Lowering my car on a squared set up?

[dretoven]

Hey guys, looking for a little insight on lowering my car. I recently installed a front splitter and side skirts. After the install, it really exposed how high my car is actually sitting and now I'm considering a 1.25 - 1.50 inch drop. The part im worried about is my current wheel set up and possible rubbing if I lower the car.

I currently have a set of four 20x10 +35 ZL1 replicas and a full set of 275/40/20 tires all the way around. Went with a squared set up so I could properly rotate my tires. Do you guys think I will run into any issues lowering my car 1.25 or even 1.50 inches with my current setup? If anyone has a similar wheel set up and has experience lowering your 5th Gen please share

[1JEWLDSSRS]

Originally Posted by dretoven

Hey guys, looking for a little insight on lowering my car. I recently installed a front splitter and side skirts. After the install, it really exposed how high my car is actually sitting and now I'm considering a 1.25 - 1.50 inch drop. The part im worried about is my current wheel set up and possible rubbing if I lower the car.

I currently have a set of four 20x10 +35 ZL1 replicas and a full set of 275/40/20 tires all the way around. Went with a squared set up so I could properly rotate my tires. Do you guys think I will run into any issues lowering my car 1.25 or even 1.50 inches with my current setup? If anyone has a similar wheel set up and has experience lowering your 5th Gen please share

My Camaro is lowered 1.25 on Pfadt Racing springs, and when I had the 20x10-+23 M228's on the front with a set of 275/40/20s, the driver side inner fender well on a good jounce would cut my tire along the outside tread block! Not sure if your +35's would do that since they should be more inside than mine were. This is how close it was, this pic was before it started happening.

[dretoven]

Originally Posted by 1JEWLDSSRS

My Camaro is lowered 1.25 on Pfadt Racing springs, and when I had the 20x10-+23 M228's on the front with a set of 275/40/20s, the driver side inner fender well on a good jounce would cut my tire along the outside tread block! Not sure if your +35's would do that since they should be more inside than mine were. This is how close it was, this pic was before it started happening.

Attachment 1141454

Looking at your car, I think 1.25 will be the sweet spot but I’m still a lil shaky about pulling the trigger. What did you switch your set up to once you start running into the rubbing issue?

[RupertPupkin]

I have BMR 1.4 springs with OEM wheels on my 1le. 295 tires up front and 315 in the rears. I think you'll be fine.

Just watch out for everything on the road. Speed bumps suck, and steep inclines. You'll learn how to drive all over again.

[Pops]

I have BMR lowering springs with Koni shocks. Square set up. No problems. Its a nice stance .

[olblue75]

Running 305 and 325 19’s on 1” inch springs had to use small spacers.

[Bluebagger06]

Running a 10 inch on front with a 35 offset might be risky, Normal offset would be 23. You could run a small spacer to bump the wheels out abit. I run 20x10 with 23 offset lowered 1.25 with a 295 tire with no issues at all!

[SummitWhite11]

I have the OEM ZL1 rims on my Camaro and I am not running a square setup. However when I lowered my car I went with this set up... No rubbing anywhere for the past 4 years.


Koni Orange Struts
DSE 1.5" Lowering springs
Black Magic 32MM rear sway bar
Front 1LE sway bar with DSE end links
Z28 Rear LCA's with drop links

[1JEWLDSSRS]

Originally Posted by dretoven

Looking at your car, I think 1.25 will be the sweet spot but I’m still a lil shaky about pulling the trigger. What did you switch your set up to once you start running into the rubbing issue?

Yeah, for me 1.25 was a good drop, 1.0 just didn't seem to do it in the pics I researched, and I was told by someone on here back then if you go to 1.5 or lower you have to run caster/camber plates and encentric bushings in the rear to keep it aligned properly. Didn't want to do all that, so 1.25 it was. After the tire rub issue I was having I went to a 285/35/20, and no more issue. Tire was still just as wide looking, but the 35 aspect ratio on the sidewall made all the difference in the clearance.

[1JEWLDSSRS]

Originally Posted by RupertPupkin

I have BMR 1.4 springs with OEM wheels on my 1le. 295 tires up front and 315 in the rears. I think you'll be fine.

Just watch out for everything on the road. Speed bumps suck, and steep inclines. You'll learn how to drive all over again.

So so true!! Especially with an aftermarket splitter..

[SummitWhite11]

Originally Posted by 1JEWLDSSRS

Yeah, for me 1.25 was a good drop, 1.0 just didn't seem to do it in the pics I researched, and I was told by someone on here back then if you go to 1.5 or lower you have to run caster/camber plates and encentric bushings in the rear to keep it aligned properly. Didn't want to do all that, so 1.25 it was. After the tire rub issue I was having I went to a 285/35/20, and no more issue. Tire was still just as wide looking, but the 35 aspect ratio on the sidewall made all the difference in the clearance.

Attachment 1141510

The only caster/camber plate I didn't replace as of yet for my 1.5" drop was the rear drivers side. The gas tank needed to be dropped in order to do so. As of now the alignment specs are within the DSE specs with my drop kit. Otherwise, everything is going as it should and no uneven wear on the tires since. I do not even have the encentric bushings for the rear that you mentioned. My rear is aligned perfectly fine hmmm?

[1JEWLDSSRS]

Originally Posted by SummitWhite11

The only caster/camber plate I didn't replace as of yet for my 1.5" drop was the rear drivers side. The gas tank needed to be dropped in order to do so. As of now the alignment specs are within the DSE specs with my drop kit. Otherwise, everything is going as it should and no uneven wear on the tires since. I do not even have the encentric bushings for the rear that you mentioned. My rear is aligned perfectly fine hmmm?

Sounds like everything worked out well for you. Sometimes with a drop depending on the spring rate of the springs you buy lets the alignment specs work out within numbers without any encentric plates. Having nice tight suspension bushings also helps. I didn't go any lower also because I knew I was going to try to run the widest wheels I could front and back and not have any clearance issues anywhere, or alignment problems. I wanted to run 11's in the front and 12 out back, but since I'm a 5 spoke deep concave guy, all I could find were 10.5 in the front, and 11.5 in the rear. I had to go down to 19's if I wanted those widths other widths, and spend a lot of money, and they didn't have any 5 spoke wheels, only the APEX multi spoke wheels. So I'm running 285/35's on the front and 335/30's on the rear, no rubbing anywhere. Some guys were saying you can't run 335's on the 5th gen, so I took on that challenge. Worked out well. All 4 tires wear pretty evenly, no excessive wear anywhere.

[SummitWhite11]

Originally Posted by 1JEWLDSSRS

Sounds like everything worked out well for you. Sometimes with a drop depending on the spring rate of the springs you buy lets the alignment specs work out within numbers without any encentric plates. Having nice tight suspension bushings also helps. I didn't go any lower also because I knew I was going to try to run the widest wheels I could front and back and not have any clearance issues anywhere, or alignment problems. I wanted to run 11's in the front and 12 out back, but since I'm a 5 spoke deep concave guy, all I could find were 10.5 in the front, and 11.5 in the rear. I had to go down to 19's if I wanted those widths other widths, and spend a lot of money, and they didn't have any 5 spoke wheels, only the APEX multi spoke wheels. So I'm running 285/35's on the front and 335/30's on the rear, no rubbing anywhere. Some guys were saying you can't run 335's on the 5th gen, so I took on that challenge. Worked out well. All 4 tires wear pretty evenly, no excessive wear anywhere.

That's a good looking Camaro you have there and those are good looking rims. I wanted to go with a light brushed bronze look and still haven't found anything I like as of yet. If I can find a deep concave like your setup but in brushed bronze that would be awesome. Would love to try something different too since everyone seems to go for the ZL1 rims these days.

[1JEWLDSSRS]

Originally Posted by SummitWhite11

That's a good looking Camaro you have there and those are good looking rims. I wanted to go with a light brushed bronze look and still haven't found anything I like as of yet. If I can find a deep concave like your setup but in brushed bronze that would be awesome. Would love to try something different too since everyone seems to go for the ZL1 rims these days.

Thank you sir for the compliments. I know some of the wheel vendors on here, and some of the other websites. I'll do some searching for you and see what I can find. I know I saw what you are looking for, just need to find them again. I have had 4 different sets of wheels on my Camaro.