Have '08 Journey. Would like to improve cornering/handling. Ordered a sway bar. Service technician said to blow it off and purchase eibach pro spring set up. Provides 1.4 drop on car. Front end of journeys seems low with 18in staggered wheel setup on car. Concerned with ride quality as the engineered ride height will be lower. Service tech said difference would be minimal since I would still be traveling on manufactured shocks. Said car would look much better as well as feel better. Is he right? This is a daily driver so will I desire to switch back to original setup (i.e. regret)? Pls comment.

 

It really comes down to what YOU want..

They both do effectively the same thing differently..

Sway bars will act on the suspension applying torsion to the arms which will stabilize body roll. Won't change stock height, won't alter appearance.

Lowering the car will lower its center of gravity and along with the higher spring rates, will stiffen the suspension and reduce the body roll in corners. Makes your car look sex.

What do you want to accomplish more and what are you willing to sacrifice to do it?

There are several "down sides" to springs... First, you'll be lowered, which means you're going to have to be extra careful about entering/exiting driveways, going over speed bumps, pot holes in the road, uneven road surfaces that can cause potential bottoming, etc, etc... Not only are you going to have to worry about that, but your ride will be much stiffer which means you'll feel every little bump in the road which can cause some discomfort depending on how much you drive every day and what you and your passenger(s) tolerance levels are. If your roads are nice and smooth, it won't be a problem. You'll get better handling for sure, but at a greater sacrafice. Springs will also make your car look much better =D

Sway bars can accomplish handling improvements, minus all the "down sides" of springs.


Your choice =D

But my advice would be save up for adjustable coilovers. You can change the stiffness and ride height to whatever your needs are, whenever you want. =D

 

edEnbOyx,

Thank you for responding. Yeah, I would love the look but I'm a bit skittish about experiencing the lower ride quality on local or interstate roads, though most in the area are comfortable. I'm going to investigate coilovers