white_rabbit Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 Hi guys I'm planning to install lowering springs on my edge. during my research I found a lot of people as well as spring manufacturers recommend installing alignment kits with the new springs. I understand the need to re-align the wheels after installing the springs but do I really need an alignment kit? you see I did align my wheels for my last car after i installed new tires and i did not need any kit. so why do i need a kit this time? i can just go to the mechanic after i install the springs and he can align the wheels. so please help me clarify this issue as i dont want to spend money on a kit if it wont be needed. p.s. i will get either the eubach or the h&r kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 Hi guys I'm planning to install lowering springs on my edge. during my research I found a lot of people as well as spring manufacturers recommend installing alignment kits with the new springs. I understand the need to re-align the wheels after installing the springs but do I really need an alignment kit? you see I did align my wheels for my last car after i installed new tires and i did not need any kit. so why do i need a kit this time? i can just go to the mechanic after i install the springs and he can align the wheels. so please help me clarify this issue as i dont want to spend money on a kit if it wont be needed. p.s. i will get either the eubach or the h&r kit. Hopefully Waldo will jump in here - but Ford doesn't build in all of the alignment adjustability at the factory. You have to add eccentric bolts, etc. to do some adjustments. In this case I assume you'd need to adjust the camber and it's likely that does require a kit. Check with the service dept. about camber alignment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldo Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 Short answer - Ford designs alignment adjustability to cover the range you need at factory ride height, beyond that you may run out of adjustment. An alignment kit offers a greater range of adjustment. Long answer - the alignment of a suspension changes as it moves up and down. Generally a suspension will be designed so that wheels gain negative camber as they go up and the wheels toe in as they go up. This is to increase stability and grip while cornering. So what it means is whenever you lower the car, the camber will go more negative and you'll get more toe-in at curb height. This has nothing to do with the springs themselves, it's purely the geometry of the suspension. Since you don't want to increase tire wear, you want to offset that gain in camber and toe to be closer to the original factory settings. Now on most cars toe is pretty adjustable, there should be plenty of adjustment to cover the effect of lowering. But camber adjustment is very limited. IIRC the Edge doesn't have any camber adjustment in the front and only a limited amount in the rear. So depending on a lot of things, like build variation, bushing compliance and any damage/wear on the vehicle, you may not be able to adjust the camber far enough to get it back to a normal setting after lowering. This is where a kit can help, it can increase the range of adjustment available. But usually it comes with the trade-off of clamp load on the bolts. Usually to get the greater adjustment you end up with smaller bolts that can't hold as much torque. That's not likely to result in a catastophic failure where suspension pieces fall off the car, but it can mean the bolts will slip either with a good bump or slowly over time, such that you'll have to check the alignment more often. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOFSTEEL Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 So it sounds like the answer is ....it depends. I'd go ahead and run the springs without an alignment kit. Many people on the board run just springs and I haven't heard of anyone having issues. Even if your camber is a little negative or positive I doubt it will cause enough uneven wear or affect everyday driving to cause for further adjustment. Springs are a future mod of mine and id like to couple them with a larger rear sway to eliminate some of the body roll. I'll post my experiences after I tackle the install and put in some seat time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwtc Posted March 2, 2010 Report Share Posted March 2, 2010 When I lowered my Explorer I had it aligned at the Ford dealer, they were able to get the camber kit through Ford, when I lowered my Mustang I had it aligned at a tire store and they were also able to get the camber kit, I didn't wear tires on either vehicle. Both places did charge me extra to do the alignments as there is additional labor involved in the camber kits. Most places that do alignments should be able to get the parts that are needed to do the alignment so I wouldn't buy a kit yourself, I would let the shop get the parts that the need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white_rabbit Posted March 2, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2010 thanks guys that was very helpful. i think what i'll do is install the springs then align the camber and toe where possible? i will opt for the kit if the technician told me that the offset is too large? if so, is the alignment kit vehicle specific? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabtaj1 Posted March 2, 2010 Report Share Posted March 2, 2010 I wil be lowering mine also. I still have the camber bolts I bought for my 07 mustang since I did not need them. I am thinking I probably wont need them. Also, before you decide to get it aligned, drive your car for atleast a month to let the springs settle first. I hope the H&R springs ride nice. Mine have been sittin in the garage for a month now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldo Posted March 2, 2010 Report Share Posted March 2, 2010 Yes the kit will be vehicle specific. Every car has a different suspension design, different bolts sizes and different alignment specs. Don't wait a month to get an alignment. Your toe will almost certainly be off after lowering, likely enough to cause significant tire wear in a month. But it's sort of true that springs "settle", so ideally you'd do a second alignment a month later to dial it in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKX2007 Posted March 3, 2010 Report Share Posted March 3, 2010 (edited) Yes the kit will be vehicle specific. Every car has a different suspension design, different bolts sizes and different alignment specs. Don't wait a month to get an alignment. Your toe will almost certainly be off after lowering, likely enough to cause significant tire wear in a month. But it's sort of true that springs "settle", so ideally you'd do a second alignment a month later to dial it in. I had H&R springs put on my MKX when I bought it. The dealer I bought it from installed them & did the alignment at the time of install. I don't know if they used a kit or not. I've had the car for nearly 3 years & no abnormal tire wear or other problems have occured. The springs do make the car ride a little stiffer, but the handling is increased noticably. Edited March 3, 2010 by MKX2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2k3gixxer1000 Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 I had H&R springs put on my MKX when I bought it. The dealer I bought it from installed them & did the alignment at the time of install. I don't know if they used a kit or not. I've had the car for nearly 3 years & no abnormal tire wear or other problems have occured. The springs do make the car ride a little stiffer, but the handling is increased noticably. do you guys know what the stock spring rate is... vs say eibach or h&r..... also a friend of mine has some springtech springs he said i can have.... does anyone have any experience with them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the64game Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 I lowered my 07 edge last year with eibach springs it looks awesome and rides a little stiff but worth the stiffness for the look with the 22" rims... I would recommend the eibach brand... Good luck and post some pictures when done... I am still trying to figure out how to post pictures on this site... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2k3gixxer1000 Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 I just did a 1.75 f/r lower on my edge the other day, and the ride is VERY noticeably stiffer.... not to sure how i like it yet, but the wallowing around of the stock one I didnt care for either. So I may add the rear sway bar, and see how much extra that stiffens up the vehicle and then decide to keep or not keep the lowering springs installed.. Does anyone here have the sway bar installed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam I Am Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 When you guys lowered your Edge did you need a camber kit? Or was there enough room for adjustment without a kit? Better yet has anyone lowered a 2011/2012 Sport and needed a camber kit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kixazz2529 Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 I lowered my 07 edge last year with eibach springs it looks awesome and rides a little stiff but worth the stiffness for the look with the 22" rims... I would recommend the eibach brand... Good luck and post some pictures when done... I am still trying to figure out how to post pictures on this site... What size rims/tires do you have? I am looking at purchasing 22x9.5 with 265/40/22 tires but am worried about rubbing if I lower it. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingo Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 Don't be worried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam I Am Posted March 6, 2012 Report Share Posted March 6, 2012 I just did a 1.75 f/r lower on my edge the other day, and the ride is VERY noticeably stiffer.... not to sure how i like it yet, but the wallowing around of the stock one I didnt care for either. So I may add the rear sway bar, and see how much extra that stiffens up the vehicle and then decide to keep or not keep the lowering springs installed.. Does anyone here have the sway bar installed? Did you use the H&R springs to lower your Edge? How does the ride feel now that you've had them in for a while? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam I Am Posted March 6, 2012 Report Share Posted March 6, 2012 do you guys know what the stock spring rate is... vs say eibach or h&r..... also a friend of mine has some springtech springs he said i can have.... does anyone have any experience with them? When you say your car rides a little stiffer, does it have a feel like your in a VW GTI or a little softer or rougher than that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.