Help on adjusting coilovers

[Kaolinite]

maybe there is a small lock on it? not sure if yours does but take a look

[SpeedStars]

Nope, no lock. After I removed the rims, figured out how to move the top ring. Its a pain in the ass since it moves; but by millimeters . Not going to try it again until I get an extension and warmer weather.

[Psykopathik]

coat the threads in anti-seize before you tighten everything up

[kouki_monster]

You suspension experts correct me if I'm wrong, but won't adjusting that spring that the OP is trying to break loose in the video mess with his preload?

[SpeedStars]

∆i think that's for those with 3 rings. The ones I got only have 2 rings and I can't adjust my preload

[SpuGen]

Originally Posted by kouki_monster

You suspension experts correct me if I'm wrong, but won't adjusting that spring that the OP is trying to break loose in the video mess with his preload?

Nope.
He's just drooping his suspension by lowering his car with that particular coilover setup.

To preload his springs, he would need a fully threaded body with a seperated mount. Like this.


With that setup, the springs will always be preloaded at 0+. Meaning upon installation; assuming that the spring spins freely, his preload and droop is at 0. Height adjustment is achieved by threading the shock body down, and is locked in place by the bottom collar.

AFTER desired height is achieved, spring preload can be increased from 0 by compressing the spring via the spring perch and lock collar. At that point, Droop will be at 0.

To increase droop, do the opposite. Lower the spring perch. Preload will be at 0.

If you're going for hellafail illest fitment, and you've fully extend the body BUT you're still not low enough AND The bottom of the shock body is hitting the inside of your wheel.... add droop.
Add preload if your springs aren't stiff enough, and you're too cheap to shell out $400 for a set of SWIFT springs with desired spring rate.

What is droop?

Spoiler!

Jack up a stock suspension car. Suspension unloads and wheels drop towards the floor.
Do I need it? Yes/no.

0 Droop, you'll do this. Watch the rear right wheel. Now imagine all of your wheels suspended at half travel, going over a dip/crest at a high rate of speed.

MKV Flexin' - YouTube

Droop.



0(+/-) Droop.




So do you need droop? Yes, depending on setup or if you need the articulation. But otherwise, no. However, a but of droop wouldn't hurt.

What does preload do?/Spring rate/Length

Spoiler!

Gives you a multitude of adjustment, to an extent.
+Preload can adjust your compression/rebound past predetermined settings. This will also add suspension travel on a softer spring, by adding rebound, and lowering compression.
The same can be done by increasing the spring length, rate, or type.

Too soft, and the spring might bind.
Too stiff, and you have 0 Shock travel.
If the desired spring rate is set, but the spring still bind. Change to a different spring design.

This is shit.


This is awesome.


You can have the same rates, but with increased travel before bind.

Further tuning is done by adjusting the dampening, or changing the spring rates when your needs have exceeded the setup.

Tender springs?

Spoiler!

Are cool. With them, you can have a preset amount of droop, and add preload.
With full weight on the suspension, it does nothing. It compresses into a block and does nothing for spring rate.
When the weight unloads, the tender spring extends when the suspension droops, and keeps the spring in place.

It basically acts as an active spacer between your spring and spring perch. It automatically adds a preset amount of droop depending on it's length, and you can still adjust preload. AND you can still be hellafail illeststancecaptain. While maintaining droop. Doesn't matter if you're into grip or not. When you drop a wheel, a bit of droop means the difference between traction/no traction.

Don't have it. Do I need it?
Yes, if you can. There's a reason why the better suspension companies include them.

How do I set it up?
Full weight on the car, the tender spring should be fully compressed, and the Main spring should spin freely.
This would be the ideal setup. 0 preload +droop. Just like factory.

Yummy.



But.but. Most Japanese coilovers don't have them!
Japan is weird.

TL;DR Long Hair No Care. Long post/Didn't want to read my drunken babble after wings night.

Did he screw up his preload with his specific setup?
No.

[GabAlmighty]

Originally Posted by hud 91gt

This thread makes my head hurt.

You and me both, I lowered my car after coming home from the bar at 2am and 8473 drinks later

[westopher]

Lol I've done that. Get home at 2, wife is asleep, I'm bored as fuck.
"I feel like my car should be lower!" 45 minutes later I'm 2 fingers lower all around. As for the heating up your rings comment. Please don't. Shocks are pressurized. Pressurized things can blow up when you don't know what you are doing. Judging from this thread, you need to not play with fire and pressurized things. Take your wheels off, PB blast the threads, then spin them down. Anything more is overcomplicating things.

[westopher]

Also, the pressure of the springs against the upper collar make it really hard to spin, even if the threads are loose and the locking collar is way down the threads. A spring compressor even to only compress them half an inch make life so much easier.

[Limitless]

You want to lower the car right... aren't you turning the top ring in the wrong direction? :S I may be wrong, but looking at your video when you were turning the bottom collar the other direction you were trying to turn the top one at, it moved down. So technically aren't you trying to raise the car by turning it that direction by compressing the spring even further?

It's a hell of a lot easier to adjust the coilovers when they're new lol, and with the wheel off your car. I still had to use a considerable amount of force to adjust my brand new Tein basics after they've been on for a few days, with the wheels off.

Make sure you lock the rings together before you lower the car and start driving