Hey everyone,
I just recently finished a huge suspension upgrade on my car and I am looking for some advice. The upgrade included: Tien HE coilovers, Tein tie rods, Project Silvia tension rods, Project silvia rear upper control arms, PDM front lower control arms with new bushings. everything was properly torqued and taken for an alignment. last night i passed 300miles and I will be jacking the car up today to re-torque everything & adjust.
Ride Height. The car is clearly slanteded forward. The frame rail in the front is at 4" and 4 7/8" in the rear. How low is too low? How should I correct the angle? I.e. Raise the front, lower the back, both, doesnt matter?
Ride quality & bounce. I have no experience with adjustable suspension or aftermarket suspension at all for that matter. the car rides firm but seems to bounce a bit. and the shocks make no noise(they make a pft noise when working) over smaller bumps. Is this something that is to be expected with firmer springs or should i firm up/soften my dampers?
Sorry for the long post & thank you for any help.
Questions about tuning my suspension
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Cyberkreig
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Nismo_Freak
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Cyberkreig
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wow, congrats, you have a pretty solid suspension setup 
as for the bounce, it happens to me too (HE is obviously not michigan friendly) im thinking about ordering a set of new springs with less rate.
as for the pffftt, doesnt it sound badass?
as for the height problem, go get that thing cornerbalanced...if its still slanting, then youll know its ok
as for the bounce, it happens to me too (HE is obviously not michigan friendly) im thinking about ordering a set of new springs with less rate.
as for the pffftt, doesnt it sound badass?
as for the height problem, go get that thing cornerbalanced...if its still slanting, then youll know its ok
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Cyberkreig
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haha, initially i heard to keep it at 1 to break in(OMG bad idea!), then i set it at 8, then i went down to the recommended setting of 12
and im now just about sick of the harsh ride, but im nervous to go all the way down to 15, because i heard less than that can really damage the coilover (i guess the lower clicks are for tein to use for rebuilds?)
anyways, i keep it at 13/14 now, but i wouldnt hesitate (in fact id love) to turn it up at a good flat pavement parking lot.
im also afraid to put on my TC arms with the pillowball busings....i dont know how many more pot holes my car can take, let alone my own discomfort
and im now just about sick of the harsh ride, but im nervous to go all the way down to 15, because i heard less than that can really damage the coilover (i guess the lower clicks are for tein to use for rebuilds?)
anyways, i keep it at 13/14 now, but i wouldnt hesitate (in fact id love) to turn it up at a good flat pavement parking lot.
im also afraid to put on my TC arms with the pillowball busings....i dont know how many more pot holes my car can take, let alone my own discomfort
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Cyberkreig
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To begin with, when I think of bounciness, I picture a car bouncing up and down or forward and back after braking or hitting a bump in the road. Kinda like a civic w/ cut springs and oe struts. Sometimes people confuse bounciness w/ harshness…I just wanted to make sure we were on the same level.
Your setup should provide a firm (harsh if you will) ride...not bouncy. If you are experiencing bounciness, the first place I'd check is my tires. Are you using high aspect ratio tires (I'd say 50+)? Are they cheap-o tires w/ soft sidewalls? If so, they could be the major contributor to the bounciness you claim to be experiencing. Try increasing your tire pressure to max (or close to it)...your ride will firm up more, but your bounciness should reduce. Also, the lower you set your struts (damper), the less 'strength' it has making it tougher to cope w/ your high spring rates. This can only make your car bouncier. If your HE's are anything like my RA's were, you'll find that around 10 - 12 clicks from full soft will be the best compromise for street driving.
As for how to set your ride height (for the best performance and ride), there is a right way and a wrong way. Simply put, if you’re not getting your car corner balanced, you’re doing it wrong. If you got your car corner balanced, you’d find that the rear sits slightly lower than the front...not the other way around. You’d also find that your car would sit a little crooked (one side slightly higher than the other).
If you don’t want to pay for the corner balance or you just want your car ‘looking’ good, first try to set the rear a tad lower than the front (by eye). They shouldn’t differ drastically. After that, even out the sides (left to right, not front to back) by using the trunk floor jack at each corner. I’ve always found this is the most precise way. As for a proper drop, I wouldn’t go too low. Your ride will only get worse and your car will look ghetto. It also depends on your area’s road conditions. Really, it just comes down to a combination of common sense and preference. Good luck!
BTW, don’t go past 16 clicks from full soft. The struts will let you, but you can damage them if you do. Those next 8 clicks are for the factory when they have to rebuild them.
Your setup should provide a firm (harsh if you will) ride...not bouncy. If you are experiencing bounciness, the first place I'd check is my tires. Are you using high aspect ratio tires (I'd say 50+)? Are they cheap-o tires w/ soft sidewalls? If so, they could be the major contributor to the bounciness you claim to be experiencing. Try increasing your tire pressure to max (or close to it)...your ride will firm up more, but your bounciness should reduce. Also, the lower you set your struts (damper), the less 'strength' it has making it tougher to cope w/ your high spring rates. This can only make your car bouncier. If your HE's are anything like my RA's were, you'll find that around 10 - 12 clicks from full soft will be the best compromise for street driving.
As for how to set your ride height (for the best performance and ride), there is a right way and a wrong way. Simply put, if you’re not getting your car corner balanced, you’re doing it wrong. If you got your car corner balanced, you’d find that the rear sits slightly lower than the front...not the other way around. You’d also find that your car would sit a little crooked (one side slightly higher than the other).
If you don’t want to pay for the corner balance or you just want your car ‘looking’ good, first try to set the rear a tad lower than the front (by eye). They shouldn’t differ drastically. After that, even out the sides (left to right, not front to back) by using the trunk floor jack at each corner. I’ve always found this is the most precise way. As for a proper drop, I wouldn’t go too low. Your ride will only get worse and your car will look ghetto. It also depends on your area’s road conditions. Really, it just comes down to a combination of common sense and preference. Good luck!
BTW, don’t go past 16 clicks from full soft. The struts will let you, but you can damage them if you do. Those next 8 clicks are for the factory when they have to rebuild them.
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Cyberkreig
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all good information dori dori, thank you very much!
I know exaclty what you mean about the cut spring civic & thats what it feels like to me, boucing up & down not front to back.
ON the HE's they come from the factory full hard (all the way clockwise) you must then turn them 12 steps backward. not counting the rebuild clicks this is level 4. when you recomend "12 clicks from full soft" are you including the 8 rebuild clicks?
I have already checked my tires (bfgoodrich rear, cheap-*** dealer tires up front) and am running around 35/32psi (less in the rear for wet traction).
I would love to have my car corner balanced and I have been asking around trying to find a shop with scales but no one seems to know what i am talking about. So until i find a place that can do it 'right' I will take your advice and set the rear lower.
I know exaclty what you mean about the cut spring civic & thats what it feels like to me, boucing up & down not front to back.
ON the HE's they come from the factory full hard (all the way clockwise) you must then turn them 12 steps backward. not counting the rebuild clicks this is level 4. when you recomend "12 clicks from full soft" are you including the 8 rebuild clicks?
I have already checked my tires (bfgoodrich rear, cheap-*** dealer tires up front) and am running around 35/32psi (less in the rear for wet traction).
I would love to have my car corner balanced and I have been asking around trying to find a shop with scales but no one seems to know what i am talking about. So until i find a place that can do it 'right' I will take your advice and set the rear lower.
He's have 16 usable clicks from full soft. There should 24 total clicks, but don't ever go past the 16. I was recommending 10 or 12 clicks from full soft (I believe full counter clockwise). Having experience with Teins and knowing they really never have a 'soft' setting, I doubt your bounciness is coming from them. If better wheels and tires don't resolve your problem, then they are the only other obvious cause. If that's the case, I'd contact Tein and ask them for advice. If they can't offer a resolution you might want to consider getting a softer set of springs or having your shocks rebuilt and matched properly (by Tein). Since you say your car is bouncing up and down, not front to back, you can pretty much rule out the bad corner balance as being the cause.
As for corner balancing, you have a few options. You can rent scales and do it yourself. Buy scales and do it yourself. Or find a race shop that is willing to do a street car (few and far between). Fortunately for me, I have a friend that builds and maintains race cars for a living, but with a little calling around, I found one local race team that was willing to do it as well.
Race shops are usually not willing to do street cars b/c that's not how they make their money. What I mean is, you don't have guys drive up in race cars and say 'give me an alignment'. Usually, they pay to have their cars stored and maintained (and they pay very well I might add) for long periods of time. That maintenance includes alignments, corner balancing, brake service, ect. Your best bet is to attend a local track event and find out where most of those weekend racers get their balancing done. Be prepared to spend a good amount for a seemingly easy job. I've heard of people spending up to $250. Absurd if you ask me.
As for corner balancing, you have a few options. You can rent scales and do it yourself. Buy scales and do it yourself. Or find a race shop that is willing to do a street car (few and far between). Fortunately for me, I have a friend that builds and maintains race cars for a living, but with a little calling around, I found one local race team that was willing to do it as well.
Race shops are usually not willing to do street cars b/c that's not how they make their money. What I mean is, you don't have guys drive up in race cars and say 'give me an alignment'. Usually, they pay to have their cars stored and maintained (and they pay very well I might add) for long periods of time. That maintenance includes alignments, corner balancing, brake service, ect. Your best bet is to attend a local track event and find out where most of those weekend racers get their balancing done. Be prepared to spend a good amount for a seemingly easy job. I've heard of people spending up to $250. Absurd if you ask me.
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Cyberkreig
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darn it, now you got me worried!!!
i have mine set at 4/6 on the street (from fully counterclockwise, i hope i'm not *****ing up my precious tein's?
my brother has the s13 w/ tein HE's and i'll go measure how low she sits, when he bring her home. she's sitting pretty low, because you can hear the spring drop when he goes sideways up driveways. i don't hear that on my car, but i didn't really lower the height too much from the factory setting (maybe 1/2 in). my bro lowered quite alot, he said close to the bottom of the shaft.
can anybody confirm about the setting?!!!sh*t i'm calling tein tomorrow!!!!
i have mine set at 4/6 on the street (from fully counterclockwise, i hope i'm not *****ing up my precious tein's?
my brother has the s13 w/ tein HE's and i'll go measure how low she sits, when he bring her home. she's sitting pretty low, because you can hear the spring drop when he goes sideways up driveways. i don't hear that on my car, but i didn't really lower the height too much from the factory setting (maybe 1/2 in). my bro lowered quite alot, he said close to the bottom of the shaft.
can anybody confirm about the setting?!!!sh*t i'm calling tein tomorrow!!!!
http://tein.com/ti/inst/yn20u.pdf
read page 7
full clockwise is full hard, turn back, dont go back past 16.
good luck fellas
dori dori, thanks for mentioning the tires, i didnt think about that. ill check when i get home
read page 7
full clockwise is full hard, turn back, dont go back past 16.
good luck fellas
dori dori, thanks for mentioning the tires, i didnt think about that. ill check when i get home