hoping to have my 09 Edge lowered and I am also planning on getting new wheels and tires. Would you guys suggest getting the new wheels before lowering the Edge, or after? I'm planning to swap out the old stock wheels for the summer with the new ones and then switching back in the nasty (chicago) winter. So i'm not sure if it's better to have the new wheels or the original wheels on when it's lowered.

 

Also where would my best bet be to have my car lowered? Do they do that kind of thing at the dealership/service center?

 

Thank you in advance for any help you can give me!

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Hi edgemama, welcome to the forum! I've been customizing cars for 20+ years & have learned it doesnt matter which is installed 1st as long as you know how many inches the springs your getting will lower your ride. With Edges it isn't a concern because the lowest the springs on the market will lower the EDGE is 2inches max which is plenty of room for most rims sizes unless you get 26s. I always go for the cheapest mod 1st that way you get things done sooner ;) When it comes to installation ask your friends if they know a trustworthy & affordable mechanic. Thats how I found mine...thru a friend or got yahoo local and call your local repair shops to see if they will install them for you. The install price should be between 250-350 including alignment. There are currently 2 makers of springs that I know about on the market now (H&R & Eibach) I suggest H&R cuz I believe thet make the car sit alittle lower. Good luck & please keep us informed on your progress & updated w pics :)

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Mike, thanks so much for all the info, it's really helpful!

 

Another question I have. I'm thinking of going from the 18" stock rims to 20" or 22" Savini wheels on Proxes ST II tires. Will I need to do anything special to the Edge being that I'm going UP in wheel size? My dad brought up the fact that going up in size will make my mph inaccurate...any insight on that?

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going up in size will make my mph inaccurate...any insight on that?

as long as you keep the height of the new tire the same as the stock tires the MPH will be be same or close. For example I went from 245/60/18 to 265/35/22 tires & because the new tires are low profile even with a bigger rim the height is close to the same so the speedometer wasnt really effected. Most tire shops have a calculator on their computer that can show you what Im talking about. Another way to say it is you want to keep the revolutions the same so the speedo stays the same. If you go from a 245/60/18 to a 245/40/18 the tire sidewall height is smaller giving the tire more revolutions thus throwing the speedo off. I hope this makes sense :)

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Hi Mike, thanks so much for your help. I'm such a newb when it comes to customization on cars! It's hard being a girl and calling shops, they don't really wanna deal with me or answer my questions so I'm glad I can come here and find people that can explain things to me without giving me an attitude!

 

I just thought I'd ask, since you've been customizing for so long, if I lower my Edge using the H&R springs you mentioned, is that going to do anything to my warranty? Like void it or anything?

 

Again I appreciate your patience, and your help!

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Not a problem! glad to help a fellow forum member out :) From my experience the warranty will be voided on the parts modified. For Example I changed my exhaust & lowered my EDGE so the exhaust & suspension aren't covered anymore. You might want to call the warranty manager at your local dealer & confirm. Can you post a pic of your EDGE & the rims your considering to upgrade to? I I'd like to get a idea on how it might look :)

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I will give them a call, thanks for the tip :)

 

i can't believe it, i actually don't have a picture of my edge on my phone OR computer lol how lame. I'd take one right now but my brother is borrowing it. It's a white '09 Edge Limited

 

but here are the wheels I ordered yesterday savinibm1.jpg

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i sure hope they will lol and I went with 40 because it's what the guy from carid told me would measure the same as my stock. he originally said 285/35/22 but then followed up with a tire specialist that said my car would be better with the 265/40/22 when i have it lowered.

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oh and speaking of lowering, have you ever encountered any problems with your suspension after dropping it? I'm still kind of on the fence about if I want to drop it or not. I really love the look but if it's going to cost me MORE money down the road because it can cause problems, then I don't think I want to...

 

and also, this might be an odd question, but after you drop a car, say years down the line I don't want it low anymore, can i have them put ford springs back in? just for my information :D

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depending on the width of your rims; 285/35/22s might have not been the right choice, glad you went with the 265/40/22s. There are 2 ways to go about lowering you Edge imo the 1st which is the way I always go is to just change the springs but there is a risk of one or more shocks blowing out later due to the car being lowered. I always wait until a strut/shock goes bad them I upgrade them or you can avoid the double installation price & upgrade the struts/shocks along with the springs at the same time. KYB makes struts & shocks that will work w the lowering springs. Yes you can always install the stock springs to raise the ride back up if you want to. When are your rims due to arrive & are you considering any other mods?

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Awesome info. Thanks again :)

 

My rims should be here late next week or early the week after. I'm going to look into getting my windows tinted and POSSIBLY a body kit, but not completely decided on that one yet. I feel like because I have a white edge the gray around the bottom makes it look a little unfinished. But we'll see if I wanna shell out that kind of money lol.

 

As far as mechnical stuff under the hood...i have no idea about ANY of that lol so all the mods I want are kind of superficial.

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Cool! When you get your windows tinted don't forget to tint the top 6inches of the windshield. In most states its legal cuz the car already has tint there from the factory. It also helps alot when driving uphill into the sun ;)

 

I agree w looking unfinished & funny how you say bodykit cuz ive been thinking about doing 1 of 3 ideas I have...1-just paint the bottom to match. 2-just get the front of the body kit installed & paint the rest to match & 3-get the entire body kit...lol. After I finish w stereo & engine upgrades I'll be on a budget so it just might be idea #2. to me the front wouldn't look right just painted & I don't want to spend $800 on a entire kit the another $500-$800 to paint & install it so just having the front kit would save around $400 total.

 

Nothing wrong w superficial, I actually have a phobia of pulling up next to a car the is exactly like mine..lol thats y I customize... to individualize & also to upgrade where possible

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I never would've thought about tinting the top 6" of the windshield. good call :) i'm gonna call around for pricing soon on the tints.

 

I guess i don't think outside of the box much because the only thing I ever considered was getting a body kit lol never even considered painting the bottom to match! all things to consider i guess :)

 

lol @ phobia, good point. it's definitely nice to turn heads, too!

 

From what I can tell, my rims should be shipping on the 12th! super excited, and can't wait to see them. I'll post pix as soon as i get them on :D

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I saw a pic of another EDGE w just the front bottom bumper painted to match & I wasnt a fan, so gunna have to get the front kit no matter what when Im ready ;)

 

rims shipping on the 12th!

Why are they taking so long so ship? are they being made from scratch? You must be a doctor or nurse to have that much patience! lol I ordered an intake & a strut tower brace a week ago, they were just shipped & I can hardly wait! :)

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I saw a pic of another EDGE w just the front bottom bumper painted to match & I wasnt a fan, so gunna have to get the front kit no matter what when Im ready ;)

 

 

Why are they taking so long so ship? are they being made from scratch? You must be a doctor or nurse to have that much patience! lol I ordered an intake & a strut tower brace a week ago, they were just shipped & I can hardly wait! :)

LOL it's hard, but I think they'll be worth the weight. I think they will probably ship sooner than the 12th, that is just the estimated ship date I received. I thought they might ship this week but with the holiday mid-week everything is screwy. lol you sound like a kid on christmas :P

 

I picked out the same wheel for my 2011, but in 20" and I haven't pulled the trigger yet. Please post some pics, my help me fire away.

I will for sure :D as soon as I get them on!
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As above mentioned.....I imagine you need different struts for your lowered vehicle. You want your strut travel to be where struts are designed for. Also.....I would imagine you will wear the inside of your new tires. When you lower a vehicle, you usually pick up more negative camber. Sometimes a problem, sometimes not. Can be fixed with a camber caster kit, or just use some camber bolts. For sure, you will need a new 4 wheel alignment. You give up ride comfort (no matter what the ads say) for lower CG. Maybe car handles better, maybe not. Never lowered an Edge....lowered many Mustangs. Enjoy!

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RJG - thanks for the info! All info is helpful :) I may hold off on lowering the edge. It's not a super important thing for me to do right now. I'm getting the new w/t and I want to see how they look, I think they might look good enough that I don't need to lower but we'll see. I do really like the look of a lowered edge. Still on the fence...

 

Also, I'm very excited to say that my wheels shipped tonight! Hopefully I'll get them before the weekend :D :D there was an issue with the tires. a tire specialist at carid said that I would be better off with 265/35/22 because sometimes the 40 series rubs when you turn too much. I'm glad they said something though because I would've been pretty pissed if it happened. I'll post pix when I get them and then pix when i put them on :D

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you sound like a kid on christmas :P

 

funny how you say that cuz it is like opening a gift to myself when I get a new part for my ride in! ;) speaking of which my intake came a few days ago & my strut tower today!!! car sounds better & takes turns tighter now! Love it!

 

Glad ur rims FINALLY shipped! I still dont understand y it took 2 months for them to ship? (it felt like 2months at least XD) R they being shipped to ur house or the tire dealer?

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Regarding lowering......Our 2012 Edge Limited FWD with stock 18's looks like it sits kinda high. However, after measuring underneath, realize it doesn't. That look mostly comes from the fender openings being cut so high (too high I think).....lots of room for chains, etc.

 

When measuring underneath vehicle at lowest point, it actually sits low compared to other hi profile SUV type vehicles, and the plastic chin spoiler beneath front bumper is only 7" above ground.....low enough to easily catch on curbs when parking, etc. So while my Edge looks kinda high and "dorky" around the wheels, it actually isn't that high off the ground. Especially when considering the kind of vehicle it is. I'm not much interested in screwing up suspension on a lowering job just to take out some visual fender gap. It rides and handle pretty good as is....for kind of vehicle it is. At stock height, engineers have figured out air flow management in and around front, and how to eliminate air flow underneath pretty well. A lot of engineering thought has gone into this vehicle.

 

Bottom line.....when you lower our vehicles, you gain negative camber, front and rear, which in turn causes more than stock toe in. You might be able to adjust out the excess negative camber with some tolerances in stock system, or with aftermarket parts, and some built in factory adjustment, but excess toe in will wear tires rapidly. So you will need an alignment. Toe is easily adjusted.

Edited by RJG
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