Coilovers replace the whole spring and shock at each corner with an adjustable unit, while lowering springs replace only the springs and keep your factory shocks. Lowering springs are the lower-cost way to drop a car by a fixed amount. Coilovers cost more but let you set ride height and, on most kits, damping, and they give the dampers a spring they were designed for.
Coilovers vs lowering springs at a glance
| Lowering springs | Coilovers | |
|---|---|---|
| What changes | Springs only | Springs, dampers and usually top mounts |
| Ride height | Fixed drop | Adjustable |
| Damping | Factory shocks, not adjustable | Often adjustable |
| Handling gain | Moderate | Larger, and you can adjust it |
| Ride quality | Close to stock if the drop is mild | Depends on spring rate and damping setting |
| Cost | Lower | Higher |
| Long-term | Factory shocks may wear faster on shorter, stiffer springs | Many kits can be rebuilt |
When lowering springs make sense
- You want a mild drop for looks and a little less body roll.
- Your factory shocks are in good condition and you want to keep costs down.
- You have no plans to adjust the car for track days.
The trade-off is that factory shocks were valved for factory springs. With shorter, stiffer springs they can feel bouncy and may wear sooner, which is why many owners pair lowering springs with matched shocks; by then the cost gap to a coilover kit narrows.
When coilovers make sense
- You want to choose your ride height, or set it differently front and rear.
- You want adjustable damping to suit daily driving, a canyon road or a track day.
- You want camber adjustment at the front; many kits include camber plates.
- You plan to keep the car and want a suspension that can be rebuilt.
Coilovers explained in more depth, including how to adjust them: what are coilovers?
Either way
Any change in ride height changes the alignment, so plan for an alignment after installation. Do not lower a car so far that the suspension runs out of travel or the tires rub, and check that headlights still aim correctly after the change. If you are unsure how far to go, start with a mild drop and adjust from there once you know how the car rides.
Coilovers we carry
We carry BC Racing BR Series coilovers: monotube dampers with 30 levels of damping adjustment and ride height set separately from spring preload. Choose the BR Series for Subaru models at $1,195.00, the BR Series Extreme Low at $1,345.00 or the BR Series for the Evo X at $1,195.00. See all of them on the BC Racing page.
More guides: clunks after lowering · coilovers vs struts vs shocks · how long coilovers last · BC Racing BR vs Extreme Low.
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