Adjusting Ride Heigh Properly Question...

[yusuke1923]

Hello all I tried seraching for this topic but Zilvia search engine cannot find it. Anywho, just would to learn/know how to adjust the ride height of your vehicle with coilovers properly...
What is the proper way of doing it? :aw: :aw: :aw:

[Gilboyto]

What kind of coilovers do you have? Some coilovers adjust differently than others.

[1Via!]

I'm not sure that there is a wrong way to do it, so long as youre not giving yourself a bunch of preload.

Either disconnect the damper from the spindle and break the locking collar and adjust it that way - if you have a large adjustment to make.
Or, break the collars loose and lock them in the middle of the threading and use the wrench to thread the threaded shock body into the lower mount.

To adjust height evenly I count threads on the coilovers. I know some of my friends measure height from different parts of the car, but I think counting threads is more exact.

[gotta240]

i usually measure from the bottom of the locking collar to a certain place on the coilover. similar to counting threads, but quicker.

[Gilboyto]

Heres a link to the coilovers I have and how to properly lower your vehicle. I know it might be different for yours, but it has the same theory. Its just showing (from what I remember), how gotta240 is measuring his.

http://www.jic-magic.com/Files/33-FLT-A2%20instruction%20(distro).pdf

[yusuke1923]

Heres a link to the coilovers I have and how to properly lower your vehicle. I know it might be different for yours, but it has the same theory. Its just showing (from what I remember), how gotta240 is measuring his.

http://www.jic-magic.com/Files/33-FLT-A2%20instruction%20(distro).pdf


Great! This works perfect... MEGAN RACE are the same way I assume... I thought to adjust the ride height you need to take off the lower bolts again... I see... this says that once you have your coilovers installed...you can use the top bracket lock to adjust ride height.... this is correct?

[Gilboyto]

Yeah, thats how mine are anyways. Mine have two collars on the top(below the spring). Depending on if you want to raise or lower your car you turn the top or bottom. It says in the pdf file which one to turn and which direction to raise/lower the vehicle.

I think it says one full turn (on either of the collars) equates to approx 1 mm of height adjustment.

[yusuke1923]

Hahaha the first time I installed the Megan Race in the car... I loosened the lower bracket lock and spun the bottom part of the coilover hahaha i didn't know you have to install it first and then you can unlock the bottom bracket and then loosen the top bracket were the spring is then turn that to change ride height hahahahha.... This is cool... so the top bracket changes right height as long at the 2nd bracket lock from the top is locked right? (I'm still learning.... thanks all!)

[Irukandji]

2 ways:

1. Adjusting preload
2. Adjusting the coilover bracket.


Just take a good look at your coilovers and you'll figure it out.

[aznpoopy]

Hahaha the first time I installed the Megan Race in the car... I loosened the lower bracket lock and spun the bottom part of the coilover hahaha i didn't know you have to install it first and then you can unlock the bottom bracket and then loosen the top bracket were the spring is then turn that to change ride height hahahahha.... This is cool... so the top bracket changes right height as long at the 2nd bracket lock from the top is locked right? (I'm still learning.... thanks all!)

it's news to me as well.

i think everyone knows you can change ride height by 1. perch or 2. lower bracket.

i didn't realize you could use the perch and locking collar to spin the coilover assembly and effectively change ride height by the lower bracket without unbolting it. i always grabbed the threaded body with my hand and just spun the whole thing. or i'd unbolt the lower bracket.

[yusuke1923]

it's news to me as well.

i think everyone knows you can change ride height by 1. perch or 2. lower bracket.

i didn't realize you could use the perch and locking collar to spin the coilover assembly and effectively change ride height by the lower bracket without unbolting it. i always grabbed the threaded body with my hand and just spun the whole thing. or i'd unbolt the lower bracket.


Hahahah thats what I did... now I know just to loosen the lower bracket and then spin the 1st bracket to change ride height...

[smelly240]

just take all but one of the collars off - and tighten the bottom perch to the remaining collar locking them together - only then will you be ultra low exhaust scraping master with bent rear toe rods :)

[Addicted2Kouki]

oh yeah when you adjust it, just dont slam it to a point where you get stuck on a speedbump. (ive seen it before LOL)

[yusuke1923]

oh yeah when you adjust it, just dont slam it to a point where you get stuck on a speedbump. (ive seen it before LOL)

I hahahha! My car almost got stuck going into a Ralf's parking lot! hahahah!:kiss:

[Gilboyto]

oh yeah when you adjust it, just dont slam it to a point where you get stuck on a speedbump. (ive seen it before LOL)


^^LOL. I have high centered on a speed bump like object before...

It was right after I lowered my car my friend and I were going to her grandmas to hang out for a few and in Washington her house was below the road, so there is a hump so the water does no drain into her house...

I go to u-turn, and my front right wheel goes over the tiny hump (like 3" high) and my car scrapes, and my back wheels come off the ground, AWESOME! lol, her family had to come and push my car back into the street so I could finish the u-turn haha

[yusuke1923]

^^LOL. I have high centered on a speed bump like object before...

It was right after I lowered my car my friend and I were going to her grandmas to hang out for a few and in Washington her house was below the road, so there is a hump so the water does no drain into her house...

I go to u-turn, and my front right wheel goes over the tiny hump (like 3" high) and my car scrapes, and my back wheels come off the ground, AWESOME! lol, her family had to come and push my car back into the street so I could finish the u-turn haha


Ahahha dude I feel you on that one! hahahah :2f2f: my advice... build up MOMENTUM... HAhahahah :2f2f:

[McRussellPants]

or get a diff.


what a cluster fuck of a thread.

[yokotas13]

I'm not sure that there is a wrong way to do it, so long as youre not giving yourself a bunch of preload.

Either disconnect the damper from the spindle and break the locking collar and adjust it that way - if you have a large adjustment to make.
Or, break the collars loose and lock them in the middle of the threading and use the wrench to thread the threaded shock body into the lower mount.

To adjust height evenly I count threads on the coilovers. I know some of my friends measure height from different parts of the car, but I think counting threads is more exact.
cant do that
if your car has been tweeked, or whatever, it wont be even

If im measuring for looks i go by a point on the frame from each side. If im measuring to care, i do it from the top of the shock to the ground.

[MOUNTAINGARAGE]

or get a diff.


what a cluster fuck of a thread.

I agree. :tweak:

No one mentions corner balancing the car on scales.....??? it is the only true way to properly adjust coil overs. I can't believe people read the JIC instructions and think that that is the complete way to set ride height...... :loco:

talk to a (scca) race shop.

[yusuke1923]

anyone know a video link were it shows how to adjust these bad boys? hahahhahahha just a though!

[aznpoopy]

I agree. :tweak:

No one mentions corner balancing the car on scales.....??? it is the only true way to properly adjust coil overs. I can't believe people read the JIC instructions and think that that is the complete way to set ride height...... :loco:

talk to a (scca) race shop.

a car can be properly corner weighed on coilovers at stock height, at race height, or set at super slammed zilvia height; assuming the coilover adjustment range allows it.

you still need to set the general 'lowness' of your car before you go to the corner weigh/align shop... i suppose you could have them do it for you, but that's not what the thread is about.

[nisans13turbo]

how do you tell when preloading your springs is at the right pressure? I just received my TEIN HE's and it came assemble and still debating if I should tighten the spring perch to go little lower, but not sure how tight it is when im tighten...i dont want to over tigten the spring to give it to much tension...?

[Gilboyto]

If yours are the same as mine are setup when you lower/raise the car it should not be putting tension on the spring at all. if it is, youre doing it wrong. Usually the springs with coilovers come preloaded from the factory to the correct settings.

[~4N~]

So is it okay to remove collars A and B, as long as the collar that the spring sits on is all the way down where collar A would be? I know some of you may not approve of this, but thanks for any info. :keke:

http://www.tuhalb.com/personal/images/megancollars.jpg
Those aren't mine by the way, it's just a picture I used.

[Gilboyto]

rofl, do it!

[~4N~]

rofl, do it!
Are you being serious? :bigok:

[yokotas13]

yeah
as long as you have your harnesses, and alot of banging done. go for it
Im about to do it to mine, but im having second thoughts because then my front bumper will literally be on teh ground

[KA-T_240]

Total noobish question here.

So after you have the coilovers and all you suspension installed and aligned. If you raise/lower the car(via the mounts, not adjusting the spring perch) how much well it affect the alignment?

Thanks for the help

[yokotas13]

it depends on how much
5 turns or so isnt too bad. I went down 2 inches in the rear, and found out i need some aftermarket toe arms, i adjusted mine all the way in, and i still hae to much toe in. without any more room to go on the arm.....it all depends on what height you get it done at

[vrooompssssht]

So is it okay to remove collars A and B, as long as the collar that the spring sits on is all the way down where collar A would be? I know some of you may not approve of this, but thanks for any info. :keke:


Those aren't mine by the way, it's just a picture I used.


You can buy shorter springs :ugh:

[nisans13turbo]

You can buy shorter springs :ugh:

how short? where can i buy them from?

[vrooompssssht]

how short? where can i buy them from?


shorter than the ones you have, if you really need to go lower and have maxed out the coilovers with all perches..

you can get them from eibach, use a tape measure
you have to order the rate you want in LBS! not kg bullshit

[yokotas13]

Swift springs
youi can get them from Extra-Made on here as well.

i need to pick up a set of 150mm long 8k springs for the front

[nisans13turbo]

thanks guys, so many nice people in zilvia. Keep it coming

[redsuns3838]

after you adjust your ride height and measure all these things, and have it exactly how you want, you might want to take your car in to a shop to have the coilovers corner balanced professionally. It usually runs around 100 bux, they will adjust it so that the weight is even on all sides, or atleast left and right, which is a good idea. although I took mine to a shop and they weighed the corners while doing alignment and all four corners were within 1.5% of each other. In that case I dont know how much corner balancing would change drivability. If your usuing it as a track car it might be nice to get it done though.

[nisans13turbo]

You can buy shorter springs :ugh:

can you give a direct link for the eibach? thanks

[coupelove626]

So is it okay to remove collars A and B, as long as the collar that the spring sits on is all the way down where collar A would be? I know some of you may not approve of this, but thanks for any info. :keke:

http://www.tuhalb.com/personal/images/megancollars.jpg
Those aren't mine by the way, it's just a picture I used.


HEY, thats my picture!

Anyways, if you want to adjust ur coilovers, ask michael. He is always adjusting his. LOL

[vrooompssssht]

can you give a direct link for the eibach? thanks


www.eibach.com

Call them or something, I haven't ordered springs personally, you will need to know
1) inner diameter (i.d.) (probably 2.5")
2) length (in whole inches)
3) spring rate in lb/in

[nisans13turbo]

www.eibach.com

Call them or something, I haven't ordered springs personally, you will need to know
1) inner diameter (i.d.) (probably 2.5")
2) length (in whole inches)
3) spring rate in lb/in

hm...thats alot of things to know, im new at this so dont know much about coilovers. Maybe someone with knowledge can give us a hand about the on going thread about lowering your car.

[yusuke1923]

Ohhh the megan tracks... very easy to adjust ride height, but still unknown y the lower you go with the megan tracks the stiffer it gets, and the higher you go the softer it gets... maybe the spring?

[yudalicious]

how do you tell when preloading your springs is at the right pressure? I just received my TEIN HE's and it came assemble and still debating if I should tighten the spring perch to go little lower, but not sure how tight it is when im tighten...i dont want to over tigten the spring to give it to much tension...?

preloading/tightening the spring/raising the perch will make your car higher. For the HEs you can adjust hegiht via the lower bracket/cup. Just set preload at 0, which is the free length of the spring, then tighten it up 1-2 turns of the perch so the spring is not flopping around. I don't know how you got from adjusting preload to buying shorter springs.