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View Full Version : So confused on the coilover... am such a dumbass


Bosrudorfer
06-06-2006, 04:09 PM
Alright I am freaking confused (this is being mucher harder than it should be). Have KTS coilovers and read everywhere that people run near to none (maybe alittle) "preload" on the front and rear and recieve most of the drop through moving the lower bracket up to shorten the assemble.

Ok so I have alittle preload on my rear and in the front have a good amount. I went to a shop and was told the front is hitting the bump stop and needs more travel so I should raise the preload even more. The rear was ok. This confused me even more. The front does feel super stiff (when I rock the car in the front it barely moves but in the rear it moves up and down). Damper wise I run the front 4 and rear 7.

Also is it normal to hear the rear "swoosh" when compressing?

P.S. I'm going to put zipties around the shock when I get home to see if I am in fact bottoming out.

Thanks!

Nizzan4u2nv
06-06-2006, 05:43 PM
Hitting the bumpstops? Are you sure the shop is adjusting it by the lower mount and not drooping spring? Never heard of those bottoming out even with preload.

McRussellPants
06-06-2006, 06:23 PM
A) Don't go to that shop agian.

B) Set ~10mm of spring preload, Set your ride height with the lower bracket. Don't touch it agian until you know what your doing

C) Don't bother with the Zipties, your not hitting the bumpstops unless you fucked up bad and got them on to a crown vic somehow.

az_240
06-06-2006, 06:54 PM
^haha
yeah you should not be hitting the bump stops unless your letting your springs sag.
get the preload to 0 or just a lil preload and adjust the height with the lower bracket.... up makes the car lower down makes the car higher

jookybanana
06-06-2006, 07:27 PM
Alright I am freaking confused (this is being mucher harder than it should be). Have KTS coilovers and read everywhere that people run near to none (maybe alittle) "preload" on the front and rear and recieve most of the drop through moving the lower bracket up to shorten the assemble.

Ok so I have alittle preload on my rear and in the front have a good amount. I went to a shop and was told the front is hitting the bump stop and needs more travel so I should raise the preload even more. The rear was ok. This confused me even more. The front does feel super stiff (when I rock the car in the front it barely moves but in the rear it moves up and down). Damper wise I run the front 4 and rear 7.

Also is it normal to hear the rear "swoosh" when compressing?

P.S. I'm going to put zipties around the shock when I get home to see if I am in fact bottoming out.

Thanks!

if by swooshing sound you mean the shocks mvoing, its ok to hear noises, they are suppose to be some noises when your going over bumps on the road

maybe you just not used to how stiff coil overs are, adding pre-load you should not bottom out your shock

this may help un-confuse yourself:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v63/blowass/clouds/preload.jpg

so if you think your bottoming out, then maybe that shop lowered your car by running no preload, meaning your lowered by dropping the springs instead of the lower brakets

naed240sx
06-06-2006, 10:32 PM
A couple things to get clear in this thread:

Preload is not used to LOWER your car. It raises your car, and lengthens compression travel.

Just make sure that you aren't running a non captive(sagging) spring. The spring should be held in place and not allowed to move vertically when the wheels are off the ground. Use the lower mounts to adjust height. Preload if you want, but most people don't.

Dousan_PG
06-06-2006, 10:44 PM
no way
slight drooped springs. i love it
in the rear, not front
10mm droop in rear.

Flybert
06-06-2006, 10:52 PM
Running 1/2 inch droop in the rear. No problems whatsoever. For front, running zero preload.

naed240sx
06-06-2006, 11:00 PM
Running 1/2 inch droop in the rear. No problems whatsoever. For front, running zero preload.

Droop is still gonna kill dampers quicker, no matter what. Can't really argue that.

chmercer
06-06-2006, 11:02 PM
yea, no worries about having a loose spring when the car is on jacks unless you bomb down dirt roads and get airborn and such

chmercer
06-06-2006, 11:03 PM
Droop is still gonna kill dampers quicker, no matter what. Can't really argue that.

? its only sacrificing like 1-2cm of shock travel, no biggie. not like you are fully compressing the shock every time you hit a bump

Dousan_PG
06-06-2006, 11:03 PM
i espeically like the


BOING CLING

type sound when droop springs seat
its the best.
scares the hell out of people.


about killing shocks
what chmercer said

world wont end.

McRussellPants
06-06-2006, 11:38 PM
i espeically like the


BOING CLING

type sound when droop springs seat
its the best.
scares the hell out of people.


about killing shocks
what chmercer said

world wont end.

Haha, when you drop an S hatch fast enough with droop springs and the chassis will resonate... its funny, BOING CLING VrrRRRrrrRRRRrrrrRRRrrrrr


10mm of droop won't kill shocks quicker, I'd rather have the option to do as I please with preload/rideheight but whatever. it doesn't matter right now, and I think Stance is the same BS as KTS just a newer design... so I'll prolly get stance shocks when the time comes.

jookybanana
06-07-2006, 07:28 AM
when i ran droop springs i find that the car 3 wheels less, anyone notice that?
but for me i didn't like that "boing cling" sound al the time, that might be why some coilovers come with helper springs in the rear

Bosrudorfer
06-07-2006, 09:17 AM
C) Don't bother with the Zipties, your not hitting the bumpstops unless you fucked up bad and got them on to a crown vic somehow.

Actually the rears did bottom out on zero preload and 1 damper. The zip tie went to the very top, once I increased the preload alittle bit that problem was fixed. As for the front it had tons of travel left, even more than the rears.

Anyhow thanks for all the help guys, I can finally put this shit behind me :)

707coupe
04-23-2007, 04:55 PM
old thread, but interesting discussion.

i want to run 10mm preload in rear, (same like aaron)

should i get gr+pros or just gr+?

what do you guys recomend?

just talked to autornd $1250 shipped, i really want to get gr+pros...

i fugured with preload set, the helper spring will be compressed at all times, right?

to me it looks like stance is using way better front shock. i rode on hypermax, jic a2 (liked it very much, but pricey), also HE's, KTS, Megans, but seems very bouncy. i really want JIC FLT A2, but i like that i can get replacement shocks from stance. i read somewhere that stance is just little bit bouncier than jica2, but way better than HE's, KTS, is that true?

koukimonster139
04-23-2007, 04:59 PM
lay off the crack

ThatGuy
04-23-2007, 05:00 PM
He's not running 10mm of pre-load, he's running 10mm of droop.

Droop=:rawk:

If you're on KTS and you don't have droop, you aren't low enough.

I need to lower my car some more. I can still hit the speedbumps at work at 25mph and NOTHING rubs or scrapes. They are small bumps, but still... Needs lower! :D

707coupe
04-23-2007, 05:12 PM
that explains it. so 10mm droop means that with shock fully extended there is 10mm space between spring and perch, right?

so i should go with gr+pros if i dont want boind-cling everytime my rear wheel gets airborne

what you thing of stance comparing to others, i'm I atleast on right track with my observations?

i'm newb, english is my second language, just trying to setup my car.

ZenkitonS14
04-23-2007, 05:57 PM
:fawkd: about an inch of droop in the rear for me!:tweak: