2009 Cobalt LT Drop (Springs)

Yep, I've been debating wether to drop it first or replace the headlights with chrome spyder retrofits with CCFL halos, which comes up to 250$. Explained in other posts, I'm the type of guy who doesn't know crap until I get my hands dirty, and based on never have worked on suspension, I need to know if this is a "smart" choice. I know you could say "smarter" would be "better" springs, coilovers, whatever. So, basic question; do I got to do anything else to the car besides just dropping it? Would it be reliable? Pros/cons on the springs? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Also, please recommend me some springs, just checked cobalt-addiction and the site was down. If you're asking for my budget, I really want to stay under 300$, and spend around $150-200.

edit: And incase you havn't noticed, I'm a cheap person when I can be, lol, girlfriend is in the Navy so that's the only reason I'm even re-opening my thrive to work on my car. Anyway; since I'm going to be taking my wheels off and be messing around with everything anyway, do you guys have any other techniques to paint my calipers yellow besides a caliper painting kit? Lol, perhaps G.M. replica spray paint from auto zone etc? Or do you all highly recommend a caliper painting kit.

Edit2: found the shocks I was looking at. http://cobalt-addiction.com/handling.htm CA #1 (Yellow ones at bottom of page in the Springs category). Yellow car, yellow shocks, in budget, good sounding drop (NON SS - 1.75" front / 2.25" rear drop = good drop?). Think I should get them? If so, all I gotta do is get the shocks and throw them in and that's that, correct?

if you drop it, you should definitely upgrade shocks and struts while you're at it. those will cost you about 250. then your springs will be another 120-300 depending on what springs yo uwant to go with. if you don't know anything about suspension, don't get the koni's. get the FE5 ss/tc setup from crate engine depot. don't get the cobalt addiction ones, nor should you buy most things from there because they are expensive. find things on ebay or go to www.turbotechracing.com or ZZPerformance better pricing and better companies to purchase from IMO.

DO NOT go cheap on suspension, or anything on your car for that matter. you get what you pay for and it's definitely noticeable. so save up a little cash, buy better springs (and paint them yellow if you want) and then put it all in at once. difference is night and day.

BankDude said:

if you drop it, you should definitely upgrade shocks and struts while you're at it. those will cost you about 250. then your springs will be another 120-300 depending on what springs yo uwant to go with. if you don't know anything about suspension, don't get the koni's. get the FE5 ss/tc setup from crate engine depot. don't get the cobalt addiction ones, nor should you buy most things from there because they are expensive. find things on ebay or go to www.turbotechracing.com or ZZPerformance better pricing and better companies to purchase from IMO.

DO NOT go cheap on suspension, or anything on your car for that matter. you get what you pay for and it's definitely noticeable. so save up a little cash, buy better springs (and paint them yellow if you want) and then put it all in at once. difference is night and day.

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Thanks for all the much needed information, haha. And you don't ALWAYS get what you pay for . Got 2 12" 1,200 Watt subs, a box, and a 2,000 watt SSL amp (I bridged the subs) all for 250 dollars, all I had to do is pay 50 for the wiring kit and a few other things in order to keep my stock stereo and wire it together correctly.

I'll be doing some research into the matter in that case, if it weren't for you or anyone posting on this thread I would have most likely just purchased the springs in a week or so with no concern

However! What is the major need for the upgrade of shocks and struts. My dad used to be a car mechanic when he was younger and he says that I could just go with springs, and upgrading the shocks and struts would be pushing it to the "10th Degree" which in this case I believe he means if I'm planning to go racing like a mo-fo. But I'm not, I'm just planning to cruse in my every-day eye-candy and that's all really, besides a fun little mountain trip coming up

SO TO COME TO CONCLUSION: Shocks/struts; viable but necessary? Replace springs; won't kill my car will it?

Also, last thing, if I did paint it, what kind of paint wouldn't chip off of the constant tension, lol

http://www.zzperformance.com/cobalt_ion/products1.php?id=1268&catid=146 <-- yes?

I have a set of koni yellow shocks and struts with SSi springs for sale Also as soon as my retrofits get here, I'll have a set of projectors for sale as well...