A few questions about lowering

[MisterTedster]

Hey guys, I'm going to be lowering my car (again) on Eibachs. I most likely will be using springtech springs or kyb, depending on how you guys feel about either.

My questions are:

1) Are the strut mounts for the rear the same as for the front?

2) Do Eibachs need a camber kit?

3) Will it be ok to have a full load of passengers + audio equipment on this setup?

4) My left rear strut mount is no good, I know I should at least replace BOTH the rear, but should I also replace the front?

5) Is $250 for labor a good deal?

Thanks!

[xan16]

Hey guys, I'm going to be lowering my car (again) on Eibachs. I most likely will be using springtech springs or kyb, depending on how you guys feel about either.

My questions are:

1) Are the strut mounts for the rear the same as for the front?

2) Do Eibachs need a camber kit?

3) Will it be ok to have a full load of passengers + audio equipment on this setup?

4) My left rear strut mount is no good, I know I should at least replace BOTH the rear, but should I also replace the front?

5) Is $250 for labor a good deal?

Thanks!

1.) No, and my KYB mounts had Driver-Side and Passenger-Side front mounts. Rears are the same (from left to right).

2.) Yes, unless you want uneven wear on your tires.

3.) I rubbed in the rear because of my wide tires. Depends on your tire size.

4.) At LEAST replace the rears, they're a pain to get to. Fronts are pretty easy and depending on the mileage of your car, might not be a bad idea.

5.) Great deal if this includes all 4 struts/springs/mounts! You will need an alignment afterwards.

[CamryOnBronze]

I honestly don't think you will need camber bolts with Eibach springs- or with any springs, IMO. I was pretty low on both JIC and K-Sport coilovers at different times, and it was never a problem to get the camber aligned into factory specs (Even without camber plates in the rear.) Any decent alignment shop should be able to do it. It is a common misconception that camber causes tires to wear unevenly, when it is usually caused by issues with caster and toe. There are people that run 2-3 degrees of camber without uneven tire wear- toe is what eats up tires.

The Tire Rack sells strut mounts, and lists each individually to ensure that you get all of the right ones you need. Unless you are running some insane wheel offsets or extremely wide/tall tires that are the incorrect size for your car, you should never have rubbing issues with passengers and whatnot on any combo of aftermarket springs/struts. Unless you are hauling elephants around...

And one last thing- if you have a basic set of hand tools, a jack/stands, and a spring compressor- you should consider doing the install yourself. Springs and struts are very straightforward and can be done right at home in a few hours. Maybe if you have some friends with experience they could help you out. That way, you save a few hundred dollars and you have a better understanding of your car and how it works. I paid someone a pretty penny to lower my Camry when I got out of high school, and I am kicking myself for it now- it really is a pretty easy thing to start with when it comes to doing maintenance yourself.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!