So I was on the Eibach Pro-Kit Springs (1.4" drop front and rear) and I wanted to drop a little lower and even out the drop some. So I got a set of Hotchkis (1.7" front, 1.97" rear) installed 5 weeks ago. Well, my front springs look nice and low and I'm very happy with them but the rear springs still look really high to me.

I could definitely tell a difference in the drop in the front (even though it only dropped .3"). But I couldn't tell a difference at all in the rear (and that should have given me another 1/2" drop). Do my rear springs look high to you guys? All of the other Hotchkis pics I've seen the rear looks a lot lower than mine.

I still have a 2-finger gap in the rear (1 in the front). I have the 18" Enkei rims and tires are 225/40/18. There's no way I should have a 2-finger gap right? I thought it would be closer to 1.

The first thing my eyes are drawn to when I look at my car is the gap in the rear. I kinda hate it. I was a little desperate so I drove around the past 2 weeks with about 200 lbs. of clay tile in my trunk to make sure the springs would fully settle. With the tile in my trunk my rear fender was down well below my tire. But when I took it out 2 weeks later it went right back to where it was. So the springs are definitely fully settled. I ordered the springs from TRD Sparks and the springs said Hotckis on them along with the correct part no.

I've contacted Hotchkis several times but they are not being very helpful. They asked me to take some measurements from the ground to the top of the wheel well and here is what I sent them. They did not respond to my email either.

Let me know if you guys need any other pics of anything. I'll take the wheel off and get some pics of the springs on if you want. I will post them up for you very quickly.

Measurements from the ground to the top of the highest point of the fender:

Driver Front: 24 7/8" (2 ft. 7/8" )
Passenger Front: 25 1/8" (2 ft. 1 1/8")

Driver Rear: 25 7/8" (2 ft 1 7/8")
Passenger Rear: 25 7/8" (2 ft 1 7/8")

The BEFORE pics are my Eibach Pro's after 1 Month. The AFTER pics are my Hotchkis after 5 weeks.

BEFORE




AFTER

 

Funny, the Hotchkis actually looks low in the front, not high in the back, but I would just simply double check the install and make sure that everything is savy.

 

i would check make sure the springs are sitting right...if its really bothering u pull the rear struts off and reinstall it maybe you catch an error..

 

wrong spring on the front n back?

 

number one...it takes a few weeks before they settle and they will get lower trust me. Also, are u sure they were the hotchkis springs and not H-Techs?

 

my hotchkis is about a 1.5 finger gap in the front and 1 in the back. and i'm on the stock 17's.

mine is at
fr r 25 1/4
fr l 25 1/8
rr r 24 3/4
rr l 24 1/2

this is how hothckis says it should sit on the stock 17's.
FR R 25
FR L 24 3/4
RR R 24 7/8
RR L 24 11/16

your front looks nice but the back looks high for sure. from what i have seen in pictures with hotchkis on 18's they should looks almost flush. virtually no gap.

 

I've had the springs in for 5 weeks now. Plus I drove around with a lot of weight in the back for the last 2 weeks+. I don't think they're going to settle anymore but only time will tell. The springs definitely said Hotchkis on them and had the right part no. on them. Definitely not the Tein H-techs.

 

I had a reputable shop, Speed Zone, here in Orlando install the springs. I actually was recommended them by other SL members. Anyways, they told me they had a heck of a time getting the rear springs compressed enough to get it on the strut but they finally got it. Maybe it's not on their right. I don't have a whole lot of mechanical skills to take everything back apart and check it myself. I may try to take it by there this weekend and let them know my predicament and see if they can check it out for me.

 

I agree completely. All the pics I've seen the rear looks much lower and barely any wheel gap.

 

i just took these pictures about 5 minutes ago... this is how mine sits now after about 2-3 months.




the first pic i took with the camera on my knees and the 2nd one the camera was on the ground.

 

i have the same setup as you and mine dont look like that. I would notify Hotchkis and see what they can do? Maybe a bad set?...

BACK

FRONT




keep in mind i do have about 60lbs of audio in the back. Im in the process is decreasing that to about 30lbs with my new ED system comming soon.

 

this picture just reassured me that my front is where it should be. i always thought my front looked a little high but it looks similar to that. that looks like about a 1 finger gap in the front, right yanki?

 

yes about 1 finger gap up front.

 

I'll keep calling Hotchkis and see if I can talk them into sending me a new pair of rears and I'll try to see if the shop can maybe take another look at the set-up in the rear. We've definitely got a problem somewhere. My Hotchkis springs were powder-coated blue too. Anybody else's springs like that?

 

did they come like that? Mine were dark silver.

 

Yep, straight out of the box like that. Maybe the've recently changed the color?

 

i had a gray set, then they sent me new fronts and they were a real light silver. never heard of blue.

 

from HotchkisTuning.com and this is what mine look like

 

my fronts are that color and my backs are a darker gray.

 

Just went and flashed a light on them and they're actually a lot closer to gray then powder blue. Probably the same set that you had, Tcguy. What did you have to do to get them to send you a new set of fronts?