The Perfect "Stance" and Superior Handling
Lowering your car is the most impactful upgrade you can make for both handling and appearance. But the wrong choice can result in a harsh, uncomfortable and bouncy vehicle. With hundreds of successful installations per year in our Nijkerk workshop, our experts will explain exactly which choice is best for your needs and budget.
1. Choice Stress: Lowering Springs or a Coilover Kit?
The most frequently asked question in our showroom. What suits your car best? Both options have their own purposes. Here is the honest comparison:
Option 1: Lowering Springs
With lowering springs (Lowering Springs) we replace only the original steel springs and retain your original shock absorbers. This typically lowers the car by a fixed amount of 25mm to 40mm.
- Advantage: Very affordable and a perfect OEM+ look.
- Advantage: Ideal if your current shock absorbers are still in good condition.
- Disadvantage: You are fixed to the ride height; you cannot fine-tune it further.
- Best Brands: Eibach (Pro-Kit / Sportline), H&R, AP Sportfahrwerke.
Option 2: Coilovers (Coilover Kits)
A coilover kit is a complete system: we replace both the springs and the shock absorbers. The shock absorber features special threading that allows you to adjust the ride height continuously afterwards.
- Advantage: Adjustable to the millimetre for height (and often for stiffness as well).
- Advantage: The shock absorber is perfectly matched to the lowered spring. Optimal driving behaviour!
- Advantage: Ideal for making wheels sit exactly 'flush' with the wheel arches.
- Top Brands: KW Suspensions, ST Suspensions, Bilstein.
2. Our Official Premium Suspension Brands
We only fit suspension systems that we as a garage 100% stand behind and are willing to guarantee. We are an authorised dealer of:
KW Suspensions High-End \/ RVS Inox
ST Suspensions Powered by KW
Eibach OEM+ Comfort
H&R German Precision
Bilstein Gas Pressure \/ Performance
3. Modern Technology: Adaptive Dampers (DCC)
Does your car have factory-fitted electronic dampers (e.g. DCC, EDC, Magnetic Ride) that let you adjust firmness via a button on the dashboard? No problem.
- Keep (HAS Kits): We fit *Height Adjustable Springs (HAS)*. This preserves your factory electronics, but still allows you to adjust the vehicle height like a coilover set.
- Replace (Cancellation Kits): You fit a sporty mechanical coilover set, and we plug in an electronic module (such as the KW ESC). This fools the onboard computer so you won't get annoying warning lights and the rest of the system continues to work flawlessly.
4. The Crucial Importance of 3D Alignment & Installation
You can't half‑do lowering your car. As soon as we lower a car, the entire geometry of the suspension changes (the camber, caster and toe deviate). Without correction the following happens:
- Your (expensive) tyres wear extremely quickly on the inside or outside.
- The car 'wanders' on the motorway and no longer steers crisply.
- Components such as ball joints and control arms wear out faster.
That is why at Wheels 'N Customs every suspension installation is including the mandatory, highly precise 3D alignment on our advanced lifts. We calibrate the car back to factory specifications, or set it to a sportier alignment for better cornering (if desired).
5. FAQ: Lowering a Car & Installation in Nijkerk
What are the total costs to have my car lowered?
The costs are divided into parts and labour. Fitting a lowering kit takes on average 2 to 3.5 hours. Our workshop charges a transparent hourly rate. On average the professional fitting of a complete coilover set or springs, including the mandatory 3D alignment, is between €350,- and €500,- including VAT. The final price depends on the car brand and how seized the old bolts are.
Will I lose all comfort after lowering?
No, provided you choose quality. Brands like Eibach and KW Suspensions use progressive springs. This means the spring feels comfortable during normal motorway driving, and only becomes 'firmer' when you take a corner aggressively. Cheap budget brands bounce; premium brands absorb impacts with finesse.
Will my car still pass the MOT after lowering?
Absolutely. In the Netherlands lowering is 100% MOT approved, as long as the springs remain under tension when the car is lifted on a ramp and the tyres do not rub anywhere in the wheel arches. For our Belgian customers we also supply virtually all our kits as standard with the required TÜV and GOCA certificates for the technical inspection.
How long will my car be away for the installation?
For fitting a suspension and the required 3D alignment we usually ask you to leave the car with us in Nijkerk for at least 1 working day (drop off in the morning, collect at the end of the afternoon). We schedule generously so we can set up your car perfectly, road-test it and hand it over safely.
