FYI for lowering your Edge with H&R springs and PowerStop brake kit

[edgesportguy]

Lovin' the end result of dropping and new brakes & wheels on my Edge. Leased a 2013 Sport back in '12 and loved it so much that I was set on getting another one. Although I almost leased a 2015 I decided that I don't much care for the new generation body & look. Some great new features & fuctions though.

I just love that monster black grille on the '10-'13 Sport and got really lucky to find this mint, loaded, low-mileage Sport 2 weeks after totaling my first one back in January. Decided to do some mods besides the stereo since I'm keeping this one. So far:

- Morimoto Elite HID kit
- LED Reverse light & interior bulbs
- Hard-wired BEL RX65 radar detector

and as of last weekend...
- H&R lowering springs
- PowerStop Evolution rotors & pads
- 275/45-20 Yokohama Parada Spec-x
- 20" Empire Verde wheeljs

Edited July 8, 2016 by edgesportguy

[edgesportguy]

Thanks to air tools, Tire Rack, and beer

 

Worst things of the project:

- Putting a hitch on is nightmare! I thought I was never going to get all the backing plates & bolts into the frame rails

- Swapping the rear springs (even after 2 days of penetrating oil).

- Fronts would have been a breeze if the dealer hadn't given me the wrong top plate for one strut. Ended up installing one strut with wrong plate for that side, and couldn't get the other side in, Both had to come back out and apart. Aaaargh!!!

- Getting the lower control arms off the rear spindles was a bear

- Wasting an hour scratching my head and then starting to polish up the old stainless steel slides for the front pads because I thought PowerStop gave me the wrong hardware & boots for the calipers. They just put them in the wrong box! Happened to finally check the box of pads for the rears and sure enough the hardware bags were just swapped.

- Tearing the outside edge of the piston seal on one rear caliper and having to replace it (they don't sell just the seal!} Thankfully caliper was only $65 at AutoZ and had it the next day

- Threading the backing plates and bolts into the rear frame rail's for the hitch almost driving me to the point of losing my mind (what's left of it...)

 

Best things - the end result!

 

It was all worth it. The stance is perfect; the handling is great; Yoko's are sticky and considerably quieter than the Pirelli's; the PowerStop brakes grab like crazy: better acceleration thanks to the 7lb per wheel weight savings and love the ride. Got a total of 2" drop up front & 2.25" in rear with the springs & slightly smaller diameter wheels. Measures 31.5" up front and 31.25" in back at the fender lips now and only a 2% mph difference on the speedo from wheel size.

 

Not the cheapest project, but considering new wheels, tires, tire psi sensors, camber kit, upgraded brakes, H&R springs, struts & shocks and alignment I think $2,800 was pretty reasonable. TireRack definitely had the best prices on everything (even the springs & struts) and their service was great (JC Whit for the brake kit. Got 10% off & free shipping and TR didn't carry them) If not inclined to do this yourself a shop should only charge you about an hour additional labor than doing just the shocks/struts & brakes since the only additional labor is swapping the rear springs.

 

 

For any one thinking of lowering their Edge

 

- Borrow an impact wrench & compressor from a friend if you don't have them :-)

- Have some beers on ice and stereo to listen to

- Prepare to make a mess of your garage

- Always remember Murphy's Law

- You don't need a coil spring compressor providing you buy new struts and the top plates for them and put them in as whole assemblies versus taking the old ones apart. All 4 H&R springs are short enough that they don't need to be compressed to install.

- You do need the special tool to screw the rear pistons back into the rear calipers. Good old C-clamp works fine for fronts, but Do Not try & use it on the rears

- Spending the $125 for new top plates and rubber isolators for the front struts worth every penny in case you want to go back to stock down the road. Easy swap if you used some anti-seize on everything when putting it back together

- If you're not able to get either rear control arm bolt out I found removing the shock, taking the nut off the outer lower control arm at the spindle along with the 2 bolts for the upper link and then loosening the front trailing arm bolts to be the easiest way to get the rear springs out. Spring compressor doesn't make a difference and more of a PIA to try & use it. As A Word of Caution - Do Not forget to put a floor jack with just a hair of tension under the rear control arms before taking the bolts out; and then lower slowly to just let the old springs eventually drop out.

- Plumbers torch with a MAP gas canister comes in handy for the spindle nuts if they're really frozen on - but don't overheat and start melting the rubber bushings

- Be ready to give the old rotors some good whackings with a heavy hammer to get them off if you're not reusing them

- Getting to the driver's side top rear shock nut is a pain but doable without removing the interior panel. Un-clip and remove one end of the powered piston, snap loose the small trim panel surrounding the bottom where it goes into the panel, pull out the panel a bit and then you can snake you're hand in and use a long extension on an impact to get the nuts on & off

- Polish off or replace the caliper slide bolts If there is any rust on them

- Make sure to do the bedding process for the brakes per the directions to minimize chance of warping

- Immediately get a alignment. I used two 8' of pieces of wood trim bungeed to the rotors (and then front wheels); a measuring tape; and a level to set the camber and toe to as close to zero as possible when assembling (I know - redneck; but it's easy and works great 'til you can get real alignment)

 

- Enjoy the results!l

Edited July 8, 2016 by edgesportguy

[Nick Halstead]

You dont measure drop from the fender well. Its measure at level ground right behind front wheel on side skirt and right in front of rear wheel on side skirt

[IWRBB]

You dont measure drop from the fender well. Its measure at level ground right behind front wheel on side skirt and right in front of rear wheel on side skirt

Maybe you do it that way, but I've never heard of ANYONE else ever doing it that way. Everyone who has lowered their cars measures from ground to the center of the wheelwell arch. It's an easily repeatable measurement from car to car.

 

Your method, OK where exactly do we measure that again? The side skirt? What is that? I've never seen that term used by anyone before. The plastic? The metal? What if I have a sport vs a non-sport with different "skirts"? Where do I meausure? See what I'm getting at?

[Nick Halstead]

Think of it this way.

Why would you measure at the heighest point that has nothing to do with ground clearence.

 

The reason you measure where I said is because the front wheel well on all cars is larger than the rear wheel well

Edited July 8, 2016 by Nick Halstead

[IWRBB]

Because you aren't measuring ground clearance. You are measuring how much the body dropped in relation to the ground. I've never seen a vehicle scrape on it's rockers, so it's not a good location to use as a measurement of ground clearance anyways. The exhaust (or tranfer case on a 4WD) is typically the lowest point under the vehicle.

 

Your location would come up with the same drop measurement of course, but it's not easily repeatable from car to car since it's not an easy location for everyone to exactly duplicate. All Edges of the same generation have the same wheelwell openings, not all have the same rocker treatment. It doesn't matter that the front and rear wheel wells are different. They both maintain the same relationship to the ground before and after. The measurement from ground the top of the wheel well is all that matters. If it was 32" in front and 31" in the rear, then went to 30" and 29", it dropped 2". Easy peasey.

[edgesportguy]

I don't get what difference it makes where you measure - it can be the door handles if you want; or what difference the size of the wheel wells makes. As long as you're measuring the before and after at the same points you will net your amount of drop acheived from your changes. I think you're referring to "ground clearance" too. Then the skirts would make more sense to me. I don't know the exact points manufacturers use for their measuring points, but I believe it's the lowest point of the vehicle's rocker panel.

 

I'm not going off-roading with my Edge or looking to make a low rider. I just have a heavy foot and love driving the twisties so I wanted a stance with lower center of gravity and better spring rate to make a great handling sport SUV, so I don't care about whether I was measuring gc. Mission accomplished on handling! I figured I'd be ok with H&R's advertised 1.5"/1.75" drop and slightly smaller wheels no matter what since my 2010 Corvette Grand Sport has less than 5" of clearance at the radiator support.

 

I picked the really simple point of the top of the wheel well opening so anyone can quickly measure their own and compare. Furthermore, if I'm now 2" lower there, I know I'm also going to be 2" lower at Ford's "ground clearance" point, or the headlight, or the mirror, etc.. The only exception to this being that I have lost a 1/4" of actual "ground clearance" to the lowest point of the lower control arms since the overall diameter of the new wheels is 1/2" smaller

Edited July 9, 2016 by edgesportguy

[Nick Halstead]

All this is only achievable with correct tire pressure all the way around. I just know from my auto crossing friends who have told me to never measure and drop from fenders. Everyone has their differences...just another way of doing things. I do know Porsche measures their factory race cars the way I described

[edgesportguy]

Measuring raising/lower; and setting up suspension for tracking & autocrossing is a bit a guessing game backed with the laws of physics You start off with a level balanced car and adjust from there based on the type of race, track, your individual car, etc, ur preferred set ut, r and is totally opposite of street up in a or truck.. To be continued, I'm too tired to write any more

Edited July 9, 2016 by edgesportguy

[edgesportguy]

Because you aren't measuring ground clearance. You are measuring how much the body dropped in relation to the ground. I've never seen a vehicle scrape on it's rockers, so it's not a good location to use as a measurement of ground clearance anyways. The exhaust (or tranfer case on a 4WD) is typically the lowest point under the vehicle.

 

Your location would come up with the same drop measurement of course, but it's not easily repeatable from car to car since it's not an easy location for everyone to exactly duplicate. All Edges of the same generation have the same wheelwell openings, not all have the same rocker treatment. It doesn't matter that the front and rear wheel wells are different. They both maintain the same relationship to the ground before and after. The measurement from ground the top of the wheel well is all that matters. If it was 32" in front and 31" in the rear, then went to 30" and 29", it dropped 2". Easy peasey.

 

You are correct and thank you for also seeing the intent of me picking a simple obvious measuring point so that any other edge owner can compare to theirs and get an idea of the result. Dropping for the street is a lot about the look of the meaner stance, wheel wells nicely filled with wider lower profile tires, and dropping all 4 corners about equally to lower the center of gravity an 1" or 2" for better handling and traction. No adjustments needed

[MikeKiloXrayOhNiner]

Sweet looking ride man!!! I'm hopefully going to be doing similar stuff to mine soon.

[edgesportguy]

Sweet looking ride man!!! I'm hopefully going to be doing similar stuff to mine soon.

Thanks. Just make sure you measure the ground clearance the right way

[edgesportguy]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH! Just noticed this today! %#!*#! PowerStop!
First they F* up and package the wrong hardware in with the opposite brake pads. Now this!

Can anyone tell me what's wrong with this picture?

Hint 1: The rotor is marked "Pass Side" and this is a pic of the passenger side (caliper is on the front)
Hint 2: The wheel spins in what direction?
Hint 3: The rotor slots are swept in what direction?

At least the rears are on the right sides

Lesson: Don't believe everything you read on the label, and don't put you're car back together at 2:30a.m. (about 4 hrs after 8eer:30 p.m.) after a 14hr work day

Or maybe it's just because I didn't measure the ground clearance the way Porsche does it. Though I'm wondering now if it's the same process on a PSAM equipped 911, Cayman S, etc

Edited July 20, 2016 by edgesportguy

[edgesportguy]

"All this is only achievable with correct tire pressure all the way around." - Np brainier on that one unless your running different camber and lower pressure on the outsides on a predominantly right turning course "I just know from my auto crossing friends who have told me" to never measure and drop from fenders. Everyone has their differences...just another way of doing things. "I do know Porsche measures their factory race cars the way I described" Really? Can you explain some of these facts to us laymen so we can do it correctly on our EDGES You "know"? -with facts? other than a stcok 911, to a Caymans S with PASM, a 911 Turbo, to a GT3 widebody, to a full track car will all be different

 

Lighten up man

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

That would tick me off! Are the rotors the same thickness all the way round? I have heard occasional complaints they are not.

Lesson: Don't believe everything you read on the label, and don't put you're car back together at 2:30a.m. (about 4 hrs after 8eer:30 p.m.) after a 14hr work day

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

** Duplicate Post. Page did not auto-refresh. **

Edited July 20, 2016 by WWWPerfA_ZN0W

[edgesportguy]

That would tick me off! Are the rotors the same thickness all the way round? I have heard occasional complaints they are not.

 

I didn't check thickness, but there was very little run out which I attributed more to how the rotor was seated on the spindle No brake vibration at all once I bedded the pads and re-torqued all the lug nuts

Edited July 24, 2016 by edgesportguy

[Nick Halstead]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH! Just noticed this today! %#!*#! PowerStop!

First they F* up and package the wrong hardware in with the opposite brake pads. Now this!

 

Can anyone tell me what's wrong with this picture?

 

Hint 1: The rotor is marked "Pass Side" and this is a pic of the passenger side (caliper is on the front)

Hint 2: The wheel spins in what direction?

Hint 3: The rotor slots are swept in what direction?

 

At least the rears are on the right sides

Lesson: Don't believe everything you read on the label, and don't put you're car back together at 2:30a.m. (about 4 hrs after 8eer:30 p.m.) after a 14hr work day

 

Or maybe it's just because I didn't measure the ground clearance the way Porsche does it. Though I'm wondering now if it's the same process on a PSAM equipped 911, Cayman S, etc

Late to the party...been busy in Thailand and Malaysia but...

You don't determine what side the rotor is for by the way slots are swept. They can go either way. The internal vanes are what decides which side the rotor goes on.

Edited July 25, 2016 by Nick Halstead

[macbwt]

Wow the frustration but the second time is easier. Hopefully everything comes together correctly.

[edgesportguy]

You don't determine what side the rotor is for by the way slots are swept. They can go either way. The internal vanes are what decides which side the rotor goes on.

 

You bring up a great point Nick.and are totally correct. I'm glad you brought this up before I started tearing things apart.

 

My initial reaction was based on the tech who did the alignment pointing out that the fronts were on wrong and that it'll chew up the brake pads. Seemed to make sense considering the rears were in the opposite direction and looked correct.

 

I assumed 3 things:

1. the PowerStop Evolution discs had directional vanes (rears aren't vented) Wrong

 

- I didn't recall seeing directional vanes and just checked again with a flashlight. Looks like they are just straight vanes

 

2. that the drill & slot sweep pattern goes in the same direction as the vanes. Not always

 

- Porsche (no dig meant - just coincidence), AeroRotors, & others have the pattern is in the opposite direction

 

3, that the slots are supposed to be swept (inside to outside) in the same direction as rotation No, Yes, Doesn't Matter

 

- As Nick pointed out the internal vanes, not the direction of the slots when present, determine which side the rotor goes on IF they have directional vanes, The slots are typically cut across the direction of the vanes for strength so they are actually sweeping inward instead of outward.

 

Slotted rotors {non-vented or straight vane only} - Different answers depending where you look

 

Here's a pic of a PowerStop rotor showing the Pass Side sticker like mine, but the slots go in the opposite direction

 

A majority of the images I looked at (even on PowerStops's site) and cars I've seen have the slots swept back from the center like I thought.they go. Some sites or uTubes say that's correct, have reasons, and one even shows supposedly the difference in brake pad wear.

 

Most car tech or brake manufactures sites show them the other way though, and say it doesn't matter which direction the slots are swept on non-directional rotors.

 

Since the overall consensus is that the direction of the slots does not matter on these rotors I'm tempted to not switch anything. The sad truth is that it'll irk me so much every time I look at them that I'm going to end up swapping them since I also need to check the run out on the rotors again as I have a slight vibration now.

 

I'm still really ticked at PowerStop over all this BS and wasted time. Someone was obviously having an off day when they labeled my rotors and packaged the caliper hardware.

Edited July 28, 2016 by edgesportguy

[Nick Halstead]

one reason why I stopped buying C&S rotors, cause it seams that only top brands that off BBK are the ones who actually take the time to make sure everything is the same on both sides. looks very odd with the back and rear rotors not being twins.

[Tjm623]

Sharp color and rims. Like the tint too what percent up front? I'm tempted to do 35% as I believe that'll match fords privacy (it did on an older ford I had). But the only time I ever got a ticket for tint was on a white car...with 35%

 

I'll probably be a good citizen and get crappy 50% up front and leave the rear alone.

 

Tinting over the privacy glass has always been too dark for me.

[Landyn]

Does anyone know of a way to lower the front of an 2011 edge sport some more? I have h&r lowering springs in and it seems to ride higher in the front than the back. Looks a little odd to me. Any ideas?

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

A] you are sure the springs weren't installed incorrectly/in reverse, and B] is there any sag in the rear suspension? How is the behavior on bumpy roads? Please post pics of your Edge, and also measure the height from the road to the top of the fenderwell, front & rear.

[edgesportguy]

A] you are sure the springs weren't installed incorrectly/in reverse, and B] is there any sag in the rear suspension? How is the behavior on bumpy roads? Please post pics of your Edge, and also measure the height from the road to the top of the fenderwell, front & rear.

The front & rear springs are completely different and couldn't be swapped even by accident. The fronts drop a 1/4" less than the rear, and a measure of the before and after confirms this is the case. The front should be a bit higher in any case as this helps to better distribute the weight from front to rear more evenly and reduces the tendency of the nose diving under heavy braking

Edited September 21, 2017 by edgesportguy