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Hi, really interested in a set of lower springs for mine.
will these springs work ok on my R-sport with 20" wheels fitted? They won't rub or anything?
Also how much lower will they take mine with it already having the lower "R" suspension , is it 30mm off all models inc mine or just 30mm off the standard height xe' s and not as much from the already lowered "R".
Hope that makes sense.
Cheers
I don't have a concrete answer regarding the drop. I think based on the data we have they should be fine with 20" wheels, as long as the offset is not too extreme (if stock, should be 100% fine, aftermarket tends to have larger offsets.)
On the lowering just based on our experience with other Jag stuff, I think the overall ride height would end up being the same, so probably not as much total drop on your car if it's already sitting lower.
Thanks. We work really hard at getting the gap 'right' for what our objectives are: A nice visual, improved body roll but OEM level ride quality, and retained suspension function. The best way I can describe our spring setups is like a factory sport option.
I've noticed the back end on the XE is pretty loose...even prone to some snap oversteer if you're not careful.
Stuart, could you explain to a suspension noob like me how your spring springs would affect the dynamics of the car, other than body roll? My limited understanding is that stiffer springs in the rear tend to increase oversteer, but in this case both the front and back are stiffer I would guess?
I've noticed the back end on the XE is pretty loose...even prone to some snap oversteer if you're not careful.
Stuart, could you explain to a suspension noob like me how your spring springs would affect the dynamics of the car, other than body roll? My limited understanding is that stiffer springs in the rear tend to increase oversteer, but in this case both the front and back are stiffer I would guess?
It's not entirely that simple. Although if you lower the car and return the car to factory alignment then it takes a lot of the variables out of it.
Body roll will be reduced. If you stiffen both front and rear at the same time, the net effect on understeer/oversteer should be neutral, again, assuming that all other things are equal.
That's the simplified version. Where it gets more complicated is that for example, if you lower the car beyond a certain point, you may go beyond the point where adjustment can be brought back to factory spec. With our moderate drop most of the cars we do springs for can be aligned at factory spec.
On the FType for example, the front with a 7/8" drop will be maxed out for caster adjustment so you will pick up a little bit of a caster angle on the front. Adding caster tends to make the car more stable/want to go in a straight line.
That's just one example, but camber/caster/toe etc. are all interrelated. What I would suggest if you find the car a little too tail happy is to look at altering your toe angle on the rear to make it a little more stable.
I've noticed the back end on the XE is pretty loose...even prone to some snap oversteer if you're not careful.
Stuart, could you explain to a suspension noob like me how your spring springs would affect the dynamics of the car, other than body roll? My limited understanding is that stiffer springs in the rear tend to increase oversteer, but in this case both the front and back are stiffer I would guess?
I felt oversteer at higher speeds with the factory suspension as well a a loosey-goosey bounce on turns at higer speeds, and the car had a tendency to "float" at 80 MPH or over (which is legal here in Texas on certain roads). All this was greatly reduced after the VAP springs lowered the car and noticeably improved the aerodynamics. Therefore its way/ far more stable on the back end at higher speeds than before.
As part of the spring installs I also had the car aligned professionally at soulspeed.com , those folks set up for race days and the owner pits for one of the Trans Am Competitors, really knows his stuff. I'm sure that helped too.
As with any mod, there is a trade off after installing springs that lowered the car. I do scrape ground far more often in my City driveways, and if you hit a giant hump on a toll at 85 while loaded down with three passangers, you may scrape (happened once to me). But I've never hit so hard I was worried, and the performance advantages are remarkable. Just don't go parking on a train track crossing....and watch your nose going into parking enterances, you are now low up there like a Vette.
Did I mention how much better the car looked after getting the springs? Big improvement in stance and look.
Thanks Austin7. That sure sounds like an improvement in handling, and from the picures posted I agree it looks way better.
The snap-oversteer I was talking about sounds a bit more dramatic than what you describe. Have you ever taken the XE around a corner and drifted it hard? When you do, be really careful of it snapping back towards the other direction when you catch the slide. The rear end can sometimes instantly lose all traction, shifting all the weight to the front. The result is a bunch of small slides back and forth until the rear gains traction again. Not fun, actually pretty scary. I think it's a combination of the open differential and sh*tty all-weather tires that leads to this behavior (plus some user error of course )
I have a '99 vette that I drive sometimes on weekends, so I can relate to all of the scraping. I wonder if there's some kind of plastic guard piece that could be attached to the XE so that when scraping happens, it's not catastrophic.
I'm in the Austin area, so I'll keep a lookout for your XE. I'd actaully be really interested in some A to B comparisons, since our cars are virtually the same spec but you have the springs and ECU tune.
I'm in the Austin area, so I'll keep a lookout for your XE. I'd actaully be really interested in some A to B comparisons, since our cars are virtually the same spec but you have the springs and ECU tune.
Have been on VelocityAp's springs for several months now, and I am glad to be driving on them. The lowering springs improved both my car's handling, by notches, and it's definitely looking wicked.
Through uneven roads, tarmac, it feels so much less bouncier as compared to when I had the original springs. Body roll has been reduced significantly, since, and I am able to navigate corners with more confidence and without having to use as much knee support onto the door/center console.
As for the looks, I have nothing but good comments from people on how nicely my car is sat without being overly low. Ride height is good for where I am located and I am able to enter/ exit all of the carparks on my usual commutes. Even so, I will take extra care and be extra slow when I meet with higher bump stops/ humps. I have had the bottom of my center-carriage bumped onto the humps after clearing the front 2 wheels. With extra caution, those will be a breeze to clear.
However, I will definitely avoid entering into buildings or carparks with any form of bump stops/ humps after a slope. Any form of lowered cars should stay clear from those.
For the negatives, there will be occasional knocking noises when the terrain to be driven on is more uneven than usual. I will be trying to minimize this by adding coil sleeves to the springs.
Should there be any progress, I will update when I can.
@Stuart, Should there be any recommended coil sleeves to be used, please do let me know. Thank you.
Although I have no R-sport, I'm pretty sure they'll fit no problem.
I've tried the Velocity AP and the H&R springs...I prefer the VAP if comfort is a priority, which it would be if i had 20's for sure, as they tend to transmit bumps more than 18's. The H&R's need spacers up front to level the car.
After trying both, I've opted to save up for the recently released KW V-3 set, which will allow you to adjust spring rates, set alternate heights, and allows for rebound rate adjustment. A significant advancement over springs alone. But also 4x the cost.