To Drop or Not Drop

[KyLoc]

(I originally posted this in the "Wheel/tire" section)

I just got 22" inch rims slapped on and now theres this 3" to 3.5" gap between the wheels and wheel well... looks ok but a nice drop would finish it off right.

Dropping it about 1" to 1.5" would look amazing but here is my dilemma:

1. it's my only car... I don't have a winter beater.
2. I drive it everyday
3. I have 2 boys that occupy the back seats
4. will it affect it when driving in winter (I live in Canada)
5. will it affect anything else?
6. IT'LL LOOK SOOO SWEEEET WHEN DROPPED

I don't want to do a major drop... I just want to fill the gap and at the same time not ruin the "every day" performance of my car (I plan on keeping the car for 7+ yrs).

anybody with experiences or in the same situation - your advice would be greatly appreciated.

thanks.

[IronMedic]

i put a 2" drop on mine and drove with a full load in the trunk and back seat and drove about 1300 miles. the drop lines up perfect with the tires on my 22's. i do scrape on occasion but i am more careful than that. i have been driving with lowering springs for years

[CUEBALL]

I have about a 2" drop..... no issues, just roll the fenders..

A 1.5" drop won't look as good IMO, but still a good alla round option if you're worried..

[300cDave]

Your front tires will rub the top of the wheel well and bend it when you turn and hit a bump or turn into a driveway. You are going to have to roll the fenders. Your going to wear the shocks out QUICK and the car will handle like crap. Some people don't care about those issues just as long as the car looks good. You have to drive it though. Plus, the lower you go, the more problems you'll have. If you do it, just be prepared to live with the negative issues that will happen with ride and just overall quality of the car.

[DYNAMITE44]

many people go with the eibach pro kit, but when they do, they ruin their shocks/struts, sometimes within a year of installing the kit. i don't imagine that the shocks/struts would be covered under warranty considering it was aftermarket parts that caused the failure.

these cars have a problem with eating tie rod ends. many people have had theirs replaced at very low milage, and that's with stock height suspension. i can't imagine lowering the car would make the steering angles any better, the steering wasn't engineered to be used on a dropped vehicle.

i personally had both outer tie rods replaced at 22,000 miles, and that's on stock suspension and stock 17 inch wheels and tires on my 06 300 touring. larger, heavier wheels will only exacerbate wear on the tie rods, not to mention steering angles caused by a lowered suspension.

if you're already out of warranty, then i wouldn't worry too much, because you'll be fixing it out of pocket anyway, i just like to preserve my warranty.