BMR Lowering Springs; Performance (05-14 GT)

Video Review & Installation

Hey, guys. Stephanie with americanmuscle.com, here with a review and install of these BMR Lowering Springs for 2005 to 2014 GT Mustangs. We're gonna be talking about a few different things with these springs, but mostly we'll talk about what you can expect from these springs in both the performance and looks categories, and we're also gonna talk about the install as well. I'll talk more about the install later, but you're looking at a two out of three wrenches on the difficulty meter. The BMR Performance Lowering Springs are gonna be a good option for the GT owners out there who are looking for a spring that'll perform for both the daily driver and the drag car. These are a crossover spring that are made to function in both worlds. So they're soft enough for the track, but they give enough support to keep the body of the car flat and level through corners. Lowering springs have a big impact on both the looks and handling of the S197 chassis and these springs are a linear spring that are gonna offer a pretty big drop to these cars. These springs will drop the GT about one and a half inches all the way around the car, and like I said, it doesn't get much lower than this for the S197 from a lowering spring. And it may not sound like it, but this is a pretty big drop. Depending on your wheel and tire setup, this drop is gonna eliminate a lot of the wheel gap that the car has from the factory that's gonna leave the car sitting nice and even a little bit above the tires. But of course, that can change, depending on what size wheels you're running. So a one-inch drop or just under a one-inch drop is pretty standard across the board for this year range. This car sits pretty high from the factory, so the one and a half inch drop is pretty aggressive. I mean aggressive in both looks and performance changes. This drop will lower the car's center of gravity enough to create more track-like handling capabilities. These springs are really gonna reduce squat during acceleration and reduce wheel hop as well. You're also looking at much less body roll during cornering and less nose dive during braking. Now, these springs do offer a good amount of drop, but it doesn't mean that they're not gonna work for a daily-driven car. They'll work just fine. It really all comes down to your personal preference and what you want out of these springs. These springs were specifically designed to be that crossover spring between both drag racing and daily driving, so you don't have to worry too much about a rough ride quality.Now, with that being said, I wanna mention that these are linear springs. These are not progressive rate springs that we tend to see that are gonna change as you drive. Linear springs have a constant rate of force per inch, so they have one defined spring rate and that's it. And these springs have a 220-pound spring rate, so basically as the load on the springs increase, the spring compresses an amount directly proportional to that load. And this makes a linear spring more performance-oriented than a progressive rate spring. Progressive rate springs, or variable rate springs, have a low initial spring rate that'll increase as the spring is compressed, which makes for a softer and smoother ride quality. But keeping the drop that these particular springs offer in mind, they're still gonna work with both the factory wheels and tires and the pre-configured wheel and tire kits that are on the site. These springs aren't gonna make the car difficult to drive places, but you will need to be a little bit more careful. They are gonna be stiffer than the factory springs as well, so you will notice some more road noise. But I wouldn't say that these give a bad ride quality at all. It's just not as soft as factory. I do wanna say that a lot of times, when you're shopping for lowering springs, you're also shopping for things like adjustable caster camber plates and a new set of both shocks and struts. In this case, I wouldn't say that caster camber plates are necessarily required, but I will say that a one and a half inch drop is about the limit of where you'd need a set of adjustable CC plates in order to get the alignment within spec. It's gonna be close, so a set of CC plates wouldn't be a bad idea at all. At the end of the day, it never hurts to have caster camber plates, so if you've got the extra cash, I'd say go ahead. But in all reality, you will be able to get away without picking up a set.As far as shocks and struts go, this goes back to both the drop and the fact that these are linear springs. I will say that, in this case, if you have some components with relatively low mileage, you're probably gonna be okay. If your shocks and struts have a ton of miles on them, then I would replace them, but in this case, since we're talking about relatively new cars here, you can probably get away with it as long as you don't have a ton of miles.When it comes to price, it all depends on how you buy these springs. BMR offers a full set for just about $200, or you can purchase just the front or just the rear springs for $100 each. So you do have some options here. Now, as far as the price for the set of springs goes, these springs are gonna be one of the middle-of-the-road options. They're not the most expensive, but they're not the least expensive, either. If you're just looking to get your car lower and you aren't concerned with ride quality, there are some other options on the site that'll cost a little less and will get you where you need to be.So the install here is gonna take about four hours, and I'm gonna call it a two out of three wrenches on the scale. You'll need some knowledge to complete the install, so I'd recommend having a knowledgeable helping hand or taking to this to a shop for the install, especially since it's always a good idea to get an alignment after the install anyway. The install can be done on jack stands if you don't have access to a lift, but as usual, a lift would be your best bet. You're gonna need a few tools, including a spring compressor, so make sure you have that before you start the install. You're gonna need to get down to the spring and strut assembly, so everything like the wheels, brakes, and ABS lines will need to be moved out of the way so you can pull the assemblies out of the car. The spring compressor will help you remove the spring from the strut and install the new front springs, which are compressed and installed the same way. The strut assemblies go back the same way they came out, and the install's the same for both sides. The rear is nearly the same. You need to disassemble some items to get to the springs, but ultimately, you'll be able to lower the rear axle to the point there the springs will be free. Just like the front, the rear springs install the same way they were uninstalled. Rubber insulators are transferred over, and new bump stops can be installed. And after the new springs are in, you can begin reinstalling the shocks and everything else you want installed, and that's about all it's gonna take. And like I mentioned earlier, a fresh alignment after the install isn't a bad idea.Wrapping things up here, the BMR Performance Lowering Springs are a linear spring with an aggressive drop and improvements in handling to make for a car that feels track-ready. They'll drop the car one and a half inches all the way around and will leave the car sitting just above the wheels and tires. These springs are not difficult to install, they're in the middle of the pack as far as pricing goes, and you can check them out more online right here at americanmuscle.com.