Please read! Need advice! Lowering springs

[slipknot490]

A quick question on lowering springs...I want to lower my car but CAN NOT afford to have the car bottom out any more than it does now. My wife and I travel quite a bit and we pack everything we need in our lives for three months at a time in this vehicle and my Tacoma. The car , when hitting bumps on the freeway bottoms out. If we want to lower it, would this cause it to bottom out just as quick as the stock springs or will the stiffer spring be about the same. Even though the car is lower, will the stiffness of the lowering spring be the same as stock? I really don't see it as a problem the way it is with stock springs, but we cannot afford it to bottom out more than it does now and I am worried that the new springs will allow this to happen more than now. Are some springs stiffer than others? Are they the same tension, but shorter? Am I making sense, here? Please Please respond!

[mistamatrix]

Even though the car is lower, will the stiffness of the lowering spring be the same as stock?

A good set of aftermarket springs generally are stiffer than stock.

Are some springs stiffer than others?

Yes. Spring rates vary from company to company.

Are they the same tension, but shorter?

No, like the second question, different tension (or spring rate) but yes, shorter.

If you really want to drop the car but maintain the comfort level your best bet would be to go w/ a mild drop like the TRD or Eibach Prokits.

Here's a list of most of the springs on the market for the Matrix and their respective spring rates.
Stock Springs - Front: ---lbs, Rear: ---lbs

Tein H-Tech - Front: 129lbs, Rear: 151lbs
Tein S-Tech - Front: 154lbs, Rear: 190lbs
Tein SS Dampers - Front: 280lbs (5k), Rear: 280lbs (5k)
Hotchkis Street Coil Spring Set - Front: 180lbs, Rear: 350lbs
JIC JIC FLT-A2 - Front: 335lbs (6k), Rear: 448lbs (8k)
TRD Coilovers - Front: 250lbs, Rear: 250lbs
TRD Spring Set - Front: Progressive, Rear: 205lbs
Eibach Prokit - Front: ---lbs, Rear: ---lbs
Eibach Sportline - Front: ---lbs, Rear: ---lbs
Progress Spring Set - Front: 180lbs, Rear: 230lbs
Skunk2 Coilover Sleeves - Front: ---lbs, Rear: ---lbs
GroundControl Coilover Sleeves - Front: ---lbs, Rear: ---lbs
Tanabe NF210 Springs - Front: 140lbs (2.5k), Rear: 162lbs (2.9k)
H&R Sport Springs - Front: ---lbs, Rear: ---lbs
Dropzone Springs - Front: ---lbs, Rear: ---lbs
Dropzone Coilover Sleeves - Front: ---lbs, Rear: ---lbs
Intrax Springs - Front: ---lbs, Rear: ---lbs
Suspension Techniques Springs - Front: ---lbs, Rear: ---lbs