Lowering Springs + Winter Setup

[Kevmocheeks]

Been really enjoying seeing everyone's builds with their ITS. I really want to get some coilovers/lowering springs to start my journey with this car, but as someone that lives in a snowy state, I'm just cautious and curious, does anyone else drive a lowered ITS in winter?

I'm fortunate to have a wife with a winterized car that we use for winter weekends/heavy snow, but I still daily my car to work, with a good set of blizzaks. But God Spec wheels and suspension is a dream look of mine.

Thanks in Advance!

EDIT: I do have 245/40r18 blizzaks on 18" wheels for the winter setup, mainly asking in terms of lowered suspension in winter. MN resident here so Winter tires are a MUST!

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[Victorofhavoc]

Mine isn't lowered but I do drive it through winter. I would not run a super poke wheel in winter in my area. The car already has so much poke that in stock sizing it flings junk everywhere and chips up doors, even with the mudguards. With salt and just general winter debris, there's a lot to fling around even when it's not a foot of snow. A winter wheel/tire is the way to go, especially if you can use an 18". Bonus points if you find a reasonable 17 that can fit! That would make for great sidewall range.

I also found the limit on stock height to be about 4-5" of snow and then the car becomes a sled, regardless of tire. If you lower an inch, I can only assume you'd be facing a limit of 3-4" of powder before the car is undrivable.

 

[Frenzal]

Wide wheels in the snow are really not good.

So God Spec wheels are good for the summer, not winter if you have snow!

 

[Old_Dad_Actual]

I’m in southwest Ohio, which doesn’t see huge amounts of snow on a regular basis. I’m lowered on Eibach pro-kit springs, and I picked up some Sparco FF4 18” wheels and some Pirelli all season tires off Tire Rack. Car was perfect last winter, but I obviously didn’t take it out when we had like 8” on the ground. I was more worried about snow plowing with my front lip in a part of the lane that wasn’t cleared or catching a frozen snow pile while parking than I was with grip. Depending on your region, you may want to get a narrower wheel and dedicated snow tires.

 

[MERAKIAUTOWORKS]

Wouldn't do god spec for winter wheels. Springs are okay though

-Josh

 

[Kevmocheeks]

I’m in southwest Ohio, which doesn’t see huge amounts of snow on a regular basis. I’m lowered on Eibach pro-kit springs, and I picked up some Sparco FF4 18” wheels and some Pirelli all season tires off Tire Rack. Car was perfect last winter, but I obviously didn’t take it out when we had like 8” on the ground. I was more worried about snow plowing with my front lip in a part of the lane that wasn’t cleared or catching a frozen snow pile while parking than I was with grip. Depending on your region, you may want to get a narrower wheel and dedicated snow tires.

This is some great info! Glad to know at least for winter the suspension setup is okay.

Apologies to everyone, I do have a set of narrower blizzaks on 18" wheels, so my winter wheel setup is fine. Its just how a lowered ITS performs in the winter mainly.

Despite all of the negative connotations with Snow, MN does a pretty good job with plowing right away, so highways don't see too much accumulation, and the morning after is usually fully cleared off. Its the 1-2" that I'm curious about on lowered suspension.

 

[Victorofhavoc]

This is some great info! Glad to know at least for winter the suspension setup is okay.

Apologies to everyone, I do have a set of narrower blizzaks on 18" wheels, so my winter wheel setup is fine. Its just how a lowered ITS performs in the winter mainly.

Despite all of the negative connotations with Snow, MN does a pretty good job with plowing right away, so highways don't see too much accumulation, and the morning after is usually fully cleared off. Its the 1-2" that I'm curious about on lowered suspension.

You'll be fine with that little. The lower air dam is just something to keep an eye on since it's just more likely to snag, but it's a cheap/easy swap for it.

 

[Tw1stedlog1k]

I'm on h&r springs and my winter setup is 255/35 Nexen Winguard Sport2 on OEM wheels and 20mm spacers.

No issues in that last storm I was caught in and there was a good 3-4 inches of snow on the ground by the time I made it home.

 

[Spart]

If you don't care about your speedometer being dead on, for winter maybe consider a taller tire with a wheel fitment that isn't aggressive. You'll gain back some of your ground clearance lost to the springs.

Also, there are some spring options out there that do a more modest drop. If you combine those with slightly taller profile tires on your summer setup, they fill out the wheel well quite nicely and look very good, I think. These cars have big wheel openings for the factory tire size and some of the right "look" is making the gap appear smaller all the way around, not just at the top.

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