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Setting ride height on coilovers


liner33
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Fitted my Bilstein coilovers at the weekend and just sanity checking things 

 

First thing I did was measured the ride height of the car on its current set up which was Eibach springs and stock dampers, I noted the ride height was same front to back but different side to side, variance of about 4-5mm, bearing in mind there is no adjustability in the set up since its mostly oem parts

So onto fitting the new stuff , I measured the amount of thread showing on the front struts and the gap between the flange and the locking ring on the rear, accurately with a vernier gauge,  and made sure the measurement was the same side to side and within a few mm of the ride height before so that the geo and headlamp aim should be about right 

But the ride height is still different side to side the offside sits lower than the nearside so must be body related rather than suspension related or perhaps its simply weight , the drivers side weighing more than the passenger ?  

I assume that on this suspension if I was to get the ride height equal side to side I would have to increase the preload on one side rather the other ? 

Is this simply one of the shortcomings of this type of suspension where you cant alter the ride height without altering preload, although reading up on this type of suspension they tell you to adjust everything equally not have a variance  

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Sorry to say this is where  meany are misled. Any adjustment that needs to use the coil platform will domestically corrupt the preload.

In the real world the body of the coil over should control the sprung height and then the coil pre-load can be set as a tuning addition.

There are two general positions..... Adjust the body of the coilovers regarding height or use the coil platform as a setting method but the overall positions  will not control the coils reaction rate making the suspensions unbalanced.

Reads a bit tits up but within reason you still have control albeit a more intense balance between pre-load, height and results. 

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So I've done it correctly , since the adjustment is the same side to side then the preload will also be much the same (Discounting potential differences in weight of the car) 

If I was to set the ride height of the car the same I would alter the preload from one side or the other 

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Good question.

Point to note the car is in two platforms. We have the sprung chassis "upper" and the unsprung chassis" under the coils,  add the driver the geometry on that side stays reasonably the same. However, the upper chassis moves diagonally so it's not the driver we need to contemplate it's the displacement. 

 

 

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  • 5 months later...

Yes,  I’m sure it is a subject of immense pleasure  to someone who  understands the jargon      But  next to Nuclear Physics   Vehicle Geometry  must  be right up there   Within the  Most complexed  of  vehicle sciences  !    

Me !  I have an expression of amazement on my face each time  I turn the ignition key and  Hear the engine start, 
To imagine that there are numourous complexed issues  taking place as I drive along  would keep me awake at night .... 

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