Tein Coilover Help please

[BlackZenkiS14]

Ok, so i am doing my suspension install tonite, and i dont have any idea on how to setup the coilovers. IE: The perches for spring rate and ride height?
How far should i be from the base of the shock, etc? i have no idea. any help would be great, if you've done this before please enlighten me.

[projectRDM]

How far depends on low you want the car. I'd drop it with the lower mounts and keep the preload on the springs as much as I can. If you've never messed with coilovers it'll take a few tries to get it where you like it.

[BlackZenkiS14]

Yea, this is my first coilover setup. So if i want to drop it say, 1.5-2" how would i measure that before installing into the car? or do i just have to install it and trial and error?

[projectRDM]

Trial and error mainly, but the coilover won't give near as much as the shock/spring, so take a measure of the car loaded, then subtract the added drop, that's close to where you want it. With my car jacked up in the air the suspension (Tein HE) unloads maybe a quarter inch, not several inches like OE.

[NSDCA]

blackzenki youre installing tein FLEX right? i have the same on my car. seriously, i didnt even mess with the ride height or anything and the car looks good. i already have a hard time with scrapping my front lip, so if i were you i would just leave it.

anyways the clearence is about 2 fingers (1 inch) in the front and 1 finger in the rear (half inch) estimating.

anyone know if the front fenders are cut higher than the rear?

[A Spec Products]

Ok, so i am doing my suspension install tonite, and i dont have any idea on how to setup the coilovers. IE: The perches for spring rate and ride height?
How far should i be from the base of the shock, etc? i have no idea. any help would be great, if you've done this before please enlighten me.

take a look at the manual that came with the suspension. i would set it up according to those specs, ride with it for a week, then adjust.

if you dont have the manual, here is the file in PDF:

http://www.tein.com/ti/inst/6n66u.pdf

the reference measurements are on pg. 5 and give (according to them) a 90mm ground clearance, aka 4x4 status.

its coilovers, so play around with it. the top adjusts spring load and the bottom is ride height...and if you can fit fingers in the wheel gap, then you're not low enough! :)

hope that helps.

[BlackZenkiS14]

Right on man, thanks. I just finished everything up, and it looks and rides great. When i get my exhaust in on Wed. i am going to do some fine tuning on it.

This maybe a newbie question, but can someone tell me what adjusting the preload does. Obviously it increases spring rate, but what does that do for the ride and what performance increase etc?

[sw20>>s14]

Right on man, thanks. I just finished everything up, and it looks and rides great. When i get my exhaust in on Wed. i am going to do some fine tuning on it.

This maybe a newbie question, but can someone tell me what adjusting the preload does. Obviously it increases spring rate, but what does that do for the ride and what performance increase etc?

preloading too much hinders suspension travel. so if you drop it too much, youll decrease suspension travel...not good for drift; not too bad for grip...

[BlackZenkiS14]

preloading too much hinders suspension travel. so if you drop it too much, youll decrease suspension travel...not good for drift; not too bad for grip...
Ok good, in the front i have zero preload, and in the rear i have very very little preload.

[NismoTak]

Ok good, in the front i have zero preload, and in the rear i have very very little preload.
Haha Kyle you missed our game for that. Shoulda called me.