Quote:Originally Posted by GertFrobe

With the OE springs and the OE Sachs struts and Nivomat shocks on it, the ride height was 30" in front and 31" in back (measured from ground up through center caps to bottom of wheel wells).

After installing the Mopar Stage 1 springs, the ride heights were 29" and 30" for front/back ride height; so I got the 1" drop I expected with the spring replacement. However, the OE struts and shocks were shot. They rode terribly, jarring my kidneys and teeth with every bump. Highway expansion joints on overpasses were intolerable at highway speeds. So I set about looking for (affordable) replacements for the shocks/struts.

I settled on the Monroe HD Magnums since they seemed to be up to the task for handling the heavy car (they are actually meant for light trucks/SUVs from what I read), plus they were in my price range. So I got a set and installed them.

After replacing OE shocks and struts with the Monroe HD Magnums, ride heights were 28" and 29" in the front and back respectively. That was quite a surprise since I had always thought the springs alone determined ride height, and the shocks/struts would not affect it. That does not seems to be the case with these cars...at least it isn't with mine.

After almost 10K miles, the ride height has dropped a little further, now riding between 27-28" in the front and between 28-29" in the rear. I attribute this to the Monroe shocks/struts wearing out. I can feel them getting rougher, and I'm guessing the lowered operating range is too far outside their intended operation zone, which is causing them to wear at an accelerated rate. Here again, I would not think that would contribute to the further lowering of ride height, but given that their installation alone seemed to affect it, I guess I cannot rule out their impending end-of-life affecting it here.

I would have liked to installed the Bilstein shocks and struts with the springs originally, but I was having trouble finding any place that had the struts in stock. Not to mention their price was a little out of my range at the time. In hindsight, I should have just bitten the bullet and found them where ever I needed to and paid what I needed to pay to get them for the car. I have no doubt they would be better suited to the lowered ride height, not to mention I suspect they wouldn't have contributed to the extra lowering effects beyond the 1" the Stage 1s were supposed to provide.

All in all, I'm satisfied with the Stage 1s but not pleased with the extra lowering since installing the Monroe components. I could have done with 1", and would have been fine with up to 2", but the 2.5" drop is getting worrisome. I haven't met a corner yet I can't take at twice the posted speed, sure, but any pot holes of significant size will really jar the car. I think I'm lucky I'm still riding on the 18" rims and tires right now, lest I have bent a rim by now on some of the larger pot holes I've accidentally run across in the last couple of months.