# Lowering Your Cruze: Eibach Springs Review



## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

The first week of October I installed a set of Eibach Pro Kit springs in my 2012 Eco MT. Having lowered vehicles in the past, the reasons for lowering this car are the two obvious ones; appearance and handling, with the emphasis being on appearance. Having driven the car now for several months on everything from slow dirt roads to 7+ hour highway trips, I feel I'm ready to do a decent review of this modification. The springs were installed on the stock struts with no other modifications except a front toe adjustment. The car has the stock 17" Eco wheels and stock low mileage LRR GoodYear tires.

Installation

I installed these springs myself. Though it was not difficult to do, I will not offer a how-to write-up. Using spring compressors carries a certain amount of risk and if you're not comfortable with that, I don't want to be the one who "talks you into it". This is one of those modifications where it truly is better to get a shop to do it unless you are sure you know what you're doing. 'Nuff said.

Suspension drop vs. my buddy's 2011 Eco MT with stock suspension (measured from ground to fender):

------Stock 2011------Eibach Pro Kit 2012-----Lower by
LF-----27-3/8"---------26"---------------------1-3/8"
RF-----27-1/2"---------26-3/16"---------------1-5/16"
LR-----27-13/16"-------26-11/16"--------------1-1/8"
RR-----27-11/16"-------26-3/4"----------------15/16"

Front Lowering Average = 1.34"
Rear Lowering Average = 1.03"

These measurements were taken with the cars parked side by side on a concrete pad in an effort to have as flat a surface as possible. That said, I'm sure the surface was not perfectly flat. Also, production
variation can cause variables in both the OEM springs as well as the Eibachs, so these measurements should be taken as a guide only. Finally, these are measurements taken from two different vehicles, NOT a before and after of my vehicle.

Once the springs are installed the only suspension alignment setting that needs correcting is the front toe. No other suspension adjustments are possible on the Cruze without resorting to shims or ovaling round holes. I set my front toe using a tape measure and a couple of blocks of wood, measuring the tire tread of the left tire to the right both front and back, and adjusting the tie rods until I got roughly zero toe and the steering wheel was straight ahead on flat level roads.

I chose zero toe for several reasons:

1. Lower rolling resistance: Less tire scrubbing means better fuel economy.
2. Reduced tire/bearing wear: Less scrubbing also helps tires last longer and reduces the load on wheel bearings.
3. Better turn-in: Less toe-in reduces the time it takes for the front end to respond to steering inputs.

Please be aware that running zero toe can cause reduced straight line stability. A road trip in the fall found me driving in very windy conditions and I noticed cross winds pushing the front of the car around a bit. Personally I don't find this an issue and am used to driving cars set up this way. I can't remember driving in severe cross winds before making this change so I can't comment on the before/after impact. I do not find it a problem, but some folks may. The rear of the car did not seem to move around as much, and the rear toe is not adjustable anyway.

The front suspension, when lowered, gains a significant amount of negative camber. Camber can cause uneven tire wear, especially when combined with toe in/out. The camber gain in this case should not be
enough to cause significant problems with tire wear, but if toe is not set properly could cause issues. Make sure your front toe is set properly, and if having an alignment shop do it make sure the total toe
is towards the smaller side of the spec (less total toe). Do not pay for a full four wheel alignment; the ONLY suspension adjustment possible on the Cruze is front toe, all other settings are fixed.

Ride Quality

I want to get one thing straight immediately: RIDE COMFORT DECREASES WITH LOWERED SUSPENSION

I've read countless posts where people claim their lowered cars ride "just like stock". THIS IS NOT TRUE. It may be true when referring to perfectly smooth flat roads, but if all roads were perfectly smooth and
flat cars wouldn't need a suspension system in the first place. It may be almost true for relatively smooth roads that have few or small dips, bumps, ruts or patchwork, but roads like this are not the norm in most places. For very obvious reasons, ride quality observations should not be made on smooth roads... they should be made on less than perfect roads as this is where ride quality actually matters.

Two things happen when lowering a car that reduce/change the ride quality. The first is reduced suspension travel. This is how far the suspension can move to absorb road irregularities. When you lower a car you are reducing the amount of compression travel the suspension has to work with, which means it will bottom out easier on large bumps.

The second is the spring rate increases. This means the spring is stiffer. This is necessary to help keep the car from bottoming out too often due to the reduced suspension travel (it also reduces body roll in
a turn, dive under braking and squat on acceleration). Increasing the spring rate means that ride harshness increases, and bumps and impacts are transmitted into the car body more.

While it is possible for a lowered car to ride WELL, it will not ride like STOCK. Everyone's tolerance for ride quality will be different, and just because one person thinks a car rides well does not mean
someone else will. Please be aware that lowering your car will reduce the ride quality and it will no longer ride like stock. I just want everyone to know that so they are not disappointed after changing their springs. People who enjoy a stiffer ride or who have owned lowered cars before will know what they're in for, but someone who does not know should at least be aware.

Having said all that, the ride quality with the Eibach Pro Kit isn't too bad. It is definitely stiffer than stock, with reduced dynamic body motions and increased feedback from the road surface. Impacts are MUCH sharper and more noticeable, and coarsely textured asphalt sends more vibrations into the cabin. When travelling over rough and uneven roads full of patchwork (which describes a short stretch of road in my daily commute), the car moves around quite a bit more than it did before, pitching and bobbing, generally following the road's surface more closely than with the stock springs (which is to be expected).

The reduced suspension travel causes the front suspension to bottom out regularly on larger bumps, sending a shock into the cabin. On relatively good roads this is not an issue, but on larger bumps it is.
I am honestly quite surprised by this and it suggests the Cruze has little front suspension travel to begin with. As an example, my commute includes traveling over a short bridge which has small "ramps" formed into the road leading up to it on either side. Driving East and coming off the bridge the front suspension bottoms hard, sending a shock through the car, but the rear soaks it up no problem. On the stock springs this was handled very smoothly at both ends. As a point of comparison, my '02 Corvette Z06 (which is lowered about 1" on the stock springs/shocks) going over the same spot does not bottom out the front suspension, but does bottom out the rear with similar harshness to the Cruze's front.

I may look into increasing the ride height of the front of the car by 1/4" or so. Doing this would add 1/4" of suspension travel (reduced bottoming) as well as balance the look of the car a bit as I find the front looks a bit lower than the rear (also, the front air dam lightly scrapes my sidewalk entering my driveway). If I pursue this I will post a follow up of the modification and my feedback.

The stock struts are slightly under-damped for these springs in the front (the rear seems to fare much better). The front will rebound (bounce) off of larger dips and bumps, and will oscillate through another compression stroke before settling down. This is not ideal and is one of the reasons people favour adjustable coil over suspensions over a simple spring upgrade; adjustable rebound damping lets you dial
out this behavior. It is not severe, but it is noticeable. Something else to be aware of.

Generally speaking, if the roads in your area are in good condition you will likely find the ride decent. If the roads are rough and poorly maintained, you may want to think twice about lowering your Cruze. If you regularly drive on dirt or gravel roads full of potholes and washboard, well, you've been warned. Also keep in mind that my ride quality observations are based on driving the car without passengers, just me driving. Adding passengers will lower the car more and further reduce suspension travel. With two or three people sitting in the back and a trunk full of stuff, I would not be surprised if the rear bottomed similar to the front.

Handling

This is where the good news starts. The stock Eco handles reasonably well with nimble steering and decent balance, but the body has noticeable roll and the front tires seem to give up early when pushed hard.

With the Eibach springs installed, body roll is significantly reduced in hard corners and this means the car reacts much quicker to steering inputs; there's dramatically less time between turning the wheel and the suspension taking a set, making the car feel much more responsive and eager to turn in.

Lowering the Cruze adds a significant amount of negative camber to the front wheels. This added camber combined with the reduced body roll has a transformational effect on front end grip - you'd swear the (previously crummy feeling) GoodYear Assurance Fuel Max tires were swapped out for tires much more capable. The difference here was very surprising... having lowered all but one of my previous vehicles I knew generally what to expect, but the increased front end grip now available truly was unexpected. The Cruze's front suspension geometry can be thanked for this.

Handling balance is generally a steady understeer, with the front tires giving up before the rears. This may sound like a bad thing, but trust me when I say the car is FAR more entertaining to throw into a
corner now than it ever was before. Yes, the front tires lose grip first, but there's so much more grip than before that the car is still very entertaining to drive. The response from the front end is really nice... have I mentioned that yet?

When looking at the Eibach springs before installing them in the car, it appeared that the front springs were MUCH stiffer than the stock springs (shorter overall with fewer coils), while the rear springs appeared not too much different than stock (similar length overall). This impression is validated when driving the car as the front end feels noticeably firmer and quicker to react than the rear.

To completely balance the car, a rear sway bar installation will be necessary. This will allow the balancing of the Tire Lateral Load Transfer Distribution (TLLTD) so the rear tires pick up a slip angle quicker and balance the car front to rear. The front end already has plenty of roll stiffness after the Eibach installation, the rear end is all that's required to dial it in. That, and maybe some shocks/struts that have a little more rebound damping.

I hope this review helps some people who are interested in lowering their Cruze. I'm glad I did it, and I hope I take some of the surprises out of the modification for those who are considering it.


Regarding coil overs, I have no experience with them on the Cruze. It is possible that they will allow greater suspension travel, and as such may be capable of offering a better ride over large bumps. Ride quality will be completely dependent on spring and damper rates. The cost of a coil over suspension is roughly four or more times that of a set of lowering springs, so I would invest some time in researching them before pulling the trigger.

Pics, 2012 Eco with Eibachs vs. stock 2011 Eco:
























































Cruze-on.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

I'd like to add a few more pics but I can't seem to get them to work... over my post limit maybe?


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## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

Nice review, man. Didn't realize there was so much to it. I've always just slapped on a set of springs and purpose built struct/shocks.


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## Invierno (Nov 23, 2012)

Awesome post! Very informative and detailed. I have had all my previous cars lowered and otherwise suspension modified and your review of the handling improvements only makes me closer to pulling the trigger on a set of Eibachs


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## Lightz39 (May 14, 2012)

You my friend, just got me to read a novel. Very well written. Good review.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Thanks everyone! I actually wrote most of that review before X-Mas and am just getting off my butt and posting it now. I blame the turkey...



Invierno said:


> ...your review of the handling improvements only makes me closer to pulling the trigger on a set of Eibachs


Keep in mind that the benefits/tradeoffs of MOST lowering springs will be about the same. Some will ride slightly better, some slightly worse based on exact spring rates and remaining suspension travel. This review focuses on the Eibachs, but most of what is said there will more or less apply to other springs that drop the car by a similar measurement. As a general rule, I would expect ride quality to suffer more and more the lower the car gets.


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## Poje (Aug 2, 2012)

GJ on the review !

As for Coil-overs, i have the Pedders Xa installed and i love them. The main thing is the possibility of ajustements.

One thing tho i was quite surprised when my new suspension was on and went for Alignment is that it was very close on all parameters to the stock specs, even in Camber, front and back. My car just needed small ajustements to make it perfect. Maybe that's because Coil-overs are shorter then normal struts and you get lower stance while keeping about the same geometry.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Poje said:


> As for Coil-overs, i have the Pedders Xa installed and i love them. The main thing is the possibility of ajustements.


For a given ride height, coil overs have the _potential _to be much better than a simple spring upgrade. Depending on the factory suspension limits coil overs may be able to offer more suspension travel*, and they offer damping rates matched to the springs which are also sometimes user adjustable, allowing the user to tailor the ride quality/handling balance to their liking.

* Regarding suspension travel. Increasing travel beyond factory limits can cause other problems, like tires contacting the inside of wheel wells and the chassis of the car bottoming out on the road. The factory suspension is set up to avoid these conditions, so as with most vehicle modifications ther are tradeoffs.

Coil overs in general are the right way to lower a car, but cost much more. They also place responsabilities on the user as far as setting them up properly. People are usually very happy with coil over suspensions, and it's usually one modification where you get what you pay for.

You probably know all this already, I'm just putting it here for the sake of being thorough for others to learn. Glad you like them!



Poje said:


> One thing tho i was quite surprised when my new suspension was on and went for Alignment is that it was very close on all parameters to the stock specs, even in Camber, front and back. My car just needed small ajustements to make it perfect. Maybe that's because Coil-overs are shorter then normal struts and you get lower stance while keeping about the same geometry.


Being shorter alone won't affect suspension geometry beyond what lowering springs offer. The suspension in the Cruze has fixed camber and toe in the rear (set by the geometry of the rear torsion beam), and fixed caster and camber in the front. The only alignment adjustment possible is front toe. Front camber adjustments require opening up the upper strut bolt to knuckle hole (ovaling it) with a die grinder, and rear toe/camber adjustments require shimming the bearing to hub interface. Front caster is set by the suspension mounting points and is not intended to be variable.

If the coil overs offer an oval hole to adjust front camber then they introduce an adjustment to the suspension system. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case, given the intention of the parts.

Several people here have posted great experiences with the Peddlers coil overs, they seem to be a great product.


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## jakkaroo (Feb 12, 2011)

great post

I loved my eibachs when i had them.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Here's what I see happening with regard to bottoming out. 

Eibach springs use the stock struts, which are calibrated for a specific spring rate that is used stock. When you change the spring rate, your ability to absorb impacts will only partially be affected by the increased spring rate; the rest of it will be affected by the jounce and rebound characteristics of the shock. This is why coilover kits are such a massive improvement over lowered springs; they usually include adjustable shocks that allow you to change those characteristics to prevent bottoming out over larger bumps. Unfortunately, they are 3-4x the price. You get what you pay for. Increasing the spring rate too much in an attempt to compensate for the shock's damping abilities will result in significantly reduced shock life, so it seems Eibach made a good compromise. Better to hit the bump stop than to blow the shock. 

A complete upgrade would include replacing the factory shocks with an adjustable shock. I prefer Koni, but other companies make them as well. 

Excellent writeup by the way. I'll ask if we can increase the limit on images per post.


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## Silver LT RS (Jun 4, 2012)

Great post man. This is the kind of review that this chat room needs more of. Most post on aftermarket springs that i have read here before, were vague and seamed less than accurate. I tried an aftermarket spring set on my 2000 Ford Focus one time and ended up removing them after a couple of months and going with SVT springs because of ride quality. And i was just chewing thru tires with the aftermarket springs.

Thanks for the review


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

You can do more than set toe on these cars they make offset cam bolts that adjust camber. Caster is non adjustable and I just ordered the first set of shims thay will align the rear.

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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> A complete upgrade would include replacing the factory shocks with an adjustable shock. I prefer Koni, but other companies make them as well.


Does anyone make an adjustable damper for the Cruze? Does anyone make a damper with higher than stock rates? I am under the impression these are not yet available and the only way to have upgraded or adjustable damping is to go with coil overs?


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Silver LT RS said:


> ...i was just chewing thru tires with the aftermarket springs.


I'm going to quote a piece I wrote in the Official Lowering Thread sticky to save writing it all again. This may explain some of your tire wear, especially if the suspension was not aligned properly afterwards.



Blue Angel said:


> It has been my personal experience that camber does not cause *excessive* shoulder wear on its own. Combining camber with TOE IN is what I've avoided and been successful at minimising shoulder wear.
> 
> Tire size and construction has a lot to do with how its wear pattern is affected by camber. Generally speaking, wider tires and tires with stiffer sidewalls are more prone to camber induced shoulder wear, while narrower tires and tires with softer sidewalls are less vulerable. Wider tires deform more side-to-side than narrow tires do for a given amount of camber, and stiffer sidewalls resist this deformation more than softer sidewalls do. Both traits increase the % load carried by the inside of the tire, as well as rolling resistance and therefore heat generated.
> 
> ...


So, in a nutshell, I wouldn't expect a lowered car to experience abnormal or high tire wear as long as the alignment is set properly. Zeroing the toe can significantly reduce tire wear, both with and without camber. Excessive camber can cause inside shoulder wear, especially with stiff sidewall tires.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

H3LLON3ARTH said:


> You can do more than set toe on these cars they make offset cam bolts that adjust camber. Caster is non adjustable and I just ordered the first set of shims thay will align the rear.


Good point about the camber bolts.

Care to share your source for rear shims? I didn't know these were available yet. I would really like to set my rear toe to zero... less rolling resistance, bearing/tire wear, etc.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

Stempf Automotive Industries, Inc.
Stempf Catalogs Page (read down a little to see Rear camber/toe shim pack)
It comes in a pack of twelve and it is best to order 12 per side. But go to a reputable alignment specialist that uses Hunter Alignment Equipment as you cant align your car without proper training and equipment.
When i install i will post pictures as i got a new camera yay.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

http://www.spcalignment.com/
http://www.spcalignment.com/index.php?option=com_spc&task=details
This is were we get out camber bolt IIRC they are 81250 kits and you only need one kit for front and the replace the upper bolt on your strut to knuckle assembly.
They also sell the rear shims now hurray.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Thanks for the links!



H3LLON3ARTH said:


> But go to a reputable alignment specialist that uses Hunter Alignment Equipment as you cant align your car without proper training and equipment.


I align my cars in the driveway with a long straight edge, a tape measure and a few blocks of wood.  I have to say, after doing this several times the Hunter Douglas route is pretty appealing... it takes a long time and several drives in between adjustments to get things right, not to mention a healthy understanding about what's going on. I just need to make a new friend who happens to have an alignment rack.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

Blue Angel said:


> Thanks for the links!
> 
> 
> 
> I align my cars in the driveway with a long straight edge, a tape measure and a few blocks of wood.  I have to say, after doing this several times the Hunter Douglas route is pretty appealing... it takes a long time and several drives in between adjustments to get things right, not to mention a healthy understanding about what's going on. I just need to make a new friend who happens to have an alignment rack.


I would love to watch you do alignments in your driveway i think that is old school but you wont get an accurate measurement without turn plate underneath the wheels to allow them to settle better.
If you were in or around the amarillo area i would set you up on my shops Hunter HawkEye Alignment Machine
HawkEye Alignment Systems - Greater profit and productivity through innovation


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

H3LLON3ARTH said:


> If you were in or around the amarillo area i would set you up on my shops Hunter HawkEye Alignment Machine
> HawkEye Alignment Systems - Greater profit and productivity through innovation


I envy anyone who has access to a proper alignment rack! Jealous!


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

Thats what i do for a living.and i love it


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## Silver LT RS (Jun 4, 2012)

Blue Angel said:


> I'm going to quote a piece I wrote in the Official Lowering Thread sticky to save writing it all again. This may explain some of your tire wear, especially if the suspension was not aligned properly afterwards.
> 
> 
> 
> So, in a nutshell, I wouldn't expect a lowered car to experience abnormal or high tire wear as long as the alignment is set properly. Zeroing the toe can significantly reduce tire wear, both with and without camber. Excessive camber can cause inside shoulder wear, especially with stiff sidewall tires.


Thanks for that info. On the front of my Focus, I had manged to get the toe right at zero, and slotted the inner fenders to get the camber were in needed to be. But i could never get the rear were i wanted it, alignment wise. And the rear springs rode very stiff, too stiff for an old man for sure.


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## Rocky87 (Apr 28, 2013)

Blue angel that looks good.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Rocky87 said:


> Blue angel that looks good.


Thank you sir!


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## IROCZILLA (Jun 29, 2012)

Great post! Much needed information!


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## Poison Ivy (Aug 10, 2013)

Some great info here thanks for that. I would like to add that to professionally lower a suspension in any car not just our Cruzes is not just as simple as adding lowered springs. To do this correctly you need to invest a few buck and get all of the suspension components matched. Like a set of coilovers for your vehicle make and model. This way all of your components are rated for each other. Just adding lowered springs to an otherwise stock suspension will not give you the ride quality and handling you expect from a lowered center of gravity. You can expect your ride to be harsh and bumpy, handling will not be on par with a proper coilover setup that has been dialed in to your car. I am sure there are plenty of enthusiasts here that have lowered their cars with spring only kits and like them. I have invested a considerable amount of money into buying a new Cruze. I will not compromise the performance or safety of my investment by taking shortcuts in the suspension department. I have installed a fully adjustable coilover setup in mine and will/would not do it any other way. I understand that budgets do not often allow for this type of setup. All I will say is this, you saved up enough to buy your new car, do the same with your performance mods and you will be greatly rewarded with outstanding quality results and an ear to ear grin on your face from your efforts.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Poison Ivy said:


> I would like to add that to professionally lower a suspension in any car not just our Cruzes is not just as simple as adding lowered springs. To do this correctly you need to invest a few buck and get all of the suspension components matched. Like a set of coilovers for your vehicle make and model.





Blue Angel said:


> For a given ride height, coil overs have the _potential _to be much better than a simple spring upgrade...
> 
> ...Coil overs in general are the right way to lower a car, but cost much more. They also place responsabilities on the user as far as setting them up properly. People are usually very happy with coil over suspensions, and it's usually one modification where you get what you pay for.


Coil overs can have advantages over a spring-only upgrade, that's for sure. It's a matter of how much money you want to spend and what your expectations are. There is little wrong with any car that lots of money can't fix. Glad to see you are enjoying your coil over setup!


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## Danny5 (Dec 22, 2011)

Question, did you modify the bump stops at all to gain back any travel?


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Danny5 said:


> Question, did you modify the bump stops at all to gain back any travel?


No I didn't. I've never been a fan of cutting bump stops because, while you will gain some suspension travel you will also DRAMATICALLY increase the impact when you bottom out which will put lots of additional strain on the entire car (wheels and tires, suspension, body). The bump stops in the Cruze are not very long to begin with, at least in the front anyway (I haven't seen the rears).


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## Danny5 (Dec 22, 2011)

Blue Angel said:


> No I didn't. I've never been a fan of cutting bump stops because, while you will gain some suspension travel you will also DRAMATICALLY increase the impact when you bottom out which will put lots of additional strain on the entire car (wheels and tires, suspension, body). The bump stops in the Cruze are not very long to begin with, at least in the front anyway (I haven't seen the rears).


The rears are visible if you just look in the wheel well. They are at the top of the rear shock. I cut them on the last car I lowered, but I had mixed feelings about how it rode afterwards. (Exactly like you said, larger impacts)


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## Danny5 (Dec 22, 2011)

I was looking at your pictures and LOLed when I saw the rear bumps plain as day 

Just FYI


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Good catch! I hadn't noticed that before. Since the rear shocks don't need to come out during the spring install I never really looked at them.


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## Southpaw1456 (Jul 20, 2013)

Great review man#


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## Mick (Dec 31, 2011)

The eco looks like its lifted without lowering springs.

Nice write up.

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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Southpaw1456 said:


> Great review man#


Thanks!


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Mick said:


> The eco looks like its lifted without lowering springs.


Getting down to tire level and firing the camera flash straight in there surely doesn't help the fender gap look any smaller, but you're right... every time I see a stock Eco (or any stock Cruze for that matter) I can't believe how high it looks. Lowering a car a little sure makes a big difference in the way it looks.


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## CruzeForDays (Aug 12, 2013)

Anyone know the spring rate of the Eibachs? And awesome write up. I just got mine today!


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

CruzeForDays said:


> Anyone know the spring rate of the Eibachs? And awesome write up. I just got mine today!


I haven't seen actual spring rates advertised. Be sure to post up some pics when you get it done!


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## CruzeForDays (Aug 12, 2013)

Blue Angel said:


> I haven't seen actual spring rates advertised. Be sure to post up some pics when you get it done!


Alright thanks. And will do sir.


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## Danny5 (Dec 22, 2011)

Lowered my Diesel with Eibachs today. Just for the record...

27.5" --> 25.75" Front
27.75" --> 26.75" Rear

Will keep track to see if it "settles"


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## Calintz (Jul 21, 2011)

Danny5 said:


> Lowered my Diesel with Eibachs today. Just for the record...
> 
> 27.5" --> 25.75" Front
> 27.75" --> 26.75" Rear
> ...


Looks good Danny!


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Danny5 said:


> Lowered my Diesel with Eibachs today. Just for the record...
> 
> 27.5" --> 25.75" Front
> 27.75" --> 26.75" Rear
> ...


Looking good!

That's about the same as mine in the rear but even a little lower in the front. IMO the front is a little too low on mine, it bottoms out too much and I intend to raise it a bit. That, and it seems to have a bit too much rake (front lower than rear).

Mine didn't settle much if at all.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Danny5 said:


> Lowered my Diesel with Eibachs today. Just for the record...
> 
> 27.5" --> 25.75" Front
> 27.75" --> 26.75" Rear
> ...


Holy crap. The weight of that engine really dragged the front end down. That's really low. Looks awesome though. 

Sent from mobile.


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## 01sleeperZ (Oct 19, 2011)

The original write up was great! I also wish Eibach would post the spring rates, but it is often hard to find from any manufacturer. I have a 2012 Eco MT, and I agree that I would not want to lower it too much - maybe 1/2" to 3/4". I would like to stiffen it up a bit to drive better, but not enough to make it too harsh, and I don't want to drag the front end too much.

FYI - I also have a 2002 Z06 vette with poly bushings all around, stock springs, and have tried to mostly reduce front end wieght. I installed a lightweight Corbou driver seat, put a braille battery behind the driver seat, shorty headers (15# less than stock), put in an aluminum flywheel when my clutch went south, took off the hood insulation & light, etc to reduce front weight by about 65 lbs. I adjusted the front springs to keep stock height. I also like to keep the negative camber up near the top of recommended, and zero toe. The front feels so much more sudden in responce than when I got the Z06 4 1/2 years ago! The Cruze is fairly nimble and fun to drive, but I love the way the vette drives! Unfortunately, my wife does not like the way the vette drives at all - so it usually only gets used as a one person transportation vehicle.

By the way, Palmer Performance has a new product coming out that will put gauges on the Cruze dashboard. It is called DashLogic, and is reconfigurable to put boost or whatever you want on the DIC and the center stereo screen - it is reconfigurable on your computer to pick up to eight pages of scrollable sets of info., and each page can be customer set for what is pulled off of the car's computer to view. You get your choice of dozens of gauge outputs without having to install any gauges!! Check it out at www.palmerperformance.com. It is not shipping yet for the Cruze but is for the C6 vette, but I am pushing them to finish it up for the Cruze as hard as I can push!


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## Danny5 (Dec 22, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Holy crap. The weight of that engine really dragged the front end down. That's really low. Looks awesome though.
> 
> Sent from mobile.





Blue Angel said:


> Looking good!
> 
> That's about the same as mine in the rear but even a little lower in the front. IMO the front is a little too low on mine, it bottoms out too much and I intend to raise it a bit. That, and it seems to have a bit too much rake (front lower than rear).
> 
> Mine didn't settle much if at all.


Thanks guys! I am not noticing any "settling" either. I agree with the statement "a little too low" but only because I didn't cut the bumpstops. I am hoping to go to coilovers at some point, so I won't be pulling the struts again until that happens.



01sleeperZ said:


> By the way, Palmer Performance has a new product coming out that will put gauges on the Cruze dashboard. It is called DashLogic, and is reconfigurable to put boost or whatever you want on the DIC and the center stereo screen - it is reconfigurable on your computer to pick up to eight pages of scrollable sets of info., and each page can be customer set for what is pulled off of the car's computer to view. You get your choice of dozens of gauge outputs without having to install any gauges!! Check it out at www.palmerperformance.com. It is not shipping yet for the Cruze but is for the C6 vette, but I am pushing them to finish it up for the Cruze as hard as I can push!


*cough* $310 *cough* My ultragauge was $70, and torque is even cheaper. I like the idea of pumping the info to your DIC, but thats quite a price gap!!!


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

01sleeperZ said:


> I also have a 2002 Z06 vette with poly bushings all around, stock springs, and have tried to mostly reduce front end wieght.


Great minds think alike... on my '02Z I installed an Odyssey PC680 battery (~25 lbs saved) and a set of LG Pro Longtube headers (~25 lbs saved), pulled the air injection system (~5 lbs saved) and a Halltech intake (~3 lbs saved), so about 58 lbs off the front in total. I put back 5-10 lbs when I upgraded to 18" wheels up front, but the 285/305 tires make the car feel much more balanced than it was with the stock 265/295 setup, and overall grip is WAY up with the Nitto RIIs vs. the stock GoodYears.

I'd like to do a light clutch/flywheel setup as well as pull the power seat mechanism out from the driver's side, but those things have been on the list for years... the original clutch is still going after 120k miles, and has seen many trips to the dragstrip and a best time of 11.86 @ 118. Impressive for a clutch to last so long and see so much action.


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## Danny5 (Dec 22, 2011)

Big update! Springs finally settled to 25.5" A 2" drop!


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Wow, that's huge for a spring only install. The extra weight of the diesel model makes a big difference up front.

I still haven't raised mine, but I need to. I was driving my Mom around on Mothers Day and it was a little embarrassing slamming down on every bump or dip larger than a couple inches.


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## Danny5 (Dec 22, 2011)

I am imagining that anywhere in Canada is going to be like driving through pot hole **** in the spring time!


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Danny5 said:


> I am imagining that anywhere in Canada is going to be like driving through pot hole **** in the spring time!


Not much different than the Northern States, but we definitely have our share of crummy roads. My bump stops sure take a beating.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Danny5 said:


> Big update! Springs finally settled to 25.5" A 2" drop!


Your diesel uses heaver springs so technically using drop springs designed for the gas model you are overloading those springs. They will not last as long and could break/fail at any time.


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## anthonysmith93 (Jul 15, 2015)

I've read through here and had a question. I just installed the Eibach pro springs a week or so ago and I realize ride quality does diminish, but I now have major clunking when turning the steering wheel and hitting microscopic bumps and I can feel these clunks under my feet as I'm driving. Everything is tight, I can't imagine anything would be loose considering the low torque specs, if anything things are too tight. 

Any help would be appreciated. The only thing that seems wonky are the strut mounts, when I tried to tighten them at the engine bay, they get "tight" but then just spin....is that normal? 

I'm taking the car in Friday to the dealer to have them do an alignment/check the front end components to see why it's clunking, and while these have voided the warranty up front, I would pay to get whatever it is fixed.


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## 170-3tree (Nov 4, 2014)

Meh. Pay them to tell you what's up maybe. But if you tackled the install alone, you should be more than equipped to fix most of what it could be!


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## anthonysmith93 (Jul 15, 2015)

Okay thanks, if they can figure out the issue I might fix it myself....it just depends. I don't have an air gun or whatever it is so it makes the fixing take hours rather than, AN hour lmao.


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## 170-3tree (Nov 4, 2014)

anthonysmith93 said:


> Okay thanks, if they can figure out the issue I might fix it myself....it just depends. I don't have an air gun or whatever it is so it makes the fixing take hours rather than, AN hour lmao.


Well If you were closer I'd offer some free time. I work at a local shop, but not getting my hands on it doesn't help much for keyboard diagnostics. Quick thing though, did you shake your sway bar?? usually people hear knocking and its that or upper mounts, but your mounts should be good, as you have had them apart.


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## anthonysmith93 (Jul 15, 2015)

I appreciate the concern, and also wish you were closer haha.

I have not shaken the sway bar, should it be easy to shake, be pretty solid? As I tightened the bolts on it, I may not have tightened them enough because I didn't realize I needed passthru sockets for it. So obviously I could only tighten them so much before the whole bolt just spins. I'm thinking that also could be the issue since it clunks when turning the wheel as well as hitting bumps.


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## 170-3tree (Nov 4, 2014)

anthonysmith93 said:


> I appreciate the concern, and also wish you were closer haha.
> 
> I have not shaken the sway bar, should it be easy to shake, be pretty solid? As I tightened the bolts on it, I may not have tightened them enough because I didn't realize I needed passthru sockets for it. So obviously I could only tighten them so much before the whole bolt just spins. I'm thinking that also could be the issue since it clunks when turning the wheel as well as hitting bumps.



Yeah its an easy check. jack up the side, take off the front wheel. grab the sway bar below right by the link end. move it up and down at a few different rates, use your palm to smack the bottom of the bar and see if it makes a little noise. sometimes unloading them completely is enough to make them rattle a little bit. then you might find that the nut is loose, tighten it and retest.


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## anthonysmith93 (Jul 15, 2015)

170-3tree said:


> Yeah its an easy check. jack up the side, take off the front wheel. grab the sway bar below right by the link end. move it up and down at a few different rates, use your palm to smack the bottom of the bar and see if it makes a little noise. sometimes unloading them completely is enough to make them rattle a little bit. then you might find that the nut is loose, tighten it and retest.


Okay cool thanks! I'll do this Thursday before I take it in Friday for the alignment, I don't want them telling me crazy things are wrong "because I installed lowering springs". I know how dealers can be sometimes haha.


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## CDNCRUZIN (Nov 24, 2015)

Hey all, I'm thinking about installing a Pro-Kit on my 2015 1.4LT .. Can anyone tell me what a "reasonable" amount of shop time would be to complete the install? My guy is coming in super low with a kit price of $300ish CAD but I'm not sure about labour.


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## anthonysmith93 (Jul 15, 2015)

If using air tools I'd say 2 hours max.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## CDNCRUZIN (Nov 24, 2015)

anthonysmith93 said:


> If using air tools I'd say 2 hours max.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


It would be my mechanic doing the work so that's cool.. probably run me under $500 as he never charges me full pop on labour! hmmmmm...... decisions decisions...


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## 170-3tree (Nov 4, 2014)

I can tell you that Mitchell labor time on front struts and spring replacement is 2.3-2.6 hours and 1 on the rear plus your alignment.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

anthonysmith93 said:


> I've read through here and had a question. I just installed the Eibach pro springs a week or so ago and I realize ride quality does diminish, but I now have major clunking when turning the steering wheel and hitting microscopic bumps and I can feel these clunks under my feet as I'm driving. Everything is tight, I can't imagine anything would be loose considering the low torque specs, if anything things are too tight.
> 
> Any help would be appreciated. The only thing that seems wonky are the strut mounts, when I tried to tighten them at the engine bay, they get "tight" but then just spin....is that normal?
> 
> I'm taking the car in Friday to the dealer to have them do an alignment/check the front end components to see why it's clunking, and while these have voided the warranty up front, I would pay to get whatever it is fixed.


I used an impact driver to tighten my strut shaft nuts. IIRC, the nuts are pinched so they are tight on the threads, but the impact is able to tighten them.

If you don't have an impact you can put a set of vice grips on a socket and then use a torx bit through the socket opening to keep the shaft from turning while you tighten the nut. Not fast or ideal, but it should work. Those nuts should be pretty tight, and if loose would cause all kinds of noisy nonsense.


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## anthonysmith93 (Jul 15, 2015)

Blue Angel said:


> I used an impact driver to tighten my strut shaft nuts. IIRC, the nuts are pinched so they are tight on the threads, but the impact is able to tighten them.
> 
> If you don't have an impact you can put a set of vice grips on a socket and then use a torx bit through the socket opening to keep the shaft from turning while you tighten the nut. Not fast or ideal, but it should work. Those nuts should be pretty tight, and if loose would cause all kinds of noisy nonsense.


I ended up wussing out (because of the cold) and just had the dealer check it out/fix whatever the issue was while I had it in for an alignment. I took their shop manager for a ride and he purposely took me to a ridiculous road I would never purposely drive on except to test suspension haha!

He heard it loud and clear and I told him everything I took apart and wasn't confident I got tightened properly, they went through and properly torqued everything and found the right side sway bar link to be the biggest culprit, test drove it and the sounds were gone.

Best 115$ I ever spent (alignment + front end fix), even though I could barely afford it LOL

It's like I'm driving a new car.....again....haha. 

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!!


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## Ravine (Feb 27, 2015)

I just got Eibach installed on mine last week. While installing, is it correct that the front springs dont even need to compress at all ? 

Here is the pic I took after installing.


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## NickGibbss (Dec 7, 2016)

Does anyone know if there's 2016 lowering springs or coilovers yet?


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## dekdout (Oct 28, 2017)

I bought the Eibach springs for my 14 Cruze LTZ. It's my wife's car and I had test driven it after the install to make sure things were fine, but hadn't spent much time in it since. This past week I had to borrow it almost the entire week. The springs aren't a good fit for the stock dampeners and it bottoms out a lot.

I'm looking for a better dampener set up. Can folks recommend some shocks that work well with the eibachs?


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

dekdout said:


> I bought the Eibach springs for my 14 Cruze LTZ. It's my wife's car and I had test driven it after the install to make sure things were fine, but hadn't spent much time in it since. This past week I had to borrow it almost the entire week. The springs aren't a good fit for the stock dampeners and it bottoms out a lot.
> 
> I'm looking for a better dampener set up. Can folks recommend some shocks that work well with the eibachs?


Welcome Aboard!:welcome:

I would recommend Bilsteins. They will help a lot, but you still need to be aware of the places that cause the bottoming out as it will still happen, just not as harsh. 


Don't forget to introduce yourself and your Cruze here.


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