We’ll be featuring this Sport Lowering Sprint Kit (PN 953128 on AmericanMuscle.com) from Vogtland North America in a future update on our project car 2015 Ecoboost Mustang Project 5-Liter Eater.

As car enthusiasts, lowering springs are one of the first modifications many of us make to our cars. They’re affordable, they make our cars look more aggressive, and they’re one of the best bang for your buck handling upgrades you can perform. There are many manufacturers that make great lowering springs kits for almost any vehicle imaginable, which is why we reached out to our friends at Vogtland North America and got the 101 on matching springs and dampers.

We’re pretty sure most of you reading this are familiar with what lowering springs are. However, we are going to cover the difference between standard and progressive types of lowering springs, and why it’s important to pair them with the correct shocks and struts.

Standard springs are a type of spring which has even coil lengths throughout the entire spring body. They’re rated at a specific weight, and are considered a linear spring due to their rise and compression. While still a very popular spring option for daily driving, these springs are used mostly in autocross, road racing, drag, and drift applications because of their predictability. This is because while on the track, the springs will compress at a linear rate, making it easier for the driver to more accurately predict what the car’s suspension will do.

Progressive springs on the other hand are a little different. These springs are more street friendly, as they’re not a linear design. Because a progressive springs’ coils are farther a part on the top of than they are on the bottom, this design makes the springs more comfortable for daily driving. The reason being, is because the top half (usually the first inch to inch and a half of the spring) is farther apart, creating a softer and more comfortable ride when driving normally. This is because the spring never fully compresses. Now for the fun part, when driving more spirited, the spring then enters a more aggressive spring rate the farther it compresses, creating a racing-inspired feel to the suspension. In other words, it’s like having your cake and eating it too.

Images Source: Vogtland North America

Why It’s Important To Pair Dampers

We’re always on the quest to share information with our fans, so we asked President of Vogtland North America, Leila Vizzari, why it’s important to match specific dampers and lowering springs. She replied with, “Dampers and lowering springs are designed to function as one unit, which is why they are optimized to share the same characteristics. For example, Vogtland offers high and lower pressure dampers which are application specific to our springs. A feature of this, is that the damper and spring combination can be custom-tailored as one unit when the end-user is adjusting for a street or track application, while on or off the car.”

Because lowering springs are significantly shorter than the OEM springs they replace (like our comparison pictures above), most likely the OEM dampers (shocks & struts) will not be compatible with the new springs. However, there are some companies that manufacture lowering springs to be used with OEM components. When a stock damper enters compression paired with lowering springs that are not designed to be used with OEM dampers, the results can be uncomfortable, unpredictable and in the most extreme situations dangerous.

During compression, the damper is absorbing energy as it compresses, which means the spring is also compressing under pressure. If the dampers are not matched with the correct springs, the damper could rebound too fast or too slow. This is often more pronounced if the dampers are old. Regardless if they are or aren’t, the potential exists for damage and wear to your other suspension parts is highly probable. During spirited driving sessions, it can also change the alignment angles dramatically, increasing tire wear and increasing the risk of bottoming out the suspension.

Vogtland North America can provide enthusiasts with a wealth of information regarding properly pairing its springs with the proper dampers. We recommend on any spring changes doing as much research as possible on the springs and dampers available, and don’t be afraid to ask what dampers you can and can’t use with your specific application.