Hello all

My Honda Fit is coming soon.
Thinking about getting 16" wheels and lower my car.
My question here is, can I lower the car with 16" wheels without changing the Springs?
I am afraid when I changed the springs and if anything happened to the car (Like internal parts). The 3 years warranty won't cover those issues, they will blame on me for Modify the car.

Thanks ahead

Cheers
Kevin L

 

Talk to Ben at AJ-Racing.com

 

To lower the car, you will have to change the springs or carry a few patio stones at least. On the real though..., any reputable lowering spring company like Tein, Eibach, H&R, Apex, T1R etc with an average 1"-1.5" drop should be fine.
Read up on their website about spring rates, manufacturing process, warranties, and their race heritage most of all.

Many of these suspension specialist have designed their drop springs around stock strut/damper usage. The added safety of lessened pitch, yaw, brake dive, acceleration squat is enhanced.

Warranty issues are methodically looked into and must in forensic like fashion have cause and effect. If you drive over massive valley like potholes and damage your car that is not your drop springs problem. It your paint wears off they will not void your warranty due to drop springs either. There has to be a mechanical and logical explanation of what a mod does and how it damages a specific car part.

I'm glad you thought of lowering while upsizing your wheels, cause I hate the unintentional 4X4 look. Getting rid of the fender wheel gap is the sexiest thing one can do for their car. Just look at Audi's, Porshe's, BMW's etc. They have good looks from the factory. And don't let anyone tell you about plowing snow either. It won't make a difference, cause in the deepest of snow no one else will be moving either.

 

Thanks guys for all the good info.
I am planning lower the car between May to October and rise it back up for the winter.

Cheers
Kevin L

 

A bunch of my friends drive Integras that have been lowered around 1.5" in the winter (in Ottawa) with no problems. Winter tires and common sense will keep you mobile even in the snow!

 

No spring company of any sort, especially reputable ones would recommend or approve the use of there springs with stock struts/shocks over upgraded performance oriented dampers like KYB's AGX. You will be much better off in the long run because aftermarket performance shocks like the AGX can handle alot more of the higher spring rate abuse of aftermarket springs a million times better then stock.

Its a simple concept, you lower a car which in turn lesson's the suspension travel(excluding full coilovers) which in turn makes the car dampers easier to bottom out because you are now closer to the strut shaft being closer to the lowest portion of its stroke. Shocks like AGX are designed specifically to be used with progressive lowering springs like all those put out by reputable spring companies. It wont be like before KYB offers the AGX's for the Fit in the US market. They currently sell the AGX's for the Japanese Fit but in Japan it is sold under a different name not AGX. Also the AGX's arent fixed dampers, they usually offer 4 to 8 settings depending on the application from soft to stiff.

 

KYB AGX is the cheapest adjustable dampning strut out there. Work fine for street use. They aren't designed to be used on a car that is lowered more than 1.5". Then again, few are.

A good coilver with adjustable length (to keep the string under tension at all times) has a shorter height, maintaining more suspension travel and ride comfort (depending on the dampening and spring rates).

Many spring companies have released in the past few years springs designed to work with the OEM struts, but beefier aftermarket is always a good idea.

 

If you can afford, get coilovers instead of springs. You won't regret it. I use Bilstein PSS9 and H&R coilovers (essentially the same) and they are fantastic.

 

One benefit few people often miss about coilovers is the pretty large weight decrease you get if you choose to go with coilovers. It is at least 5lbs lighter in weight as a whole spring/shock assembly compared to a stock like progressive spring/strut assembly. Even though it is fixed weight and you will more then likely not feel it calculate into any difference on the car, it is still weight taken off the car in the end which can only help the car never hurt it.

Picking between coilovers though can be a tricky task. It is not like a spring where all you have to compare are lowering height and spring rates. There are alot more features to be compared when considering coilovers and your also spending alot more in most cases so if you do choose to take that route, you definitely have to do some careful research.

 

For The Honda Fit
Should I Go With Springs Or Coilovers?
What Is The Best Size Of Wheels Should I Get, 16" or 17"

Thanks again for all your ideas.

Kevin L

 

springs if you want to just lower it and leave it.

coils if you want to adjust the height.

kyb agx is garbage. bilstein/h&r is at best average.

stock shocks will be able to handle mild springrate lowering springs just fine, springs such as eibach prokit will work fine on stock shocks.

stiff race springs will require stiffer shocks like koni yellow.

as for wheels, 17s if you want the bling, 16s if you it to actual function.

 

Depending on you financial situation and desires coils is everyones ultimate dream. Drop springs is the most cheapest on OEM dampers. Use the OEM dampers till they wear out and then upgrade.

 

does koni make shocks for the fit now? last time I ask a salesman and he said no.

 

What do you have to justify why you think KYB AGX is garbage? H&R makes springs not dampers, Bilstein doesnt make a Fit application neither does Eibach with there Pro Kits. Koni doesnt offer anything for the Fit either. Next time you decide to go randomly ranting about things you dont fully know, your better off not saying anything at all.

 

currently no. eventually, they will probably will, after all, the fit still havent been released yet.

 

i've driven extensively on tein ss, tein flex, zeal fx, cusco zero2r, nex, buddyclub, koni yellow/h&r race, kyb agx/eibach prokit, among others.

and what do you have to justify anything about the fit? i've actually driven it on a road course, have you??

 

If all is okay, I may just save up from the begining and get coils thrown on.
Maybe a group buy later on with my regional chapter or a trek to my Detroit peeps. I will stick with a rich racing heritage suspension company though.

 

I think I will get the Coils as well.

 

Any recommendation on which coilover shocks that would be the best for Jazz/Fit ?

 

The Fit has 5" of ground clearance stock. Just how low do you go before you're scraping the ground with all kind of your parts?