H&R Lowering Springs - What Other Changes Needed When You Install Them?

I towed a transmission with my coilovers lol. I bought the ball on the spot so it wasnt the ideal drop thus the sag. They couldn't undo the ball from the bar it to flip it either.
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Just FYI the H&Rs if I'm not mistaken, has a lower drop in the rear. I believe it is 1.25" drop front and 1.75" inch drop rear. If you do not have an AWD CX-5, having the rear lower than the front is not ideal.

As far as OEM struts and lowering springs, I am pleasantly surprised to hear Chris not having any issues with lowering springs. Maybe the CX-5 struts are better than most OEM struts. It is common knowledge though that lowering springs almost always decreases the life of OEM struts. This is because lowering springs will have a higher spring rate, which will not be what the OEM struts are tuned for. With a lowered CX-5, the OEM struts will have to deal with decreased suspension travel and having to dampen a higher spring rate on the springs.

Lastly, there are no Bilstein struts/shocks available for the CX-5. Your only option is to get Koni Sport (yellow) shocks.

Yea, there are quite a few people with mods out there, just not here. I don't come across that issue with h&rs.
 
I see, thanks for the info.

It would be a no-go for me because I already have a tow-hitch and do transport bikes from time to time and my CX-5 is FWD.

And your AWD (rear axle) magically engages for more traction whenever it senses you're towing something? I don't think so.(gah)
 
Yeah...I am aware of the extra 1/2" drop in the rear and I'm fine with that.

Great pic chris_top_her!

As for struts wearing quicker...what is the normal life span people have been getting out of the originals? I'm probably going to do the springs with the current struts and see how it goes. My CX-5 is at 38K miles so maybe in another 12-15K miles it will be time for new struts anyway and I can get something better suited for the springs at that point?

New tires arrive next week so I'll be able to assess that improvement before doing springs in a month or so.
Bill
 
Yeah...I am aware of the extra 1/2" drop in the rear and I'm fine with that.

Great pic chris_top_her!

As for struts wearing quicker...what is the normal life span people have been getting out of the originals? I'm probably going to do the springs with the current struts and see how it goes. My CX-5 is at 38K miles so maybe in another 12-15K miles it will be time for new struts anyway and I can get something better suited for the springs at that point?

New tires arrive next week so I'll be able to assess that improvement before doing springs in a month or so.
Bill

My Mazda 6 has 60k miles on it and the struts are doing good. Expect them to last much less with aggressive lowering springs like H&R.
 
Yeah...I am aware of the extra 1/2" drop in the rear and I'm fine with that.

Great pic chris_top_her!

As for struts wearing quicker...what is the normal life span people have been getting out of the originals? I'm probably going to do the springs with the current struts and see how it goes. My CX-5 is at 38K miles so maybe in another 12-15K miles it will be time for new struts anyway and I can get something better suited for the springs at that point?

New tires arrive next week so I'll be able to assess that improvement before doing springs in a month or so.
Bill
So here's the only quibble I have with your plan Bill. You're going to put a new set of RT43s on before you install the springs and experiment on them (without camber compensation suspension hardware) to see what the tire wear is like. You're obviously reluctant to go to the extra expense/effort of doing this right and are willing to compromise your tires in the process. I did just the opposite. I wasn't sure I would need the extra bits either, but I was willing to sacrifice my half-worn OE Yokohamas to determine if I needed to improve the "alignability" before installing new rubber. I got another 10k out of the Yokos (had the alignment checked and rechecked during that period by a suspension specialty shop) and with the resulting shoulder wear there was no way I was going to put new tires on without completing the suspension work. Good luck with your plan!
 
So here's the only quibble I have with your plan Bill. You're going to put a new set of RT43s on before you install the springs and experiment on them (without camber compensation suspension hardware) to see what the tire wear is like. You're obviously reluctant to go to the extra expense/effort of doing this right and are willing to compromise your tires in the process. I did just the opposite. I wasn't sure I would need the extra bits either, but I was willing to sacrifice my half-worn OE Yokohamas to determine if I needed to improve the "alignability" before installing new rubber. I got another 10k out of the Yokos (had the alignment checked and rechecked during that period by a suspension specialty shop) and with the resulting shoulder wear there was no way I was going to put new tires on without completing the suspension work. Good luck with your plan!

Tire shoulder wear is the result of excessive toe.

if you drive aggressively around corners and experience shoulder wear, that means you do not have enough front negative camber for the sort of driving you like to do.
 
Tire shoulder wear is the result of excessive toe.

if you drive aggressively around corners and experience shoulder wear, that means you do not have enough front negative camber for the sort of driving you like to do.
Toe is one of the causes of shoulder wear. The inner shoulder wear I had was the result of too much negative camber as a result of lowering the car and having no means of adjusting for loss of camber. After I installed the camber adjustment hardware and realigned both front and rear, you could actually see the difference in the angle of the wheels relative to the fenders. 7K miles later I have absolutely even tire wear on the new RT43s and the camber figures are even from side to side. Something I never even came close to with the old setup.
 
Yup...current tires are shot so they are being replaced. Can't wait any longer.

Yup...not willing to spend $1000.00+ USD on suspension pieces on top of paying for new tires. Money is kinda tight right now.

Nope...I'm not an aggressive driver so maybe I'll be okay.

We'll see...
Thx for the feedback!
Bill
 
Thx for the first hand info luwin1026! How long did you drive with the H&R springs before swapping to the Corksports? Was there a "break in" period...did ride change as time went on after the H&Rs were installed? Did you change anything other than the springs? Just curious.
Thx!
Bill

I drove with the H&R’s for about 10 months before swapping over to the Corksports. I didn’t notice too much of a ride change with the H&R’s as time went on - it did take a few weeks for the ride height to settle though. I remember right after install, my first thought when looking at the drop was, “That’s it?” But it does give a nice, subtly noticeable drop. The feedback about the OEM struts possibly wearing out faster is logical - I changed out my struts to Koni Sports after putting around 30k miles on them with lowering springs, but I didn’t feel that the OEM struts were worn at all yet (I got the struts on sale, so was more preventive). Especially if you’re only looking to keep the car for a few years, you should be fine.

Side profile when the car was on H&R’s -

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And on Corksport’s -

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Looks very nice. But if money is tight, I recommend that OP saves up for a proper coilover setup because you will be spending money on new struts sooner than later if you get those springs anyways... just keep the car stock for now.
 
luwin 1026: Thx for the pics!! They are great for getting a visual idea of what I'm getting into. Frankly the first pic of the H&R lowering amount is exactly what I'm hoping to get. Aside...what size are your wheels in that pic? Good to know that your struts didn't self destruct after installing the H&Rs. Hoping for the same results when I do springs on my CX-5.
Thx again for the feedback!
Bill
 
I have around 30k on the stock struts, with CS springs and I don't notice anything wrong with them yet. I'm at 38k now. When they wear out, I will get some Koni Sports as well.
I have just replaced the two front tires(they were bald (whistle)), and they were worn out evenly. When they did the alignment, I was just barely in the green zone.
In the next couple of weeks, I will get those front camber bolts and I will make an alignment, my steering wheel is a bit off. No wonder, after hitting the curbs a couple of times.
I'm having fun.
 
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luwin 1026: Thx for the pics!! They are great for getting a visual idea of what I'm getting into. Frankly the first pic of the H&R lowering amount is exactly what I'm hoping to get. Aside...what size are your wheels in that pic? Good to know that your struts didn't self destruct after installing the H&Rs. Hoping for the same results when I do springs on my CX-5.
Thx again for the feedback!
Bill

You’re welcome - I agree with the consensus that coilovers are the ideal way to go, in regards to adjustability or ride height, dampening, etc., but for someone who doesn’t want to dump a whole lot of money and just wants a mild drop with a decent improvement in handling, nothing wrong with going for a set of springs.

In that pic, those wheels were 19x8 all around. Good luck, and can’t wait to see pics after you get your springs installed!
 
Luwin, the ride became better, after you have installed the Konis? With the stock struts, it is pretty bouncy.
 
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