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If you really love the idea of getting your car lowered, but you are unsure of how and how much it is going to set you back, then look no further, this article will give you everything you need to know about lowering your car and the costs and labour that are involved.
Before you get your car lowered, it is important to know whether it will suit your vehicle, driving needs and if your car is even eligible to be lowered.
What’s Involved in Lowering a Car?
In simple terms, lowering a car involves a vehicle’s suspension being lowered. However, it is important to know that some modern cars have a sports setting which lowers the suspension, so lowering a car is not needed in this case.
Sporting springs are the best option for lowering a vehicle, as they give a car sufficient sporty styled lowering. Some car enthusiasts cut their factory springs to create a lowered suspension effect, but the quality can lack from using this method. A safer option is to purchase sporting springs instead of editing your car’s pre-existing springs.
It is also important to consider using a complete coil-over set, as it will give you the parts you need for lowering a car safely and efficiently.
For the best results, it is highly recommended that a professional car technician carries out the work instead of trying to tamper with the vehicle yourself, as more harm than good may be done.
Can You Lower a Car Yourself?
Yes, you can lower your car yourself, if you have reasonable knowledge on the task ahead.
By doing the work yourself, you’ll be able to achieve a cheaper price than visiting a garage as you’ll save on labour costs. However, it is important to meet the wheel arch MOT regulations, if those are not met you will fail your next MOT and your wheel arch space will be deemed illegal.
Car lowering is not for amateurs, you need to have a reasonable interest and knowledge in mechanics and how car mechanics work. It is better to work in a team opposed to working alone on this project, as it is rather technical.
How much do lowering springs cost? It is better to buy new springs instead of cutting pre-existing springs. You can pick up a set of four brand new lowering springs for most vehicles from around £60-100 on eBay. However, a set of Eibach lowering springs, which are the recommended brand to use, will usually cost around £150-200 for a set.
Alternative car parts to springs, to use in the process of lowering a car, are coilovers. This method works just as well as re-sizing a car’s springs and it may even seem simpler than the springs method, but it is slightly pricier. The average market price for coilovers is £195 to £260.
How Much Does It Cost at a Garage?
Installation prices will vary from garage to garage, but here is some information about the pricing of the parts involved with lowering a vehicle.
It is difficult to give a flat-out rate of how much it will cost to lower a car professionally, as rates vary from vehicle to vehicle. It has even been noted that location of where you are based has an effect on the pricing.
You should roughly expect to pay between £130 to £260 for the labour when lowering your car at a garage, the parts will be additional and similar to the costs identified earlier. Car dealerships and garages often give a discounted price for car parts if they are doing the installation.
Car technician labour rates can vary from £36 to £234 per hour depending on location and whether you are using a branded car dealership or a local garage (source). It is also important to be aware that depending on your type or car and its age will have some effect on the pricing.
Surrey has the highest average technician labour rate in the UK, whereas Selkirkshire in Scotland has the cheapest pricing.
If you are looking to get your car lowered professionally and you purchased your vehicle from a main brand car dealership, it may be of benefit to use their services as you are already a customer and they usually offer good deals for pre-existing customers.
Final thoughts
Before a car owner decides to lower their vehicle, lots of preparation and research is needed. The method of car lowering may vary from person to person, but what is important is the car has been safely and efficiently lowered and that it meets the legal standard of lowering in the UK.
It is better to get a job done legally and properly rather than using a cheaper and potentially dangerous method.
Ellie used to work in a Vauxhall dealership but has now turned her passion to writing about cars instead. Ellie currently drives a Corsa but as an electric vehicle fanatic has her hopes on one day owning a Tesla. It will, of course, be grey as she only ever owns grey cars.
