all depends on the ride quality you want as well. i have 171,000km on my shocks and i just ordered tokico illumina's because it can feel more bumps and sounds of bumps then i think i should. ride is not what i expect it to be since it dosen't absorb bumps well. i could leave my shocks on for another 100,000km, but the ride would be dramatically improved by replacing now, so i'm going ahead and doing

as for lowering on stock shocks, only spring i could find that would lower some that stock shocks could take are Tein H-Techs or Eibach Pro-Kit. also neuspeed sofsports are only like .75" i think.