A lot of the guys here ask about lowering their vehicles and whether one solution is better than another so I thought I'd give my impression after driving mine on 350Z Tein S. Techs for several months. Let’s start with looks, the car's stance is great and I just love looking at it parked. Immense wheel gap is simply a feature of any car that I'm not willing to put up with. It feels great through the turns (although Hotchkis says are coming too!) and overall road feel is acceptable until you get to potholes or broken pavement at which point everything feels awful. If you live in a poorly paved area I would not lower it, or use a setup that provides a much smaller decrease in height. Again, on highways and most roads I've driven on the ride is very much acceptable. The worse comes with inclined driveways. I can barely make it out of my driveway (I have to enter and exit at diagonal angles and still manage to scrape the front every once in a while on exits). There are actually some driveways I absolutely cannot make it into without scratching the hell out of the cars underbody. Speed bumps are not a problem but anyone who deals with inclined driveways or entryways will find themselves parking outside often. Was it worth it? For me, yes indeed. For many others this may not be a worthy sacrifice so I could definitely think long and hard over how much comfort you are willing to sacrifice for looks/handling. My Z was quite a bit lower than this car but the overhangs and overall lengh of the G present the same kind of obstacles.

 

I've argued here that lowering your car is extremely overrated (sort of like wearing your pants at crotch level). In the NE, road debris, potholes, inclines to driveways if you live in mountainous areas such as Western PA and WV, and road bumps, all can damage your front end. Lowering reminds me of the women in Italy who wore 3" heels to the beach--- painful, dangerous and cumbersome over the cobblestone streets. There was a certain ridiculousness and beauty to the whole thing.

 

I would like to add to this if you don't mind.
Tein S-techs are the a pretty dramatic drop compared to stock factoring in the S-techs are the lower of the two choices (htechs are more conservative for most cars) and coupe springs will drop it an additional amount (I've read 1 more inch). Maybe something less aggressive would be a sacrifice you're willing to make to get a smoother ride?
My G35 sedan right now has the 350z front springs, G35 rear springs / struts and I believe this is the best of both worlds. I've been driving lowered cars for awhile and this is CAKE at this height. It gets rid of most of the gap but still rides very nice. I live in NJ and we have some pretty bad roads also.
A pic for reference:

It's not slammed at all but still better looking than the stock suspension. My impressions are based on riding on 19" rims also so it's a pretty smooth suspension setup.

 

Love the simile.

 

IMHO, the coupe/Z springs are about as low as I would want to go since I have a driveway to navigate. Really low G sedans look hot as hell but I can't deal with that everyday. Plus all the camber kit stuff you have to deal with.

 

Exactly. I'll also point out that you don't want to compromise wheel travel either. A 1" drop or less is safe. Anything past that and you're taking away too much wheel travel and run the problem of hitting the bumpstops or even operating outside the range of the shocks.

"dmitriylm" appears to be running 350Z s-techs which will result is a very low drop. It's no wonder his car rides like crap and has issues with clearance. I've got Z/coupe springs w/sport shocks and I find the ride very acceptable. I've made numerous 900 mile one way trips with the family in the car. My wife finds the ride entirely acceptable and on most surfaces, is smoother riding than my wife's stock 98 Legacy GT wagon. A few months back my 90 y/o grandmother rode in my G and noted how nicely the car rode. This women drives a 02 LeSabre. I have no issues with clearance either. The only thing I ever scrap is the front mudguards. I've got the Aero bumper too.

I've got one of the most critical rear ends on this site and I find the Z/coupe setup entirely acceptable for daily use, especially on poor Kansas City roads that get beaten up with snow/ice in the winter, 90-105 temps in the summer, and constant heaving from the high clay soils.

 

I'm on adj Konis. It handles like a F1 car but it's stiff. I have to go out and adjust them softer. Just too lazy.

 

there really is an alternative to either a) slamming the car or b) riding stock/4x4 style (esp if you have bigger wheels)

i myself installed the sedan H techs and got a nice moderate drop, little over an inch in the front and little over half an inch in the back. it's very subtle but it's what i needed for my car to look and feel right w/ my aftermarket 19s.

 

I was looking for the lowest possible drop using springs, which is what the 350Z S. Techs provide. I believe the H. Techs are a bit softer as well and I'm willing to sacrifice ride quality for a bit more stiffness. Again, on level surfaces and 99% of roads the ride is more than acceptable, but when you reach broken pavement or potholes you're going to have a problem. This is something I can live with and roads in the bay area aren't too shabby (especially in the peninsula and southbay). Anyone who deals with road debris or many poorly paved surfaces will have to think this one over.

 

What shocks you on?

 

Hey bro, where are you in NJ? I've never seen your car around. Im in monmouth county. Got the same setup (z suspension springs/coupe rears on coupe 19's), but my g is an 03 brilliant silver

 

just get bags amd call it a day!

but seriously like the OP states, you have to consider where you live, driving conditions, and etc before lowering your car.

 

Im running H tech springs that gift it that look, but like he someone said it's barely .07" in the back, the federal that im running are 25.5" in height were every other tire is 26.6 or taller. I hate the gap in the rear but love the ride and Im always driving 3 deep so the back drop to compensate. I want the coil-overs just waiting to get that awesome deal, heres my pic.

I want the look but Im afraid of ruining the ride, Do the 350 springs drop it any lower than the h, I might be interested

 

I have no complaints with my Hotchkis 350z springs. Gave me just under a 2" drop and I can drive anywhere.

 

ok heres a question , 2006 sedan what do I need to get alittle more elabrate for me Im new, I sell offroad parts
I like the htech maybe going stype unless someone can direct me to something better. Thanks for any help