The Nissan Skyline R32 GTR is arguably the best-looking one in all of the line of GTRs. Made mainly to dominate the race track, it has been a great platform, especially in suspension modification.
Since it’s built to race, it poses a great potential for anything that can improve its handling. That’s why most car enthusiasts who own an R32 GTR these days prioritizes suspension mods before any other alterations.
If you’re planning to modify your suspensions, specifically lower your car’s ride height and reduce its ground clearance, then you’re in the right place. This article will provide you with every essential fact you need to know if you want to lower your Nissan Skyline R32 GTR.
This post will cover some necessary info you need to do the job, such as a list of the best mods to get for your car, and as well as some nifty information that’s vital to getting your Nissan Skyline R32 GTR lowered.
Coilovers are perhaps the best mod you can use to lower your vehicle. Although lowering springs are much more uncomplicated and straightforward than coilovers, it doesn’t fit the Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R’s identity as a track-oriented race car.
Besides, coilovers offer what the other mods like lowering springs couldn’t: adjustability.
So whether you’re planning to lower your vehicle for the sake of being streetable or to directly improve your Nissan Skyline R32 GTR’s race track capabilities, coilovers are the go-to mods you can rely on. Below are the nine best lowering mods you can fit into your Nissan Skyline R32 GTR.
#1 HKS Hipermax-G Coilover Kit
- Manufacturer: HKS
- Type of Construction: Monotube
- Spring Rate (F/R, lb/in): 202 | 207
- Compatibility: Nissan Skyline R32 GTR
Let’s start the list with one of the best manufacturers of suspension upgrades: HKS. With the name being synonymous with quality, HKS has always been considered the top dog of suspension upgrades.
One of their best creations was the Hipermax-G coilover kit, a perfect setup for casual riders who want a pretty low spring rate to improve handling performance without compromising the vehicle’s ride quality.
This coilover kit is capable of suppressing the upthrust and rolling feeling on the car moderately. It is also more durable than stock shocks and can maintain pretty pleasant ride quality, even after lowering the car’s ride height.
If you want a decent coilover that’ll drop your car without messing up the ride quality of your vehicle, then the HKS Hipermax-G is your guy.
HKS Hipermax-G Coilover Kit Features:
- Utilizes the same structure as the stock suspension for better durability
- Maintains a pleasant ride quality
- It uses an inverted monotube design
- It has a long piston stroke for softer yet fun drive quality
- Backed with HKS 1-Year Warranty
#2 HKS Hipermax MAX IV GT
- Manufacturer: HKS
- Type of Construction: Monotube
- Spring Rate (F/R, lb/in): 560 | 448
- Compatibility: Nissan Skyline R32 GTR (1989-1994)
We know you can’t get enough R32 GTR HKS coilovers, so here’s another one for you. Featuring the Hipermax MAX IV GT, designed to give you the maximum fun in driving.
HKS’ springs achieved the optimum balance between handling performance and ride comfort with stiffer springs, thanks to their new damping force tuning technique. HKS made these coilovers with various applications in mind, such as street driving, challenging roads, and the race track.
The HKS Hipermax MAX IV GT provides you a monotube damper that you can adjust for up to 30 levels so you can alter it to whatever damper setting you want. You can also change the car’s ride height with the whole shock-body length instead of adjusting the spring’s preload for more convenience.
Overall, the HKS Hipermax MAX IV GT is a bang for the buck purchase you can have for your Nissan Skyline R32 GTR.
HKS Hipermax MAX IV GT Features:
- 30 levels of damper setting adjustment
- Full-length adjustability
- Preload valve system
- Specs can be changed depending on your preferences
- Backed with HKS 1-Year Warranty
#3 Tein Flex Z Coilovers
- Manufacturer: Tein
- Type of Construction: Twin-tube
- Spring Rate (F/R, lb/in): N/A
- Compatibility: Nissan Skyline R32 GTR
Now that we’re done with HKS, here’s another Japanese brand for Nissan Skyline R32 GTR. Featuring the Tein Flex Z coilovers. Now, if you’re familiar with Tein, you’d know that they’ve got a plethora of coilover setups meant for different applications.
But for the case of R32 GTR coilovers, Tein has the Flex Z: a coilover kit meant for the streets and the tracks.
The Tein Flex Z is a coilover setup designed for street and track use. Its main purpose is to deliver stiffness and ride quality that’s meant for spirited and aggressive driving.
With over 16 levels of damping force adjustment, you can set these settings to your driving preferences without messing up the ride height adjustability. However unlike its older brother, the Flex A, the Flex Z isn’t rebuildable.
Tein Flex Z Coilovers Features:
- 16 levels of damper setting adjustment
- Full-length ride height adjustability
- Camber adjustments
- Sag-resistant springs
- Highly durable and rigid brackets and shell case
#4 Megan Racing EZII Coilover Kit
- Manufacturer: Megan Racing
- Type of Construction: Monotube
- Spring Rate (F/R, lb/in): 448 | 336
- Compatibility: Nissan Skyline R32 GTR (1989-1994)
If you’re a veteran in the car tuner scene, then you’ve probably noticed that Megan Racing coilovers are amongst the most popular coilovers installed in most project cars today.
Car enthusiasts love their coilovers, and we can’t blame them. Megan Racing coilovers are wallet-friendly but compelling enough to lower a car’s ride height and improve its handling performance.
For the Nissan Skyline R32 GTR, Megan Racing has the EZII coilover kit. They’re made explicitly for budget-oriented car enthusiasts looking for entry-level coilovers that will cover all of the essential suspension factors they need to lower their cars.
With over 15 levels of damper setting adjustment, they’re stiffer than Tein coilovers and help provide exemplary ride quality and ride height adjustment for the car.
Megan Racing EZII Coilover Kit Features:
- 15 levels of damper setting adjustment
- Aluminum top mounts
- Conservative spring rates
- Includes rubber dust boots
- Backed with Megan Racing 1-Year Warranty
#5 BC Racing DS Series Coilovers
- Manufacturer: BC Racing
- Type of Construction: Monotube
- Spring Rate (F/R, lb/in): Custom spring rates
- Compatibility: Nissan Skyline R32 GTR
Are you looking for R32 GTR BC coilovers? Then it’s your time to shine. BC Racing coilovers are popular because, just like Megan Racing, they offer entry-level coilovers that are budget-friendly enough to keep your wallets from screaming help.
Their most popular product is the BR Series coilovers, but we’re not putting that in the spotlight.
Instead, we’re giving you the DS Series, a coilover setup that leans more into track-oriented car enthusiasts who want something better than the BR Series.
The BC Racing DS Series coilovers are great for the occasional track duty because it has a digressive valving, which offers better stability and gives you a different ride feeling when compared to the typical linear valving.
And also, it’s got a more oversized piston and shock body.
BC Racing DS Series Coilovers Features:
- 30 levels of damper setting adjustment
- Ride height adjustment via shock body
- Customizable spring rate
- Rebuildable components
- Backed with BC Racing 1-Year Warranty
#6 APEXi N1 Evolution Damper
- Manufacturer: APEXi
- Type of Construction: Monotube
- Spring Rate (F/R, lb/in): 580 | 223
- Compatibility: Nissan Skyline R32 GTR (1989-1994)
APEXi is notorious for making some of the best aftermarket products available in the market today. From intakes and exhaust, now the suspensions. The Nissan Skyline R32 GTR has the N1 Evolution damper, a track-engineered coilover setup meant to make your car ready for the tracks.
APEXi did a lot of race R&D into this coilover to ensure that you’re going to have a pretty fun day on the track with these coilovers on.
The APEXi N1 Evolution damper features a large piston that uses a threaded base for all the necessary height adjustment without messing up the spring or shock travel. It’s got 25 levels of the damper setting adjustment that allows you to adapt to various types of driving conditions.
The N1 Evolution damper uses a GT race quality type of shock oil that can withstand high temperatures.
APEXi N1 Evolution Damper Features:
- 25 levels of damper setting adjustment
- Adjustable lower case design
- Utilizes pillow ball top mounts
- Uses GT race quality shock oil
- Backed with APEXi Standard Limited Warranty
#7 ARK Performance DT-P Coilover System
- Manufacturer: ARK Performance
- Type of Construction: Monotube
- Spring Rate (F/R, lb/in): 672 | 560
- Compatibility: Nissan Skyline R32 GTR (1989-1994)
We can all agree that with price comes quality; that goes with coilovers too. A great example of a coilover kit that features a high-quality construction that comes at a pretty price tag is ARK Performance’s DT-P coilover system.
It’s AKR Performance’s track-oriented coilover system specifically designed to give project cars like the Nissan Skyline R32 GTR a chance to be better on the tracks.
So what’s with the ARK Performance DT-P coilover system, and why do many people love it? This coilover system features 16 levels of damper setting adjustments that give you a degree of freedom to alter its setting to a preferable setup.
What’s more, this coilover kit’s components are made from an AL6061 aluminum billet, which keeps the whole coilover kit lightweight. Specially designed by a JDM racing team, the ARK Performance DT-P coilover system is a surefire way to make your Sunday track duty more fun.
ARK Performance DT-P Coilover System Features:
- 16 levels of damper setting adjustment
- Performance specs made for the tracks and the streets
- It comes with pillow ball mounts and camber adjustment
- Easy bolt-on installation
- Backed with ARK Performance 15-Month Limited Warranty
#8 Godspeed MonoSS Coilovers
- Manufacturer: Godspeed Project
- Type of Construction: Monotube
- Spring Rate (F/R, lb/in): 672 | 448
- Compatibility: Nissan Skyline R32 GTR
If you’re new to the car scene, then chances are you’ll hear about Godspeed coilovers at some point. They’re the ones that many car enthusiasts choose because of their low cost yet high effectiveness when it comes to lowering their vehicles and their ride height.
Because of its relatively low price tag, these R32 Skyline coilovers are amongst the most sought-after mods for streetable cars like the Nissan Skyline R32 GTR.
The Godspeed MonoSS coilovers is a cheap yet highly effective solution for your suspension needs. It’s an entry-level coilover setup that can lower your car’s ride height and as well and improve its handling, making it more fitting for aggressive street driving.
The MonoSS coilovers use race shock oil for better damping, and it also uses Koyo Japan 6204z bearing pillow ball mounts.
Godspeed MonoSS Coilover Lowering Kit Features:
- 16 levels of damper setting adjustment
- It comes with a front camber plate
- Uses Koyo Japan 6204z bearings pillow ball mounts
- Lightweight shock body
- Backed with Godspeed Project 1-Year Warranty
#9 Ohlins Road and Track Coilovers
- Manufacturer: Ohlins
- Type of Construction: Monotube
- Spring Rate (F/R, lb/in): 571 | 457
- Compatibility: Nissan Skyline R32 GTR (1989-1994)
Lastly, we have the Ohlins Road and Track coilovers. If you’ve talked to seasoned R32 GTR enthusiasts or scoured the forums, then there’s a high probability that you have an idea of what these coilovers are capable of. Highly favored by many car enthusiasts, this coilover kit can be considered the best one for the Nissan Skyline R32 GTR.
This coilover setup is meant for car enthusiasts who genuinely want to feel like they’re driving a race car and without compromising the vehicle’s ride quality for daily driving.
The Ohlins Road and Track coilovers can give your Nissan Skyline R32 GTR the optimum balance between streetability and racing level technology. Jam-packed with R&Ds, this coilover kit can guarantee you an improvement in your suspension’s response time, and as well as a significant change in bump absorption.
We’re not even going to mention the Dual Flow Valve technology (DFV) that can keep your car in the racing line whenever you get to encounter bumps or curbs.
Ohlins Road and Track Coilovers Features:
- 20+ levels of damper setting adjustment
- Dual Flow Valve technology
- Spring rates, mounts, and valving can be customized
- Dramatically improves a car’s handling
- Backed with Ohlins
Benefits and Drawbacks of Lowering Your Nissan Skyline R32 GTR
At this point, you may now be slightly convinced that reducing the ride height of your Nissan Skyline R32 GTR is a good plan.
However, you may still be a little skeptical about this type of modification, especially if you’re pretty new to the car tuning scene. At some point, you’ve probably asked yourself: “What are the benefits and drawbacks of getting my car lowered?”
To remove that skepticism of yours, we’ll give you the benefits of lowering your Nissan Skyline R32 GTR, and as well as the inevitable drawbacks you may potentially encounter.
Benefits
Better Handling
The best benefit you’ll get from getting your car lowered is better handling, especially when done with coilovers. By having a lowered center of gravity, you’ll feel that the car responds more to you.
You’ll notice that the vehicle is more stable than it used to be. And also, it’ll have a better grip especially when you’re speeding up. This improvement will eventually translate to quicker halts and faster acceleration.
It Can Help The Driver Feel The Road More
As a driver, you’ll agree that the car and you are one. A lowered suspension can potentially help you discern everything that the road throws at your vehicle, such as vibrations.
It’ll also help you be highly attuned to what the car is encountering, thus giving you the ability to respond better whenever you encounter bumps, turns, and corners.
Relatively Stiffer Ride
There’s an unspoken rule when it comes to lowering mods like coilovers, or even lowering springs. It goes like this:” The higher the spring rate is, the stiffer your suspension will be.”
Granted that coilovers offer more stiffness than the stock shocks and springs, it’ll now fall on you to decide on how stiff the aftermarket suspension upgrades you’d want to have on your car.
Remember: the stiffer your suspensions are, the less prone your car is to body roll, and you’ll also get to feel the road better.
Better Aerodynamics
An underrated benefit most car enthusiasts don’t know when they’re lowering their cars is that they’re making their vehicles more streamlined. Since the car now sits closer to the ground, it now has better aerodynamic capabilities.
There’s less air going under the belly of your vehicle, which will make the car run faster. Notice how high-end sports cars almost hug the ground. Keep in mind, though: lowering your car too much will be counter-productive, because it will increase the drag experienced by the vehicle.
Improved Aesthetics
Most of us are guilty of just wanting to have a sick-looking lowered car, and that’s okay! Lowering mods like coilovers offers both damping adjustments and ride height adjustability, so maximize these mods as much as you can.
By reducing your car, you inevitably make it look more aggressive and aesthetically pleasing. A streamlined and compact-looking car seems pretty attractive.
DRAWBACKS
Bottoming Out
Stiffer springs may help you out while driving on the road, but it won’t save you when you have to move fast over speed bumps, going up a driveway, or even on a ramp.
Because of newly-made lesser ground clearance, you’re exposing the underside of your car to the ground. If your vehicle’s belly makes contact with the ground (especially at high speeds), it can damage some of the components like the exhaust system, oil pan, etc.
Decrease in Ride Quality
If you or your passengers are accustomed to cozy suspensions, there might be a slight bit of a problem. Since the car is now more responsive, you will now feel everything that you’re going over, including the unpleasant ones like small road debris and vibrations.
If you haven’t prepared yourself for such a possibility, you will have a bad time with your newly-installed suspension upgrades.
It May Cause Premature Tire Wear
When done incorrectly, the act of lowering your car may even bring more harm than good. Reducing your car’s ground clearance alters the alignment of the wheels and tires.
If done poorly, it may cause you alignment problems, which will eventually result in extreme or uneven tire wear patterns. Make sure to seek a professional’s expertise to help you realign your suspensions after you lower them.
Standard Jacks No More
Do you use standard jacks when running routine maintenance on your car? We have bad news for you. Since there’s not enough clearance under the vehicle, you will have trouble using standard jacks to raise your vehicle.
This will impede the process of your car getting lift or towed, so before you lower your car, think about how you’ll access the underside of your vehicle.
I’ve Lowered My Nissan Skyline R32 GTR. Now What?
Now that you’ve finally decided to lower your car, here are some essential things you need to know. If you pay attention to these tips, you’ll save precious time, money, and patience.
Check Your Ground Clearance
How well have you lowered your car? If it’s good enough, you can go over speed bumps and ramps with ease. If the labor and installation are mediocre, things may go astray.
Things will get incredibly annoying and stressful once you’ve found out that you’ve lowered your car too much, so it’s imperative to check your height clearance to see if it’s done correctly and is set on a proper ride height. If you’re sitting over 5″ or so, then you’re good to go.
Check for Rubbing
Test your car so you could see if there’s any rubbing in the fenders and the vehicle’s internal components. The first step you must do is call a friend and tell them to spot you while you turn the wheel clockwise.
There shouldn’t be fender rub while you’re turning the wheel. Afterward, drive the vehicle on an empty road and rev up to 25mph. If you don’t hear any internal rubbing, then you guys have lowered your car correctly.
Suspension Realignment
Suspension realignment is a must whenever you lower your car. Yes, it may cost you more money than you could’ve spent on more mods, but making sure that your suspension is in alignment will save you from a lot of trouble.
Best Mods to Get for A Lowered Nissan Skyline R32 GTR
There are some mods you can add to your newly lowered car to make your life easier. Installing them in your Nissan Skyline R32 GTR will not only keep you out of more troublesome maintenance, but it can also keep you from experiencing tremendous annoyance, stress, and of course, waste of money.
Wheels and Tires
Now that you’ve got an awesome-looking car with a lowered ground clearance, it’s about time that you slap some aftermarket wheels and tire into it.
The key here is getting the correct fitment of tires and wheels because if you purchase these two without considering the right size that would fit into your newly lowered car, things will get messy. You’re risking damage to your fenders.
It will also serve as a costly and stressful lesson if you managed to mess it up.
Aftermarket wheels and tires will not only make your car look cooler, but it’ll also actually improve its performance.
Recommendations:
- Wheels: AVID1 AV6 18×9.5 +38
- Tires: Toyo Tires EXTENSA HP II
Strut Tower Brace
Whenever a car’s suspension is modified, you’re inevitably increasing the stiffness of your suspension. And whenever you do that, you transfer a lot of stresses from the road directly into the car’s chassis.
The chassis can get severely damaged because of this, so you’d need something to combat this issue. Strut tower braces can be an easy yet effective way to prevent your chassis from flexing under all of those stresses. It can keep your chassis safe by containing all of those stresses in your suspension.
Recommendation: Whiteline Front Strut Tower Brace
Skid Plates
Skid plates can also come in handy. Some vehicles weren’t intended to be as close to the ground as the modern modded cars today, and because of this, essential components like oil pan tend to sling low.
Skid plates can protect these components in the off-chance that you encounter debris on the road. It’s a genuinely cheap insurance you can get to protect your vehicle from getting damaged from unexpected road debris.
Now that you’ve finished this article, you now have a pretty good idea of what R32 GTR mods you should get to lower your car. You’ve also had a good grasp on the benefits and drawbacks of dropping your vehicle down low.
You’ve discovered what comes next after lowering your vehicle, as well as the additional mods to get for your newly lowered car. Armed with all of this knowledge, you can now modify your Nissan Skyline R32 GTR with more confidence.