Need help with coilovers.

[Andy C]

Okay, my mr streets are on the way, and should be here by next weekend. I want to install them myself, but I have no experience with adjusting coilovers, ride height, preloading and all that. If anyone wants to come down to my work some afternoon next weekend or week and help me out that would be awesome. I work on highway 92 by target on 575. I can park the car in the warehouse, so we dont have to work outside. My work has tons of tools, so that shouldn't be a problem, except a spring compressor. Let me know what I gotta do to get one or a few of yall with experience with coilovers down here to help me out. I'm not askin for someone to do it for me, but I want someone there to give me some tips and pointers so I dont fuck it up.
Let me know if you want to help me out!

[hellfire]

Its really pretty easy.

You don't need a spring compressor.

Weren't you the one that asked me to install them a while ago?

Tyler

[Andy C]

Yeah, but I want to learn to do it myself. + you live over an hour away and I dont want to spend much more money since I still have to get an alignment. I thought I needed a spring compressor for preload. I could bold them right up, but I mostly need help with adjusting the ride height and preload.
I still want you to do my sr swap in a couple months.

[hellfire]

Sounds good man. +1 for learning yourself. :)

You just turn the perches to have preload.

And ride height is easy, if they have individual ride height adjustment.

Tyler

[Andy C]

I dont know what that means lol. I guess thats why I need help.

[hellfire]

Its almost self explanatory once you see them.

Tyler

[Wes]

All this talk of adjustable ride height makes me want a car with hydraulics. Sure ,it will handle like ass most likely, and not be fast at all, just seems like it would be a ton of fun. Especially to have the plates under it, so I could drop it and spark up an entire road/ lean it to the side in curves, haha, not to mention, if it was on a 240, it would be pretty funny when Hondaboy pulls next to me at a light and revs(cause that tends to happen to me atleast once a night when I'm driving one), and then I just start a bounce-off with him, ha.

Thats my project when I win the lottery, or if my new business takes off. So hopefully I can have one like that up and running within a year or 2, or whenever Fantasy 5/Mega Millions decides to bless me with a jackpot/a couple hundred thousand.

Hmm, I think I've been watching too many west coast rap videos, and still should sleep.

[flip]

Adjustment is easy. Usually you can just count threads in between the pirches then measure height from the ground on all corners to the top of the fender...

Installation is 5 bolts each. We should have an install day soon...

[Andy C]

Lol I dont want to wait for an install day to put em on.
I'm pretty sure I could figure it out. Like I said bolting em up is not the problem, I can do that all day long.
Dont you think adjusting them would be easier with someone with experience?

[carlova78]

im watching u put it on.

[hellfire]

Lol I dont want to wait for an install day to put em on.
I'm pretty sure I could figure it out. Like I said bolting em up is not the problem, I can do that all day long.
Dont you think adjusting them would be easier with someone with experience?

Not really. You might not get it perfect the first time, but you really can't mess anything up. If your car sits uneven or feels funny, just jack it back up and adjust. :)

Tyler

[flip]

Lol I dont want to wait for an install day to put em on.
I'm pretty sure I could figure it out. Like I said bolting em up is not the problem, I can do that all day long.
Dont you think adjusting them would be easier with someone with experience?

I meant a mini install day just soon and spurt of the moment. I should have an LSD to put on in a week or so...

Experience helps a little...


Not really. You might not get it perfect the first time, but you really can't mess anything up. If your car sits uneven or feels funny, just jack it back up and adjust. :)

Tyler


^ pretty much...

[Andy C]

I see how it is, no one wants to help me out. :( jk
If I have to, I'll just figure it out.

im watching u put it on.
Thats cool with me.

[flip]

I'm down to help ya. Where ya located? if its far just drive out my way and we'll adjust them.

[Andy C]

I was thinkin of doin it at my work 'cause I can do it inside the warehouse on flat ground with all the tools I need. Do you know where target is on Hwy 92 just like a mile west of 575? My work is right next to that target.

[Casey]

mk i have these same coilovers

basically what you want to do is adjust ride height while the coilovers are off the car.

from my experience:

1- lay front coilovers next to eachother and adjust ride height exactly equal...
this is done by loosening the LOWER lock nut and spinning the lower half of the coilover

2- preload... just count the teeth... basically if the spring is loose pull the strut upwards or use the lock nut and watch to make sure the strut is all the way up then loosen the nut so the spring isnt compressed at all... you will preload the springs while they are on the car this is the easiest from what ive tried. it is hard to preload springs...

3- rear this is a picture of what the rear of my car looks like... i have the megan racing coilovers lowered as far as they can go down and its perfect exactly what i want. so to give you an idea of how much it will lower the car if you lower it all the way down.

4- scrubbing ... you will scrub... and you will scrape...
you need to cut out your inner plastic fender inserts... if you like the look of having them just cut the top portion out. because you will scrub on them and it will start eating away at them this is bad. i have a TON of front suspention preload and i still scrub sometimes... so this is when fender rolling and wire relocation comes in. these are a must when you slam your car.

5-strut adjustment - i run 20. dont run 20 because i run 20. im stupid. dont listen to me or my oppinions. figure it out yourself. set your struts to the softest setting and go for a nice spin. then set your struts to the highest setting... go for another spin. find out what you like. this is your daily driver. so just set the settings to a good intermediate between performance and softness... stiffest isnt always the best and is almost never the best.

6- tire pressure ... fix it... i use 35 front 40 rear... 32 front 40 rear is what my friends have reccomended me to do (kyle, flip) going much higher than 40 in the rear isnt reccomended... but i did notice when i went from about 28 front 30 rear to 35 front 40 rear it improved my ride alot.

anyways here is some pics of my car... im trying to find pics of my struts and how i have them adjusted.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v178/viperbite/IMG_7480.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v178/viperbite/IMG_7466.jpg

coilovers

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v178/viperbite/IMG_6998.jpg

mk thats the drop i have on my coils... i think this is before the preload... but i did have some on it.

look at the rubber stuff on the top and count the teeth if you want my exact setup... its all about the amount of teeth
or you can measure it lol
the front s13 and s14 are the same btw

you need any help just lemme know dude

dont tighten the lock nuts down really hard lol *learned that lesson*

[shawn shawn]

I have had to adjust my height about 6 times already and its still not perfect haha. Its almost perfect right now though. Im trying to get a happy median between looks and handling. Its really trial and error my man. Make sure you read the instructions on adjusting ride height so you dont adjust the preload thinking thats the height adjustment haha.




make sure you use a BFH to tighten all the collars when your done!!!! I did it by hand and the preload loosend itself!


*and if you slam it be ready to hammer all that shit at the top of the fender well that is waiting to rip your tires apart! and you will eat into your wiring harness so try and tuck that high into the fender. Thats only if you go really low though.

[shawn shawn]

3- rear this is a picture of what the rear of my car looks like... i have the megan racing coilovers lowered as far as they can go down and its perfect exactly what i want. so to give you an idea of how much it will lower the car if you lower it all the way down.


You can go lower but it involves a hack saw. ;)

[Andy C]

Ok so preload is just how much you tighten the springs up right? How far are you supposed to tighten them, or is it user prefrance? How does tightening them down more affect handeling, or does that just allow you to lower your car more? Are you just supposed to tighten them enough so the spring isn't able to move? or what?

[shawn shawn]

Just enough where the spring doesnt move around.

[hellfire]

The more you preload the springs, the less it will allow you to lower it.

Tyler