Coilovers for Focus EV

Hello Fellow Ford EV owners.

I've just taken ownership of Platinum white Focus EV in Western Canada.

I would like to lower it with coilovers . Does anybody know if this can be done ? I have contacted KW, H&R but they said none of the stuff for the gas models will work for the electric car.

Any suggestions ?

Louie

louie said:

Hello Fellow Ford EV owners.

I've just taken ownership of Platinum white Focus EV in Western Canada.

I would like to lower it with coilovers . Does anybody know if this can be done ? I have contacted KW, H&R but they said none of the stuff for the gas models will work for the electric car.

Any suggestions ?

Louie

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Well, if you are looking for model specific modifications, I think you'll be out of luck, since the addressable market is tiny on this car right now. MyFordMobile shows that there are only 3K FFEVs running the streets nation-wide. While I would surely expect the spring rates to be different I don't know that the physical moutning of the struts would be any different. Best to call ford and see if they are different part numbers. If they are the same, and are mounted the same, then a set of coilovers should allow you to adjust ride height as well as customize rebound/compression to compensate for front/rear loading and dialing in both comfort/best performance.

Would be a "cute" autocross car and probably provide a bit more performance in spirited driving, but for this platform it's kinda like "why?". If there's range anxiety on the street I can only imagine it at the track, lol. Looks good enough stock too, especially with the Euro-style turbo look wheels. The FWD isn't my favorite however and it handles just ok. Additionally, there are no other mods to complement a set of coilovers and you'd just be adjusting ride height for all intents and purposes. You might be able to get someone like Detroit Eaton to custom-make you some lowering springs, again assuming the springs are basically the same dimensionally and you'd just be changing the spring rates.

I'm leaving track duty to my Shelby. The thought of zipping around like Ken Block, Focus Rallye style and not sipping an ounce of gas is appealing though :lol:

I would really like to lower mine for appearance... but I also wonder if it would improve drag coefficient at freeway speeds. Seems like it would. That would make it worth it to try and figure it out.

The car is good looking and the rims are already nice. improving the "stance" would be the cherry on top.

gmaki said:

I would really like to lower mine for appearance... but I also wonder if it would improve drag coefficient at freeway speeds. Seems like it would. That would make it worth it to try and figure it out.

The car is good looking and the rims are already nice. improving the "stance" would be the cherry on top.

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Im interested in sway bar, springs, and tire upgrade as well...just because its an ev doesn't mean it can't be sporty and fun...

louie said:

I would like to lower it with coilovers . Does anybody know if this can be done ? I have contacted KW, H&R but they said none of the stuff for the gas models will work for the electric car.

Click to expand...

The lack of available suspension modifications for the FFE is for several reasons. First, as has been mentioned, the total FFE production is less than 2500. Not many aftermarket firms will bother with such a low number of potential customers. Second, not only is the production low, but the number of owners interested in modifying an EV would be less than practically any other compact car. Third, the weight and weight distribution of the FFE are unique to the model and any customization of the suspension wouldn't be applicable to any other car. Weight distribution is nearly 50/50 and the curb weight of the FFE exceeds many mid-size cars.

I was surprised to see that someone took the time to create a unique frame trailer hitch for the FFE. But the design of that was pretty easy compared to cloning and then modifying the FFE suspension.

I'd figure the ST springs / swaybars should be a straight swap. I'm not sure how much off the platform is a carry over but putting SVT parts on non-SVT cars was straight forward, shouldn't change much. Hotchkis, Tein, and others make springs for the car.

Be aware there is a camber issue with the rear tires already. Try to find an adjustable camber kit while you're at it. As the rear with scissor up and knock the camber out more.

az erik said:

I'd figure the ST springs / swaybars should be a straight swap. I'm not sure how much off the platform is a carry over but putting SVT parts on non-SVT cars was straight forward, shouldn't change much. Hotchkis, Tein, and others make springs for the car.

Be aware there is a camber issue with the rear tires already. Try to find an adjustable camber kit while you're at it. As the rear with scissor up and knock the camber out more.

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The sways, at least the rear, mount completely differently in the ST.