Adjusting Ride Height.

[grepin]

Potential silly question.

For coil overs if you compress the spring does the ride height drop?

Thinking that if you compress the spring it actually makes the bottom of the shock longer. This is where I am confused. Feel like a dumbass. Just hoped someone could help before I discover the hard way.

[grepin]

Potential silly question.

For coil overs if you compress the spring does the ride height drop?

Thinking that if you compress the spring it actually makes the bottom of the shock longer. This is where I am confused. Feel like a dumbass. Just hoped someone could help before I discover the hard way.

Worked it out.

[blind_elk]

What's the answer?

[grepin]

What's the answer?

Pretty sure that if I close it up (compress the spring) it rides higher, however puts more preload on the spring.

[Primordial]

Hmmm.. yeah that kinda sounds right.. are they height adjustable also??

[grepin]

Hmmm.. yeah that kinda sounds right.. are they height adjustable also??

Unlike the group buy I have Bilsteins with coil over slides which give me the height ajustability.

[MerlinTheHapyPig]

coil over slides?

so do you mean you have an adjustable coller at the base of the spring?

in which case, when you adjust it, you are not compressing the spring any more or less. All you are doing is moving where the base of the spring sits, it doesn't compress the spring, it just moves it up or down.

[grepin]

coil over slides?

so do you mean you have an adjustable coller at the base of the spring?

in which case, when you adjust it, you are not compressing the spring any more or less. All you are doing is moving where the base of the spring sits, it doesn't compress the spring, it just moves it up or down.

I have included a picture.

Basically if I wind it up it compresses the spring and lengthens the shock so should make it ride higher.

I dont have any wheels at the moment so cant drop it down and see what is actually happening.

[Kennedy]

I have included a picture.

Basically if I wind it up it compresses the spring and lengthens the shock so should make it ride higher.

I dont have any wheels at the moment so cant drop it down and see what is actually happening.

The shock should already be at it's max length with no load (no tyre). Once the shock is fully extended then you should have a gap between the spring and the top of the shock. I don't think there should be any preload when there is no load on the shock.

Sydney Kid...is that right?

[Sydneykid]

The shock should already be at it's max length with no load (no tyre). Once the shock is fully extended then you should have a gap between the spring and the top of the shock. I don't think there should be any preload when there is no load on the shock.

Sydney Kid...is that right?

I am not sure that I understand the question.

All springs should be trapped at full droop, it's a legal requirement for a road car. We even keep the springs trapped on the race cars,. They do bounce off the ripple strips and get a bit of air, so you don't want the springs falling out of the seats. We use tender/helper springs if necessary to achieve this.

The car is help up by the springs, in the case of coil springs the distance between the chassis and the lower spring seat determines the height. Raise the lower spring seat up and you raise the chassis. This increases the preload on the spring, but it doesn't change it's rate ie; if its a 200 lbs per inch spring, it takes 200 lbs to compress it 1 inch. It takes another 200 lbs to compress it another inch.

Heavy cars with low spring rates (Merc's) have LOTS and LOTS of preload. But the spring rate is still soft.

Hope that answered the question.

cheers

[grepin]

I am not sure that I understand the question.

All springs should be trapped at full droop, it's a legal requirement for a road car. We even keep the springs trapped on the race cars,. They do bounce off the ripple strips and get a bit of air, so you don't want the springs falling out of the seats. We use tender/helper springs if necessary to achieve this.

The car is help up by the springs, in the case of coil springs the distance between the chassis and the lower spring seat determines the height. Raise the lower spring seat up and you raise the chassis. This increases the preload on the spring, but it doesn't change it's rate ie; if its a 200 lbs per inch spring, it takes 200 lbs to compress it 1 inch. It takes another 200 lbs to compress it another inch.

Heavy cars with low spring rates (Merc's) have LOTS and LOTS of preload. But the spring rate is still soft.

Hope that answered the question.

cheers

Yes it has for me. Pretty much what I had assumed.

Gary I have those Eibachs in and the rear springs in the front. No wheels yet to test it.

Both springs now compress around 10mm at full drop so as above should be good. Interestingly the front springs I had (now removed) did unseat at full drop. Not too good I guess.

[jonbatz01]

sorry have sort of a dump question...

i have teins...and i tried to install it...

the front shocks doesnt seem to extend when i screwed it up or down..

only the helper springs extends and contracts...the main springs doesnt move at all...

because at its heightest the car is still really really low..

am i doing something wrong?

Edited March 26, 2006 by jonbatz01