FAQ
Welcome to our FAQ!
Here we address some common questions about lowering and suspension technology. If your question is not listed feel free to contact us.
General questions
If the tire rubs it basically has nothing to do with the lowering/suspension kit. There must always be freedom of movement up to the bump stop, for standard suspensions, sport springs and coilover suspension kits. The end stop is identical in all variants, and so is the freedom of movement. If necessary, appropriate measures must be taken to adapt to the mounted wheels (additional spring travel limiter to the original limiter, or replace it, expand the wheel arch, raise it higher).
Under certain circumstances it is a temporary error that disappears after a short period of time. In some cases, newer vehicle models require a new basic setting (steering angle, ESC function, etc.).
All LOWTEC shock absorbers are shortened sufficiently to ensure the preload of the springs even with extreme lowering. They can also be used with standard springs. This is a real piston rod shortening and not just a “rebound shortening”.
After around 60,000 km, the shock absorbers become significantly weaker and may already be defective. You should definitely use the stronger sports dampers, especially if you are lowering your vehicle significantly.
For many vehicles we offer spring sets that only contain front axle springs. The springs on the rear axle are retained (standard suspension).
Spring travel limiters must always be intact, otherwise the spring travel is increased and the tire can come into contact with the wheel arch. Shock absorbers (e.g. with an unshortened piston rod) can be damaged.
In principle yes, but it must be ensured that the spring travel remains identical to that of the original limiter. As a series replacement for many vehicle types, we offer our limiter item no. 87616 and 87622.
The set-up is approx. 30% tighter than an original standard suspension and roughly corresponds to the vehicle manufacturer's original sports suspension. If the lowering is greater, the set-up becomes tighter, as the spring travel limiters already “work” more strongly.
Our LOWTEC sports shock absorbers and threaded dampers are exclusively our own developments and are manufactured according to our specifications by well-known industrial companies/original equipment manufacturers. Hardness-adjustable dampers are manufactured in-house.
Yes, all components such as springs, shock absorbers and coilover suspension components are developed in-house. Prototype parts and smaller series for our HiLOW coilovers are manufactured in-house, among other things. produced with CNC-controlled machines. We pass on large series to the industry for production. All parts and components are assembled or assembled in-house after appropriate quality control.
LOWTEC suspensions are equipped with premium dampers that are produced with tighter force tolerances and more complex components (e.g. multiple seals, smooth-running pistons, high-performance hydraulic oil). COMP suspensions include cheaper mass-produced products, which are, however, also subject to strict quality control. The hardness of both suspensions is identical.
No! The spring is always compressed to the same extent by the vehicle's own weight. More spring preload only results in the wheel's rebound travel being reduced.
It is an abbreviation from English “Lowering Technology”.
No. Our sports shock absorbers correspond exactly to the original parts in all dimensions as well as the spring plate height and are therefore not subject to approval in Germany in accordance with the sports shock absorber guidelines. Only the piston rod is shortened to ensure the preload with lowering springs. A combination with standard springs is also possible. Informations for other countries may vary. Please contact your local authority.
For many vehicles we offer freely combinable springs for the front and rear axles. If there is no corresponding item available for your vehicle, please contact us and we will make you an appropriate offer.
We usually have every product in our range in stock and are delivered on the day the order is placed. The parcel services usually need 1-2 days for delivery within Germany. Please note the delivery time information in the web shop.
Our LOWTEC springs are only manufactured in absolute top quality. Special production processes also ensure that the springs are prevented from setting. Experience has shown that our springs only change in the range of up to approx. 2 millimeters. If a vehicle becomes lower, it is usually because it has already placed something on the suspension travel limiters and these are giving way over time.
In most countries no expert opinion is required. Since our catalog is international, all available sets are listed in it. Articles without approval are marked with hint 148. If necessary, we will issue a manufacturer's declaration that can be used to register. Please contact your local authority before installing a kit without approcal.
If shortened stabilizer connectors are required for our coilovers, these are always included in the scope of delivery (see note G7). If the coupling rods are attached to the stabilizer (e.g. Golf IV), it is sometimes necessary to create space between the drive shaft and the stabilizer, from a lowering of approx. 40 mm, especially on vehicles with a thick drive shaft (see note 146). Smaller adjustments are possible with adjustable stabilizer connectors. The optimal solution is to replace the original stabilizer with a sports stabilizer (LOWTEC item no. 836090). Both are not included in the scope of delivery of a suspension kit.
The use of the suspension kits and springs is not possible on vehicles with alternative drive systems, unless expressly stated. The reason for this is the additional high weight due to the necessary additional parts (battery or gas tank). This restriction also applies to vehicles with a standard natural gas drive. (e.g. VW with TGI engines)
Questions about coilover of the HiLOW system
E.g. the length of the optional front axle springs (e.g. 190mm for 97519, 180mm for 97618): The shorter spring is also the harder one (RACE).
The DYNAMIC coilover suspension offers the greatest residual comfort and is slightly firmer than a normal sports suspension. The tighter STREET set-up is by far the most chosen and is generally more neutral and harmonious in terms of hardness than a well-known coilover suspension. The RACE version is set even harder with the spring and damper. A special tuning is recommended for motorsport applications. Please also see the comparison table for suspension hardness.
We have provided the hardness-adjustable threaded dampers with a very large adjustment range, which ranges from the power of a normal sports damper to motorsport use. Precise setting recommendations are given in the installation instructions for the respective requirements.
We have developed a special solution for hardness adjustment for our strut threaded dampers. The multiple grid adjustment, which adjusts the rebound over a very wide range, takes place at the top of the piston rod. The compression stage is adapted to the respective damper and vehicle type and only changes minimally during adjustment.
We create LOWTEC manufacturer declarations for special types without parts approvals. These are like a report with all the information and are an optimal basis for the local authorities to legalize this suspension. Please contact your local authority before you install a suspension without approval.
With conventional coilovers, the suspension travel becomes smaller and smaller as the vehicle is lowered and the vehicle rests more and more on the suspension travel limiters. The suspension and damping are no longer present in their original properties. This is avoided with our HiLOW system because the entire damper unit is screwed higher or lower together with the spring in the lower bracket, so the spring travel always remains the same..
Coilovers in particular (including stainless steel suspensions) are made of various materials that are subject to a certain amount of oxidation over time and under different environmental influences. Particularly good protection can be achieved with good protective agents (LOWTEC protective wax spray item no. 87940).
There is probably minimal play when the vehicle is raised, i.e. when the wheel is hanging, especially in connection with the play in the camber bearing. Normally, when the vehicle is standing on its wheels as when driving, this should not be the case. We check all new dampers and also measure the piston rod play using a special device. When the piston rod is partially retracted in accordance with driving operation, this value approaches zero. To explain: Due to the short design of these special dampers, a minimally noticeable play when the piston rod is fully extended cannot be technically avoided, otherwise the friction and wear values will increase too high if the tolerance is too small. The design and tolerances in the piston rod guides of our threaded dampers are elaborately optimized and designed more precisely than conventional sports and threaded dampers.
The preload is normally 2-20 mm. The more preload the springs have, the greater the spring travel. The exact preload values can be found in the parts report and/or in the installation instructions.
Our suspensions are generally tested with the standard camber bearings and adapted to them. If you want to use Uniball dome bearings, you must send them to us before installation. We check whether this is compatible with the regular components or whether an adjustment is necessary. If an adjustment is necessary, we will make you a favorable offer.
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