Just a rough guide required for setting up coilovers

[kurbn]

Got some new coilovers, roughly how do you set them up,

Do I unwind the lower section to match the height of the factory suspension when its out of the car side by side and then just wind the spring up to lower?

Havnt set coilovers up from scratch before...

[Bomber]

You can do it like that if you want, get it pretty close and give it 1000kms or so until you set your final level because the springs and everything will need some time to settle and wear in properly. Then when you do set the height measure from the same point, centre of wheel to gaurd height, straight up and down on each corner of the car. As long as both the front heights are the same, and both the rear heights are the same it will be win.

[kurbn]

people dont wind the lower section up to lower their cars tho do they? is it just used for matching the height of the strut/shock to the factory unit so you dont get dropout under full travel over jumps n shit ? lOL

[mitchy]

people dont wind the lower section up to lower their cars tho do they? is it just used for matching the height of the strut/shock to the factory unit so you dont get dropout under full travel over jumps n shit ? lOL

you should be winding the bottom part of the shock up/down to adjust the height, that way the body of the shock is changing in length, yet you still retain shock travel and aren't sitting on the bump stops.

[kurbn]

so you suggest wind it up to factory height overall, wind up the spring say 5-8mm, then windup the base 8mm as well, get jack under control arm and bring it back up to the heigh of the coilover lower eye?

i remember my old teins were like that, had to lift the control arm up to get the coil over on as it was shorter in overall height

thanks heaps for this guys, big help!

[mitchy]

dunno about factory height.. maybe 100mm lower than factory :lol:

but yes, you will need to lift the control arms to get them to meet the bottom of the strut as it will sag with nothing to hold it up.

[mc68]

you should be winding the bottom part of the shock up/down to adjust the height, that way the body of the shock is changing in length, yet you still retain shock travel and aren't sitting on the bump stops.

what about proper, less shit coil-overs that dont have the bulkhead threaded on, instead they are solidly mounted/welded /machined, and only the spring platform is adjustable...?

[mitchy]

what about proper, less shit coil-overs that dont have the bulkhead threaded on, instead they are solidly mounted/welded /machined, and only the spring platform is adjustable...?

the coilovers in the rear of my 31 are like that, they have a circlip under the spring seat.. so the lower you go, the less travel there is in the shock.