Lowering parts check- 2025 Hybrid AWD

[Toymaster]

Should be taking delivery of a 2025 next saturday, it's at the local dealer now but they need to install keypad and remote start. Below is my list of parts on order that should arrive during next week. Is there anything I'm missing?

Goodwin lowering springs
Camber cam bolts for the front
SPC rear adjustable arms
20x9 rims, +35mm offset (puts them at 6.37" BS)
lug nuts M14x1.5, 3/4" hex drive, I hate spline drive
Goodyear Eagle Sport All-Season 255/45R20, 29" ⌀
Air Lift 1000 air springs Kit#60903 (still going to haul weight sometimes)

Do I need to order anything else to make the lowering springs work and be right?
Plan on installing these at the end of the month after I've gotten a baseline of MPG on my commute.

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[Toymaster]

Ok, no tech input I see. I'll report back what the goodwin springs did to the camber, how much I adjusted, and how much clearance this size tire left.

 

[Toymaster]

update:

I installed the springs and camber adjustment hardware. I didn't take time to measure how far out the lowering spings made camber in the front due to just being tired, I did make the SPC arms the same length as the factory arms and the rear was at ~2 degree neg before I adjusted the length. I've heard many people say their's was "in spec" but with zero adjustment you don't have the ability to put the alignment where you want it. I would suggest anyone with the means to spend the exta bucks on front cam bolts and rear adjustable control arms.

The SPC arms worked great, you can adjust while in place so that is good. I have the rear tires set ~0.05 and front at ~1.0 degree neg, we'll see how that work for me. The Air Lift 1000 air spring Kit#60903 was the right kit for the goodwin springs. They give you two spacers, one ~1/2" and one ~1/4", I used both and have about 1/4" of free space before making contact. I'm sure this number kit would work with eIbach spring as well, use just the thinner spacer. I'm not looking to carve canyons, all my miles are commuting on striaght roads and I need to haul some weight from time to time.

I'm making my normal commute (430mi. one-way) with the maverick lowered to see how it affects fuel milage (between getting to the project site and daily commute I usually do ~1K miles a week), next weekend I'll put on the aftermarket rims/tires. I used them when setting camber, man they look good, but science man, science. I want to know exactly how much this rim/tire combo hurts my MPG, it is wider and 10lbs heavier than the stock steelies combo.

 

[Toymaster]

Did an oil, RDU, PTU change and topped off the trans. Happy coincidence, this 2.5L uses the same oil filter as my '08 Jeep JK, so had some on hand.

Add mine to the units that were not filled up at the factory. Made October '25. Not saying the lower levels would hurt anything but anytime you lessen the amount of oil each quantity of oil has to work harder and therefore shortens its service life. The trans was a full quart low. The magnets on the gear boxes were full, this means they could not longer do their job.

I took delivery of the car with 180 miles on it, had them do an oil change before I saw it since they offer three free and knew I'd never use those services. This weekend's service was at ~1200 miles. I'll do oil changes every 5K along with gear oil changes till the magnets are clean at a change, then will probably do 10K intervals on oil and 20K on the gear oil from then on since I do so many highway miles. I'm sure 30K on the gear oil would be fine but they hold really small amounts of oil, so why not. I use Amsoil products.

 

[Toymaster]

Got the rims and all-seasons on this weekend. The rim size works well with the suspension mods, all are listed in the first post.

 

[Manning]

Wheels look good. What brand and model?.

 

[Maverick123]

Looks great. Normally lowering a car helps fuel economy by reducing the qty of air passing underneath but I'm guessing the heavier wheels + 255 tires are gonna hurt your fuel economy a LOT.

You should try 1 week with the steelies as a direct comparison

 

[Toymaster]

Wheels look good. What brand and model?.

20x9 Axis Sport AX3-5 BLK
Tirerack.com brand that has been discontinued. I got them on clearance.

Looks great. Normally lowering a car helps fuel economy by reducing the qty of air passing underneath but I'm guessing the heavier wheels + 255 tires are gonna hurt your fuel economy a LOT.

You should try 1 week with the steelies as a direct comparison

Agreed. I have gotten a baseline for my commute and we'll see how much of a penality I pay to look good.

 

[Joshoc88]

Goodwin said that we didn't necessarily need camber bolts for their kit, their kit puts camber at -1.5 to -1.7, which isn't terrible and could help it turn a bit better and not plow so much. I got them and the ax1-5, basically going same set up as you but without camber bolts

 

[Toymaster]

Looks great. Normally lowering a car helps fuel economy by reducing the qty of air passing underneath but I'm guessing the heavier wheels + 255 tires are gonna hurt your fuel economy a LOT.

You should try 1 week with the steelies as a direct comparison

I've made the first leg of my commute (West to East) and the mileage is more affected by wind, elevation change, and temp than anything else. Of course, there was a MPG penality for the tires but I'm thinking at this point it is noise to the equation. To many other large factors that cover up anything else. We'll see after I go home at the end of the work week (East to West). And around town I'm still getting 30-60 on short trips so no real way to measure to that level of detail unless I keep track over a longer period. I could try running an entire season on one set then the next year run the other tires during that season and maybe make a determination. I think I'll just choose to look good and not worry about the mpg loss.

Goodwin said that we didn't necessarily need camber bolts for their kit, their kit puts camber at -1.5 to -1.7, which isn't terrible and could help it turn a bit better and not plow so much. I got them and the ax1-5, basically going same set up as you but without camber bolts

Lots of people running with no adjustment. Negative camber does have handling pro's but my commute is straight roads except for the Wind River canyon and that is not a carving style canyon, most can set their cruise at the speed limit and zip right through there. I'm looking at tire longevity as I put 1,000 miles a week on the mav.

 

[Joshoc88]

I've made the first leg of my commute (West to East) and the mileage is more affected by wind, elevation change, and temp than anything else. Of course, there was a MPG penality for the tires but I'm thinking at this point it is noise to the equation. To many other large factors that cover up anything else. We'll see after I go home at the end of the work week (East to West). And around town I'm still getting 30-60 on short trips so no real way to measure to that level of detail unless I keep track over a longer period. I could try running an entire season on one set then the next year run the other tires during that season and maybe make a determination. I think I'll just choose to look good and not worry about the mpg loss.



Lots of people running with no adjustment. Negative camber does have handling pro's but my commute is straight roads except for the Wind River canyon and that is not a carving style canyon, most can set their cruise at the speed limit and zip right through there. I'm looking at tire longevity as I put 1,000 miles a week on the mav.

Yeah, i have a lot of hills and curves, if i was in your shoes i would probably do the same

 

[Toymaster]

...... basically going same set up as you but without camber bolts

Since your going with similar tires, just did math for mileage, the 255/45r20 tires put the mileage calcs off by 2.8%. My known route is 430 miles and the mav showed 418 miles. The computer knows how much fuel it uses but the diameter of the tire being larger means it has traveled more than it thinks.

So after you change tires dont forget to add 2.8% to what ever mpg the car shows.

 

[Joshoc88]

Since your going with similar tires, just did math for mileage, the 255/45r20 tires put the mileage calcs off by 2.8%. My known route is 430 miles and the mav showed 418 miles. The computer knows how much fuel it uses but the diameter of the tire being larger means it has traveled more than it thinks.

So after you change tires dont forget to add 2.8% to what ever mpg the car shows.

How to keep the mileage down on your vehicle 101 I try not to make it so difficult, stock diameter is 28.5", 255\45r20 is 29", 245\45r20 is 28.7, just do the research, every tire is a little different even if it's marked the same size. I'd like to go 255 but it will come down to which tire i choose, some grippier options only available in 245. I'm not putting my set up on until the snow is out of here and that looks like may

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