Increase spring travel?

[ProDigit]

What are my options for increasing suspension height by 0.5" to 1"?
I do live in a neighborhood and community with a lot of speed bumps.
Not only because of avoiding scraping the bottom of the car, but also because it's easier for me to get in (I'm 6'4" tall), and unlike my SUV, I feel the Fiesta is like diving in my seat.

I know by putting in 205 45 R17 tires, I would only gain less than half an inch on clearance, and I want about 1/2 inch more; and from the tires subforum section, 'fitting 205/50R17 (although a popular tire) wouldn't fit the FiST without suspension adjustment'.

 

[STjake]

You can run standard fiesta springs. Should raise you around .5”

 

[Dirttwurk]

Buy some mountune springs

 

[ProDigit]

That's not a lot.

Should I change the struts as well?

Only thing I'm not liking is the cost for getting an alignment done.
I'm not racing the car. If only a 205/50R17 tire would fit. It would give me about 0.8" rise, and would be perfect for me (save for adjusting the speedometer for the difference)!

 

[Quisp]

Put some spacers under the seat mount.

 

[ThaiFiesta]

Standard Fiesta springs and dampers would be 15mm /0.6” higher but you would lose the handling.
FRPP springs and dampers would be 5mm / 0.2” higher but the handling wouldn’t be compromised as much.
Bespoke spring mounting spacers might be the way to go, but could be expensive and might change your handling in unusual ways.
Perhaps a combination of the FRPP setup and higher profile tyres is the answer?

 

[Quisp]

Bag it or low rider pneumatics .

 

[BRGT350]

Buy some mountune springs

As for the standard Fiesta springs, yes they would work and you will want to use the standard Fiesta dampers too. The ST is already overdamped and the standard springs would make it terrible. You can also rule out any autocrossing as the SCCA won't allow standard ride height non-ST Fiestas for autocrossing. Too narrow of track, too high of CG, and grippy tires is a great way to flip over. Seeing enough Fiestas on two wheels and rally ones rolled over, I wouldn't be in a hurry to raise it.

I can't possibly see a reason to raise the car any higher. I drove a stock ST on some pretty nasty logging roads and two tracks while getting out to rally stages and never had a problem. A good friend of mine used hers as a rally recce car and it came back ok. I have gone pretty damn fast in a stock ST on a Global X-Games GRC track in which we jumped the car over and over again without issue. Automobile Magazine or maybe it was R&T took a stock ST on the rally stages at 100 Acre Wood with ACP driving the competition car and they did ok (and that was the freak year it had more snow than the Sno*Drift rally). I drive my lowered ST in snow that is a foot or more deep. My brother has a standard Fiesta with ST springs and dampers and has logged well over 100,000 miles in the car and has never had an issue with ground clearance. Between my brother and I, we have logged about 215,000 miles in either lowered or ST height Fiesta's without ever needing more ground clearance. Two of those cars had front spoilers/splitters that really lowered the front compared to stock. No problems with driveways, speedbumps, or mild off-road shenanigans.

As for the alignment, it has to be pretty cheap as toe is the only adjustment. I think I paid $40 for my alignment and it just needed about a quarter turn on the tie rods after lowering it.

 

[Hijinx]

I’ll trade you my Fiesta SE for your FiST.


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[BRGT350]

I’ll trade you my Fiesta SE for your FiST.


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I scratch my head when somebody buys a Fiesta ST, wants taller gears, taller suspension, better fuel economy, a sedan, softer suspension, quieter exhaust, or an automatic. Um, I think that is called a regular Fiesta. It isn't just the op, but something I have seen a lot of over the years. I don't understand paying more only to undo just about everything that makes the ST a ST. A 1.0L EcoBoost with a manual transmission would have been the better car for them at a far lower price.

 

[ThaiFiesta]

I scratch my head when somebody buys a Fiesta ST, wants taller gears, taller suspension, better fuel economy, a sedan, softer suspension, quieter exhaust, or an automatic. Um, I think that is called a regular Fiesta. It isn't just the op, but something I have seen a lot of over the years. I don't understand paying more only to undo just about everything that makes the ST a ST. A 1.0L EcoBoost with a manual transmission would have been the better car for them at a far lower price.

Meanwhile I’m trying to make my 1.0 Ecoboost into an ST because they don’t sell them here 🤣

 

[BRGT350]

Meanwhile I’m trying to make my 1.0 Ecoboost into an ST because they don’t sell them here ??????

The 1.0L is a great engine and perfect for making more ST-like. My brother has one with ST springs, ST wheels, and some Mountune parts. He had plans for more ST parts, but had a kid and that put a stop on any more Fiesta upgrades. Not many people understand just how good the 1.0L Fiesta is!

 

[BRGT350]

Meanwhile I’m trying to make my 1.0 Ecoboost into an ST because they don’t sell them here 🤣

The 1.0L is a great engine and perfect for making more ST-like. My brother has one with ST springs, ST wheels, and some Mountune parts. He had plans for more ST parts, but had a kid and that put a stop on any more Fiesta upgrades. Not many people understand just how good the 1.0L Fiesta is!

 

[ProDigit]

I scratch my head when somebody buys a Fiesta ST, wants taller gears, taller suspension, better fuel economy, a sedan, softer suspension, quieter exhaust, or an automatic. Um, I think that is called a regular Fiesta. It isn't just the op, but something I have seen a lot of over the years. I don't understand paying more only to undo just about everything that makes the ST a ST. A 1.0L EcoBoost with a manual transmission would have been the better car for them at a far lower price.

Minus the 1.6T engine.
It's (I believe) the only car having a 1.6 liter turbo engine out there.
The Cruze has a 1.4 liter, and is too small.
The Civic has a 1.5 liter, but the difference was too small to justify buying a new car.
The Fist has a 1.6 liter.
I believe there's one more car with a 1.8 liter turbo engine, but I forgot why I didn't like it.
The rest has a 2.0 liter turbo. Great cars, but at $24k plus tax and dealerfees was too expensive for me.
I only bought the 2017 FiST, because i got $4k off compared to a new 2018 model.


Anyway, increasing spring travel for a bit more ride comfort.
Can also increase tire profile more that way.

 

[Hijinx]

Minus the 1.6T engine.
It's (I believe) the only car having a 1.6 liter turbo engine out there.
The Cruze has a 1.4 liter, and is too small.
The Civic has a 1.5 liter, but the difference was too small to justify buying a new car.
The Fist has a 1.6 liter.
I believe there's one more car with a 1.8 liter turbo engine, but I forgot why I didn't like it.
The rest has a 2.0 liter turbo. Great cars, but at $24k plus tax and dealerfees was too expensive for me.
I only bought the 2017 FiST, because i got $4k off compared to a new 2018 model.


Anyway, increasing spring travel for a bit more ride comfort.
Can also increase tire profile more that way.

Veloster Turbo is 1.6L. Too bad you didn’t get one of those.


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[danbfree]

Minus the 1.6T engine.
It's (I believe) the only car having a 1.6 liter turbo engine out there.
The Cruze has a 1.4 liter, and is too small.
The Civic has a 1.5 liter, but the difference was too small to justify buying a new car.
The Fist has a 1.6 liter.
I believe there's one more car with a 1.8 liter turbo engine, but I forgot why I didn't like it.
The rest has a 2.0 liter turbo. Great cars, but at $24k plus tax and dealerfees was too expensive for me.
I only bought the 2017 FiST, because i got $4k off compared to a new 2018 model.


Anyway, increasing spring travel for a bit more ride comfort.
Can also increase tire profile more that way.

Maybe the Golf has the 1.8T? That would be a little taller as well... I know you can go either 215/40/17 or 205/45/17, not both... funny enough, the Eibach "lowering" springs really don't lower much but provide a softer ride as they are progressive rate... Also, since you have a '17, and this is referenced in the joke above, Eibach makes the Mountune spring and they have been known to raise the rear on '17+ as the mounting points changed...

 

[Ford ST]

Veloster Turbo is 1.6L. Too bad you didn’t get one of those.


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I wish he did. [emoji16]

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[ProDigit]

Veloster Turbo is 1.6L. Too bad you didn’t get one of those.


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Yeah, they're both great cars.
I would have considered the Veloster, if I could get it at the same price I got the ST for ($17 something k), as it has more road comfort.

Funny enough, they have almost exactly the same gear ratio as the FiST; with just a 200lbs heavier body.

 

[jeffreylyon]

Yeah, they're both great cars.
I would have considered the Veloster, if I could get it at the same price I got the ST for ($17 something k), as it has more road comfort.

Funny enough, they have almost exactly the same gear ratio as the FiST; with just a 200lbs heavier body.

See [MENTION=759]Hijinx[/MENTION], you're wasting your time. Someone's missing a plug wire or something...

 

[Hijinx]

Yeah, they're both great cars.
I would have considered the Veloster, if I could get it at the same price I got the ST for ($17 something k), as it has more road comfort.

Funny enough, they have almost exactly the same gear ratio as the FiST; with just a 200lbs heavier body.

I assume you mean the Veloster and Veloster Turbo when you said “both cars.” Anyway, you didn’t even realize that the Veloster was a 1.6l until I pointed it out...?

Edit- I went and checked out the gearing and weight on the VT... I think you should check your sources again.


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