Lowered the Focus

A few months back I purchased of FESTEC some King Sping Superlows to suit the LS.

Picked up the car yesterday from being lowered at a mates shop (Spinning Wheels and Tyres in Woolloomooloo)

Driving through the city, the first thing I notices is how much easier it was to keep the thing in a straight line, dead centre of the road. I also noticed the responsiveness of the suspension going over bumps and that. Standard with 16s, driving over reflectors, its like driving on a cloud. With the 17s, you notice then and sort of feel them. With it lowered, its about the same movement, but the car settles immediatly. The only thing that its very harsh over is speedbumps at more than 20kmh.

Then that brought me to The Royal National park. Holy s*** words can't explain it. I averaged around 25kmh faster around corners than on standard suspension. I felt now it was the tyres that was letting me down, although knowing the tyres limits in certain conditions is easier on these springs. I called Zetec20 when I got to Bald Hill/Stanwell Tops, I could not believe how much better it handled.

For those who said that Ford spend 1000000000 hours designing the best suspension for the car, so leave it, keep in mind that in the design they have to put nanna-spec comfort, as well as be able to do the 80kmh kerb test(they drive the car head on into a kerb to see if anything critically fails) as well as a myriad of other suspension tests. The standard LX suspension is a happy medium between different needs of this car suspension. Comfort vs Handling vs Ride height. If you only want mainly 1 thing, Handling, Kings will give this to you

PS Parramatta road is liek driving down stairs...

Piccy

[pertuan]

Looks nice. Very nice.

Do you work/live near Woollomooloo? I might have seen your car around.

[eXtremist]

Looks better in person :P

Originally Posted by pertuan

Looks nice. Very nice.

Do you work/live near Woollomooloo? I might have seen your car around.

Across the creek in North Sydney (I had to go up to work last night so it gave me a good chance to check out parking station clearences, on the entry ramp its about 1cm from touching its belly on the ground) . I normally come up from Campbelltown-M5 East or Sutherland on Grand Parade through S.C Drive and G.H Drive through the Eastern Distributor through the corkscrew onto the bridge.

Sometimes after work though I'll go through Kings Cross to Bondi.

[Stugots]

Looks hot! how much lower are 'Superlows' from the standard height?

Once it settles in, the top of the tyre is about 1cm from being inline with the guard. It'll be lower if you put in short stroke shocks in as well.

[XtRmn8]

Looks great. Any front end shots?

[#Russ#Es#]

Enjoy

Best thing I've done to my car...thought it wasn't too bad for bodyroll until I installed the Eibach's! Yep, Stanwell Tops is great fun with a lowered LS

Now for some bilsteins...

Thing is the standard Focus is better than most other cars in the handling department. I never knew there could be this whole new level of handling!

I'll have to check out your Eibach/Lovell combo one day.

[#Russ#Es#]

Originally Posted by BlackLS

Thing is the standard Focus is better than most other cars in the handling department. I never knew there could be this whole new level of handling!

I'll have to check out your Eibach/Lovell combo one day.

The LS is full of surprises :

Yeah, the Eibachs at the rear didn't lower it enough hence the Lovell's. They do a good job, especially heading north towards sydney in the national park from stanwell tops! :hihi:

Originally Posted by #Russ#Es#

The LS is full of surprises :

Yeah, the Eibachs at the rear didn't lower it enough hence the Lovell's. They do a good job, especially heading north towards sydney in the national park from stanwell tops! :hihi:

Should organise a quick run with the Euros sometime after work this week.

[#Russ#Es#]

Originally Posted by BlackLS

Should organise a quick run with the Euros sometime after work this week.

I would love to but I'm without a car all week :(

Thats one of the best stretchs of road around!!

[seaQuest_AMD]

Im sure I have seen your car about as well going along Paramatta Rd.

Originally Posted by seaQuest_AMD

Im sure I have seen your car about as well going along Paramatta Rd.

Gday mate,

I frequent that road to Liverpool Rd or Woodville Rd if the M5 is chockas (they should have kept the M5 logo as the tortise, coz its slow as *******!

[Bucket]

Looks really good mate!
How much are you looking at for a decent lowering kit?
I've got a Zetec so would it be any different go lowering the standard shocks?

Springs are around 200-250 for all 4.

Installation should be around 300 including fixing the camber and alignment.

Yeah its at least another 1.5" drop on the Zetec on standard shocks I recon. Go for it!

[Zetec20]

Thursday night, wollongong, who's in for a lowered focii extravaganza?

P.S - tint your windows already chris

[Piotr]

I can testify as to how nicly a focus handles with these springs after being in Issacs car a few times. Good news is my Fiesta could keep up through the bends on its standard suspension

[Bucket]

Originally Posted by BlackLS

Springs are around 200-250 for all 4.

Installation should be around 300 including fixing the camber and alignment.

Yeah its at least another 1.5" drop on the Zetec on standard shocks I recon. Go for it!

two questions...depending on how you drive the thing, what are the chances of scrubbing the guards and how does it affect warranty?

Originally Posted by Bucket

two questions...depending on how you drive the thing, what are the chances of scrubbing the guards and how does it affect warranty?

On zetec 17s, only if you steer full lock into a gutter at 40kmh. It may hit the front guards then. If you drive it like you do now, it will be uncomfortable, and you may bottom out your shocks, but it won't scrub

Best to talk to Ford, bushes, shocks and comsumable things like that aren't covered by warranty after 4000km anyways, but you pretty much lose warranty on solid suspension components such as arms etc. Although the suspension components like that shouldn't cause grief anyways. I recon if your going to do it, do it after the 15000km service.

[More revs]

Do I detect an exhaust in that photo?

If so did it make any diference?

Originally Posted by More revs

Do I detect an exhaust in that photo?

If so did it make any diference?

No, its stardard.

Although I removed the intake silencer pipe and 2nd airbox so under load you get the deep intake noise.

[Bucket]

Originally Posted by BlackLS

On zetec 17s, only if you steer full lock into a gutter at 40kmh. It may hit the front guards then. If you drive it like you do now, it will be uncomfortable, and you may bottom out your shocks, but it won't scrub

Best to talk to Ford, bushes, shocks and comsumable things like that aren't covered by warranty after 4000km anyways, but you pretty much lose warranty on solid suspension components such as arms etc. Although the suspension components like that shouldn't cause grief anyways. I recon if your going to do it, do it after the 15000km service.

So how can I avoid it being uncomfortable? Replace the shocks with adjustables?

Is it difficult to remove the silencing pipe and 2nd air pod? I'll also be replacing the Air Filter with Pod Filter.

[#Russ#Es#]

Originally Posted by Bucket

So how can I avoid it being uncomfortable? Replace the shocks with adjustables?

Is it difficult to remove the silencing pipe and 2nd air pod? I'll also be replacing the Air Filter with Pod Filter.

You can get Bilstein Monotubes for around $1300 fitted all round That SHOULD fix any ride comfort issues (you would hope so!!)

[Bucket]

Faaaaarrrrrrkkkk!!! Start saving now me thinks! lol
Should make an awesome difference!!

Originally Posted by Bucket

So how can I avoid it being uncomfortable? Replace the shocks with adjustables?

Is it difficult to remove the silencing pipe and 2nd air pod? I'll also be replacing the Air Filter with Pod Filter.

Take your airbox off (remove the rubber pipe between the airbox and the tb) and there should be like a thick rubber band thingy on the rad support. Then just pull the airbox out.

You'll see the snorkle down there with the silencer in it, which is moulded into the second airbox

I didn't get rid of the pipe completely, I just dislodged it from its hole in the bottom of the airbox.

Theres 2 ways of getting rid of it, cutting it with a hacksaw and removing the whole second airbox. Cutting will make it hard to replace, Removing takes a lot of effort removing the wheel well guard and the corner under panel guard, and could lead to more frequent battery failures (this airbox supplies a bit of cool air to the battery box

Originally Posted by Zetec20

Thursday night, wollongong, who's in for a lowered focii extravaganza?

P.S - tint your windows already chris

Meet at 7:30-45 lighthouse?

[Zetec20]

Originally Posted by BlackLS

Meet at 7:30-45 lighthouse?

deal thurs night it is, top carpark at the lighthouse, who else is in???

Extremist is 70% in.

[#Russ#Es#]

Sorry guys :(