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OK, so I lowered the car 1.75" with the Eibach Pro-Kit (they advertise 1.3" but don't you believe it... they're widely known to settle on these heavy 2-ton-plus Magnums). While the springs were GREAT. The ride only lasted for a little while. Right after my dealer's service manager saw them on he said "those will blow out the shocks. They take your suspension down to only 4 inches of travel and the shocks can't last like that."
Well, he was absolutely right. The ride quality went straight to hell within a few months. Now, I drive aggressively, and on top of that I drive a bunch on saggy California highways... roads where the roadbed has nice big sags in it that, when taken at speed, cause the shocks to bottom completely out. It wasn't long before the shocks were completely worthless and I was riding on springs alone.
This video taken after the KW's were put on -- illustrates the problem very well
(11mb MPG file. Right-click, Save-As, save to your local disk and then play it)
Its not a question of if it will happen to you... its a question of 'when'. Unfortunately I'm not alone in this, and a lot of the other Magnum owners who bought springs some time ago are now all in the same boat... A boat many of us jumped out of when Miyuke Motorsports of Fresno CA held a Group Buy for members of lxforums.com. Members got a killer deal on both the KW Variant 1 and KW Variant 2 coilover suspension system. A deal so good I can't say how good. Ridiculously good. Better than you're going to get. 
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All photos Courtesy of fatchance
Click to enlarge in new window. |
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Front Coilover
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Rear Shock and Spring
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| Whats a Coilover?
'm glad you asked. First of all, while I will say "Magnum" throughout the remainder of this article, it applies to the entire LX platform (Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger) including AWD variants. The Magnum suspension is outfitted with a spring and a shock for each wheel. These are separate components. A "coilover" is an integrated unit that combines both a spring and a shock into a single unit. When you get "coilovers" they are a complete suspension replacement -- you throw away your existing springs and shocks and put these on instead. Typically, a coilover is also a very high-quality component that will last longer -- far longer -- than a manufacturer's stock part.
The way that the Magnum's suspension is designed, you can only do a "coilover" on the front. On the rear, you are still going to get a shock and a strut with your chosen suspension replacement; whatever it is.
At the moment, there are three vendors who sell "coilover" type suspension replacements:
Guess what... all of these systems are manufactured by the same vendor... KW Automotive. If you buy one of the other units you are getting, essentially, a KW Variant 1 kit.
KW offers two versions of their suspension replacement for the Magnum:
- Variant 1 is adjustable for ride height. Drop varies from a little to a lot :-)
- Variant 2 offers both height adjustment AND dampening (ride firmness).
The photos at right are of the KW Variant 2 on fatchance's outstanding Chrysler 300C.
Why Should I Care?
You'll know once you ride in a car equipped with a quality aftermarket suspension system. Ride is both smoother and firmer at the same time. Body roll is significantly reduced. Bumps in the road that drive other people nuts will be barely noticed. Cornering is improved as you lower the car and its center of gravity. You can adjust the height of the vehicle precisely, axle-by-axle, and if you get the V2's you can adjust ride firmness from one day to the next. Going to the autocross? Lock it down. Visiting Grandma? Soften it up.
Why Not Do Springs and Shocks?
Springs and shocks are an option. Especially if you want to spend a few dollars now and try and milk the stock shocks before you have to spend more money on replacements. A light-drop spring, like Gold Lines, MIGHT let the stock shocks travel enough to survive. Using Eibach Pro-Kit? Forget it. Using Eibach Sport Line? Don't even bother asking. Start saving now.
What you will not get if you go springs and, later, shocks is the infinite adjustability that goes with the higher-quality coilover replacement. Worse, when you take into account the price of the shocks (Eibach Pro Dampers retail for $1,150) and the springs, and the two separate installs, and the two separate 4-wheel alignments you'll need... you've spent more going this route than if you had bitten the bullet and gotten coilovers in the first place.
Bottom Line
The best way to go is the quality option. It may be a big ticket item but as with many things, you can pay now or pay later... but either way you'll pay. Get the coilovers.
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Personal BS
