Originally posted by owen_SVT:
yeah, the reason im keeping stock struts is cause i dont have money to upgrade everything else (girlfriend )....if i go with the stock springs, do you think the car is gonna be too high since the springs are gonna be new? would there be too many negatives with keeping stock struts with different springs? thanks guys



New, poly swaybar bushings are cheap, and you might be surprised at the difference they'll make, especially compared to old, tired OEM rubber bushings.

Besides that, I think the stock suspension is very good when it's not worn out. Your car might sit a bit higher when you first replace your springs, but I doubt it would be much or for very long.

The major things I wanted to "fix" when I replaced my suspension was the squat and dive. The SVT is a bit worse on dive than the early SE, with the softer front springs, but it's a better balanced package for handling and probably even ride quality. And new SVT struts are cheap, relative to any fancy aftermarket setup. Besides, I didn't have a "problem" with squat until I started autocrossing.

Function before fashion. '96 Contour SE "Toss the Contour into a corner, and it's as easy to catch as a softball thrown by a preschooler." -Edmunds, 1998