Any regrets after lowering your FiST?

[pixelzombie]

My struts have 60K on them and they don't rebound like they used to. Looking to make a change in the summer and was contemplating lowering the car about an inch. It's my daily driver, but someday I hope to try it on the track at least once.

 

[Ludeem1]

Not one bit. I do have to be careful as I have the whoosh trac bar and once I ran over a rock and it got stuck for a bit

 

[Capri to ST]

I lowered my other car and regretted it, it adversely affected the handling and it was hard to keep the suspension off the bump stops. Because of that, I will definitely keep my FiST at stock height.

 

[dhminer]

Like most things, be reasonable about it and you’ll be fine. I lowered mine with just mountune springs and it’s perfect for me. Will do more mountune springs on B8s when the oem go kaput.

 

[kivnul]

Question, do you currently hit ice chunks thrown off of other peoples mudflaps in the winter? If so, imagine how much worse it will be if you are 1 inch closer to the ground. I hit them all the time so I have kept the ride height stock even with coilovers.

 

[rallytaff]

My car is lowered on H & R coilovers, standard size tyres and don't rub and haven't had any problem in 8yrs. Don't have any problem with chunks of ice down here!

 

[M-Sport fan]

I went to a very local car 'meet' Thursday night, and as I expected, I had the only Ford vehicle there, PERIOD, let alone any other FiSTs!
(Not even any much more popular FoSTs!)

Most of the rides showing up were of the 'stance and slammer' crew (although mercifully, none had the requisite/popular 10*+ of negative camber, but a few must have been pushing -5*).

I have no clue whatsoever HOW TF they do not wipe out the whole undersides of their cars, let alone their big $$$$ front splitters, carbon diffusers, side sills, etc. driving around like that.

Even if they are 'bagged', it seems they can only raise their ride heights up so much.

They are partially 'saved' by the somewhat better road conditions in this immediate area, but once into the more urban parts of this state even our factory ride height/suspension is challenged.

For me personally, I would never ever be able to use this car the way I want to with even an inch of actual lowering under the factory ride height.

 

[green_henry]

I have Swift springs on mine, which have a practical lowering feature. Aesthetically, you might not consider the car lowered, but it was very noticeable when I swapped out the rears and then sat in the driver's seat -- felt like someone had tilted the seat backwards without me knowing. I have bottomed out the 2-pt brace a few times, but I'm not sure that wouldn't have happened with the stock setup (maybe a kiss vs a smack?). Anyhow, handles great and looks better in a 'je ne sais quoi' (stealthy) way.

I also go to the track, and I have experienced some rubbing of my Hankook RS-4s on the front struts. Nothing major, but I'd be concerned about springs that lower it more than the Swifts. If I experience this again with my next set of track tires, I think may need to add a spacer.

 

[Dialcaliper]

The car was lowered on Mountune springs when I got it, and I just didn’t like it, especially on the kind of backroads I like to drive on around here, I repeatedly smacked rocks and dragged the paint off the Pierce 2-point bar. Even after raising it back up to stock height, I still have scraped the bar - car is plenty low for me from the factory. On the plus side, the bar keep the oil pan and subframe safe. Eventually thinking to try out the Swave/Summit 4 point, just for the extra ground clearance.

 

[New_Daily]

I was first on Swift springs then recently got Meister coilovers. lowering was a must for me but within reason. Height wise the Swifts were perfect (roughly 1 in a bit less in the rears but I did use the powerflex spring pads). I have the coilovers set about the same height.

Love everything about it.

 

[LucasHigh]

If you do lower it buy coilovers dont cheap out on springs its not worth it. I did the same and regretted it.

 

[M-Sport fan]

The car was lowered on Mountune springs when I got it, and I just didn’t like it, especially on the kind of backroads I like to drive on around here, I repeatedly smacked rocks and dragged the paint off the Pierce 2-point bar. Even after raising it back up to stock height, I still have scraped the bar - car is plenty low for me from the factory. On the plus side, the bar keep the oil pan and subframe safe. Eventually thinking to try out the Swave/Summit 4 point, just for the extra ground clearance.

If I lived where there were a lot of rocks in the roads from crumbling road side cliffs/etc., I would most likely leave my skid plate on year 'round, instead of just when working the 'local'<-LOL ARA rallies.

Of course, there are no front k member/subframe under car braces which can be used with that said skid plate, so even the most excellent, low(er) profile Swave/Summit stuff is a no-go.

 

[Dialcaliper]

If I lived where there were a lot of rocks in the roads from crumbling road side cliffs/etc., I would most likely leave my skid plate on year 'round, instead of just when working the 'local'<-LOL ARA rallies.

Of course, there are no front k member/subframe under car braces which can be used with that said skid plate, so even the most excellent, low(er) profile Swave/Summit stuff is a no-go.

Do you have the ADF plate or something beefier? I was considering it, after I found this post (on Reddit), where someone made it work with a Pierce brace by fitting longer standoffs, so it seems doable with only minor modifications.

https://www.reddit.com/r/FiestaST/comments/cg66t0 View: https://www.reddit.com/r/FiestaST/comments/cg66t0/adf_customs_skidplate_pierce_motorsports_6point/

 

[FiestaSTdude]

Do you have the ADF plate or something beefier? I was considering it, after I found this post (on Reddit), where someone made it work with a Pierce brace by fitting longer standoffs, so it seems doable with only minor modifications.

https://www.reddit.com/r/FiestaST/comments/cg66t0 View: https://www.reddit.com/r/FiestaST/comments/cg66t0/adf_customs_skidplate_pierce_motorsports_6point/

He had the beefier skid plate guy skid plate that actually attaches to the frame unlike the ADF skid plate.

 

[TyphoonFiST]

Question, do you currently hit ice chunks thrown off of other peoples mudflaps in the winter? If so, imagine how much worse it will be if you are 1 inch closer to the ground. I hit them all the time so I have kept the ride height stock even with coilovers.

This is the reason i bought a Metal 3 piece Rally innovations Front splitter...It slays ice chunks!

 

[M-Sport fan]

Do you have the ADF plate or something beefier? I was considering it, after I found this post (on Reddit), where someone made it work with a Pierce brace by fitting longer standoffs, so it seems doable with only minor modifications.

https://www.reddit.com/r/FiestaST/comments/cg66t0 View: https://www.reddit.com/r/FiestaST/comments/cg66t0/adf_customs_skidplate_pierce_motorsports_6point/

Nope, I have the ~1/8" thick Skid Plate Guy all aluminum alloy plate.

I needed something to stand up to the rutted, gouged, washed-out, high center, and 'baby's head' embedded rocks on the New England Forest rally stages when I work on that event (and others).

 

[Dialcaliper]

Nope, I have the ~1/8" thick Skid Plate Guy all aluminum alloy plate.

I needed something to stand up to the rutted, gouged, washed-out, high center, and 'baby's head' embedded rocks on the New England Forest rally stages when I work on that event (and others).

Sounds fun. I guess all I could offer is that if there’s a will, there’s a way!

 

[kevinatfms]

If you do lower it buy coilovers dont cheap out on springs its not worth it. I did the same and regretted it.

Ill take a proper set of springs/dampers over a shitty set of coilovers any day of the week.

 

[NOVA_Ranger]

I plan to keep my car on stock suspension and assume Ford engineers knew what they were doing. If it was a dedicated track car, I might look at aftermarket options. To each their own though.

 

[esp_martin]

I plan to keep my car on stock suspension and assume Ford engineers knew what they were doing. If it was a dedicated track car, I might look at aftermarket options. To each their own though.

yes and no. the original suspension setup had to be softened due to customer complaints. so if you have (i think) a 2016 or later FiST, it is not what the FoMoCo engineers originally intended.

but you're right about Ford engrs knowing what they're doing and having massive budgets (comparied to aftermarket companies) to test those ideas. the only real reason i am changing to B8 shocks with mountune springs is to try to cancel out the last of the wheel arch gap and lower the car to make up for the height rise going from 205/40R17 to 215/45R17.