coilover heights

[Wayne]

When setting up coilovers it is best to do several checks.
After running the new set up for a few days get your car onto a really flat and level surface. Then measure the height at the wheel arches, ground up to underside of arch. You can then see if there are any differences side to side and make adjustments as necessary.

It is better to take the wheels off and measure from the bottom spring plate down to a fixed point on the car.

This is the only way to be sure the car is level.

[Len]

Explain!

In my vast experience it is better to have the weight of the car on the ground, then if their are any slight diferences in the twist of the chassis or the weight of the car on a given wheel they will be dealt with.

[Wayne]

Explain!

In my vast experience it is better to have the weight of the car on the ground, then if their are any slight diferences in the twist of the chassis or the weight of the car on a given wheel they will be dealt with.

All coilovers should be set the same, if you set them your way they will not be.

If you run the coilovers at different settings the handling will suffer.

Loads of threads on many forums on the subject but it is the way I have always done them.

[fidget]

Hi all

heres how she's sitting at the moment



I set the heights the same for each side front to back by measuring for the front from the top of the spring plate to the top of the first lock nut 270mm, for the rears I measured from the underside of the top plate to the top of the first lock nut 320mm. This gave a drop of a bout 1 1/2 ".

I have lower ball joints to go on to so am running it for a week doing them then getting the tracking/camber reset. Its not to much of a issue as the tyres are at the end of their life anyway and getting new ones once everything is back in line.

Ride is better than I was expecting and I havent beached on any speed bumps so far. Although I may go back up 10mm .

James

[Turbotezz]

not bad but a bit arse heavy. Mine was like that when i first dropped it. Think i picked the back up 10mm and dropped the front 15mm and it was proper, until i put the deeper front splitter on, then i was scrapping all sorts!

[Ess_Three]

As usual...there is much miss-information and rumour being passed off as fact.

Coilovers were designed to allow the vehicle to be corner weighted, where each corner takes an equal - or as close to equal weight/load as possible.
They NEED to be at different heights on most cars to achieve this...and should be set up with the car on it's wheels, with all 4 wheels sat on corner weight scales, and the spring platforms adjusted to get equal distribution of weight with the driver on board.

Since most people lower their car so stupidly low, and run it on the bumpstops, all trace of handling has long since gone...so it matters little to most...as long as it looks 'good'.
So they set it by eye, on a flat surface, after the springs have settled.
...and it works just fine.