[JoshuaCurrie]

At tax time I'm planing on to due some simple suspension upgrades that consist of lowering springs with a strut tower brace along with adding a lower stress bar for the front and a rear stress bar for the back. I will be adding a new set of Gabriel Ultra front struts when I go to order the parts because the front struts are starting to get on the weak side. But the main reason I'm asking this is because I would like to know since the car is only 4 years old and it will have less then 100k on it at the time I due this can I reuse the factory strut mounts and bearings since I have no noise at all coming from the struts themselves just a little bit of a bouncy front end from weak struts. I will be buying the part from www.fswerks.com. Any and all advice or opinions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Lower Springs Link: http://www.fswerks.com/collections/focus-2008-2011/products/51662

Upper Strut Brace: http://www.fswerks.com/collections/focus-2008-2011/products/fs033-r-b-k-s

Lower Stress Bar: http://www.fswerks.com/collections/focus-2008-2011/products/fs034

Rear Stress Bar: http://www.fswerks.com/collections/focus-2008-2011/products/fs035r-b-k-s

 

[OldGray320i]

Don't know much about Gabriel Ultra's, but unless they're a bona fide performance damper, they may not be suitable for the H&R springs you've lined out. Scratch that, just looked again, those H&Rs lower your car 1.25", they'll probably be fine.

I'm a big Vogtland guy, and they'll drop your car a little more (1.4" is spec'd) and I know well they'll work with stock dampers.

Re strut mounts and bearings: how many less miles than 100k are on the car? From the wisdom on the board here, they do fail at some point, and if they're cheap enough, I'd do them at the same time; unless the budget is tight and you don't mind doing the work again if they fail soon....

Cheers, and good luck!

 

[JoshuaCurrie]

The cheaper struts mounts don't come with the bearing so the one that does have the strut mount and bearing assembly is a Moog brand does but it will take about a week or so to get a hold of them. If I had to go on and order them then I will.

 

[OldGray320i]

The ones in my son's car have seen some abuse, and he's got I think 140k on the car, and they're ok. A search on the topic (or some replies here) will give better info on when they go and what you'll hear or feel when they do. I don't know that it's per se always recommended at a suspension refresh, just a thought on my part. A "while I'm in there, might as well" kind of thing.

If your current units seem ok, roll with them. Worst thing that happens is you take the car apart again, probably not more than a couple hours, so no great shakes. It's only work!

 

[JoshuaCurrie]

When I go ahead and get ready to due this I'll take a look at the mounts and the bearings to see how good they are.

 

[amc49]

I just snap apart the strut mount bearings, regrease and reinstall them on 150K miles cars. Nothing wrong with them other than dry/little grease.

 

[JoshuaCurrie]

Never thought about that. I didn't know you can take them apart.

 

[felixthecat]

I'd get struts/ shocks that'd work w/ those springs. Don't go cheap on dampers.

 

[OldGray320i]

FTC, you think that 1.25" is too much for stock style dampers? I would think they'd be ok.

The kid has Vogtlands on his car now, and we'll see if his old, tired, used up dampers last on the Vogtlands - I'll bet ya $5 he upgrades to something else before those things blow. This will be the 3rd car in the family on Vogtlands - it's a great product. Not as low as Sportlines on a Focus, but the car rides pretty nice, looks really good, and he's still happy with the handling after changing from the SVT springs (including at the auto-x...).

He recently put some urethane bushings in the front, and now, it's a really responsive set up.

 

[felixthecat]

Yea he'll probablity be ok running new replacement dampers w/ those springs, as long as thats how low they go..... I like to go w/ dampers that work w/ the spring rates, but those'll work.

 

[forbidden doughnut]

I'd probably skip the front upper and lower strut/stress bars. Unless you are tracking the car it is VERY unlikely you would see a benefit. At least, that has been my experience.

 

[slow_solo_focus]

But if you do decide to track it... Which you should... Jus' sayin'



If all else fails you'll still have fun putting them on. Idk about lower stress bar but the upper stress bar did NOTHING for me. Even at local autocrosses.



If the lower stress bar is further from the firewall than the strut mounts I'd do it.



Also +1 to vogtland, soft in a straight line and anything other than straight it firms up to about the same level as the eibachs... The less stiff of the two.

 

[rambleon84]

I'd get struts/ shocks that'd work w/ those springs. Don't go cheap on dampers.

I'd agree with Bruce here... Get a nice set of dampers (think like Koni Yellow!) and dont worry about the strut bars. Save money not getting those strut braces and put that towards really nice dampers

 

[OldGray320i]

For lower and stiffer springs, I would agree with that statement, BUT, if one is a) budget conscious and b) not looking for ultimate handling, then I think he's fine with stock replacement units.

OP, call H&R tech to verify.

If he wanted a little lower than those H&Rs go, and is more concerned with ride than performance, I have two cars on Vogtland's that will be fine on stock dampers.

 

[OldGray320i]

For my cars I should say "have been" fine on stock dampers...

 

[felixthecat]

For my cars I should say "have been" fine on stock dampers...

No more then a 1.5'' drop?

 

[felixthecat]

And w/ that, I'd recommend new dampers at least.

 

[OldGray320i]

1.5 on the e30, 1.4 on the Focus.

Focus wise, not the lowest, but e30 wise pretty low as they run.

 

[felixthecat]

1.5 on the e30, 1.4 on the Focus.

Focus wise, not the lowest, but e30 wise pretty low as they run.

Using stock style dampers, I'd use new dampers when you installed the springs.

 

[OldGray320i]

I did on the e30, dampers were gone at the time.

Focus had 20k mi, kept them in when I put the springs on, 50k and they're still good.

For all out handling, on a strut equipped car, rates are on the soft side. Drop wise, they're usually pretty close to the "lower" end of the spectrum, with a good ride.

I'd like them to blow on the Focus, I want to upgrade a bit in the damper department for autocross purposes, but I'm not ready for $250 ea on the fronts, and a buck and a half on the rears for Koni/Bilstein.

Thought about the handling pack units, just don't know how much they'll improve over the standard SE units.

And one of these days I want coilovers. Just because, and notwithstanding your wisdom otherwise. I digress...