i was looking into getting some 18x8 rims on my B5, so i was going to lower it as well. how low should i go, and has anyone had problems with scraping fenders, or running into any sort of bars in the wheel well. i noticed that the clearance between my tire and some sort of metal arm in the wheel well is very small. any help at all would be awesome! thanks

 

2 words.........wheel spacers

depending on how wide the tire you go with there may be rubbing........there are a TON of posts on the site, like everyone else will tell you SEARCH before you ask.

 

thats the spindle youre seeing under there. Are you thinking bout just doin a spring shock combo or an adjustable setup (coilovers). There are plenty of people running both without issues on 18's.

spacers may be necessary, but not so much depending on tire width, its the wheel offset you have to be careful with while choosing a wheel. Tires of various widths will fit the same wheel.

 

Searching would be best to get your questions answered more deeply as the topic has been covered many times before.

But to answer your question, it all depends on what you're planning to get. Like FasterA4ThanUrs said offset, size, width, and even tire sizes are part of the factors. Note that your front fenders may have to be rolled if you're planning to slam the car.

 

Im runnin Tein Super Street coilovers with dampers on 18x8.5 wheels. Tires size:235. I needed 1/4'' spacers in the rear becasue of the upper control arm. Looked very tight. I have about a 1 1/2'' from the top of the tire to the bottom lip of the fenders/quarter panels. Looks great, feels great, no rubbing (rear) except when excessive weight is in the car.

Did alot of research on this before i went with the Tein setup. IMO i really think coilovers are the best solution soley because you can adjust the height to where you feel its most comfortable for you. Shock/spring combo really limits that option, and you may not be satisfied with the result. Other coilover options were Stasis. They get great reviews, just no damping option (which allows adjustment to how soft or hard you want the suspension to be).

Do some HW on this one, but i would certainly pay the couple extra $$ and get coilovers, especially if the wheels are nice.

 

i don't really have the money now for coilovers, so i was looking into getting a spring or shock/spring combo. any opinions on what brand to get or how many inches to drop. also, any pictures would be awesome!

 

Save your money and get what you really want to get when funds allow. If you need to drop it in the meantime, and just can't wait, buy a used sport suspension and put that on - it'll drop your non-sport car nicely until the aftermarket gear can be bought to set you where you really want to be.