increasing shock/strut stroke

[hurleyboi514]

i took a look under my car today at my suspension and i saw something that bothered me.  i could only see like an inch of my strut rod.  i have Suspension Technique springs, and they didnt even lower the car that much.  id like to go lower eventually with stiffer springs, but im afraid id run out of stroke and then my suspension wont be doing what it should.  so what can i do to increase it?  my strut mounts were pretty tall, are the aftermarket camber plates shorter?  how much shorter?  they seem like they would be from the pics ive seen.  also, i was thinking of cutting off the spring perch and welding it onto the shock at a lower position, but i dont think thats possible up front.  what do you guys think?
Ken

[240meowth]

r u on stock struts/shocks or aftermarket? &nbsp;'cause this is surly the first time i've heard 'bout this, maybe people just don't notice it... <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/notify.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':notify:'>

[sykikchimp]

he has KYB Agx's .. &nbsp;Do you notice it bottoming out? &nbsp;are you hitting bump stops?

[HippoSleek]

This is a big problem w/ lowering any car! &nbsp;It's just that most people never take notice. &nbsp;The danger w/ this is that if the strut bottoms, you have NO CONTROL! &nbsp;The front will just wash out.

1) re-tacking your spring perches won't work. &nbsp;I know many who've tried and it ends badly about 90% of the time. &nbsp;That is not a place to weld - even for people how know what they are doing.

2) &nbsp;Best solution, I've decided is a coilover system that adjusts height w/o changing travel (height moves by the mounting plate, not the collars). &nbsp;That's the only way to get the best of both worlds. &nbsp;Zeals and Tein HE's do this.

3) &nbsp;#2 easiest way. &nbsp;If you are attached to your springs you can get short stroke shocks. &nbsp;They are $$$.

4) &nbsp;#1 easiest way. &nbsp;New springs that don't lower the car much (i.e., less than 1.5").

[hurleyboi514]

i doubt most people dont even notice. &nbsp;the mods ive done suspension wise are: &nbsp;tires (went from 60 sidewalls to 50, dropped the car as a whole about an inch), springs (1.3 drop), and AGX shocks. &nbsp;i just went outside and looked again and yeah, thats right. &nbsp;the amount of piston visible is about equal to the about of fender gap (about an inch).

[hurleyboi514]

and no, i dont bottom out often, only when i go over a small rise or a quick elevation drop when im on road settings (2/4), but when in all out driving, im on 4/8 and i never hit bumpstops...

<edit>
yeah, thats &nbsp;why i mentioned the camber plates, if i got shorter ones, then, i could raise the stroke and have the same height still. &nbsp;but what i really wanna know is, do they really do that? &nbsp;ive never personally compared a stock strut mount to an aftermarket. &nbsp;has anyone done this?

[Yoshi]

okay, i'm confused....
so is that not your car in your sig? &nbsp;It looks pretty lowered to me... or is the pic taken with a fast shutter camera and you're actually braking? &nbsp;I could understand that one, but it seems to me that your car looks awful low, much more than 1.3" anywayz

[uiuc240]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (hurleyboi514 @ July 12 2002,1:57)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">and no, i dont bottom out often, only when i go over a small rise or a quick elevation drop when im on road settings (2/4), but when in all out driving, im on 4/8 and i never hit bumpstops...

<edit>
yeah, thats why i mentioned the camber plates, if i got shorter ones, then, i could raise the stroke and have the same height still. but what i really wanna know is, do they really do that? ive never personally compared a stock strut mount to an aftermarket. has anyone done this?</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
if you're not bottoming, why worry about it? &nbsp;if you have travel, that's all that matters. &nbsp;and if you hit the bumpstops on the odd occasion of cruising over a speed bump you didn't see...that's not a reason for concern. &nbsp;also, did you cut the bumpstops, or are they still stock? &nbsp;if stock, cut them halfway. &nbsp;that's still plenty of stop, and it'll give you like 3/4" more travel. &nbsp;if you aren't bottoming out, don't worry about this stuff.

also, camber plates won't change the travel of your shock. &nbsp;only thing they MIGHT do (if you install them without all the pieces) is lower your car some more. &nbsp;

Eric

[hurleyboi514]

thats my car when it was stock... &nbsp;it was during braking. &nbsp;

thanks for the info, i was just wondering what i could to make it better, or keep it from getting bad. &nbsp;thanks!

[luey02]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (uiuc240 @ July 12 2002,3:43)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (hurleyboi514 @ July 12 2002,1:57)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">and no, i dont bottom out often, only when i go over a small rise or a quick elevation drop when im on road settings (2/4), but when in all out driving, im on 4/8 and i never hit bumpstops...

<edit>
yeah, thats why i mentioned the camber plates, if i got shorter ones, then, i could raise the stroke and have the same height still. but what i really wanna know is, do they really do that? ive never personally compared a stock strut mount to an aftermarket. has anyone done this?</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
if you're not bottoming, why worry about it? if you have travel, that's all that matters. and if you hit the bumpstops on the odd occasion of cruising over a speed bump you didn't see...that's not a reason for concern. also, did you cut the bumpstops, or are they still stock? if stock, cut them halfway. that's still plenty of stop, and it'll give you like 3/4" more travel. if you aren't bottoming out, don't worry about this stuff.

also, camber plates won't change the travel of your shock. only thing they MIGHT do (if you install them without all the pieces) is lower your car some more.

Eric</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
yeah, with thick, not thinner, camber plates will lower car more but then if you go back higher you'll gain more shock travel... &nbsp;same idea.. &nbsp;

gound control has 1 inch raiser I think camber plates...

Kevin

[HippoSleek]

I can't believe you are not bottoming w/ 1" of travel &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/eh.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':eh:'>

I learned all about this phenominon when I was co-driving a Civic Si in autox: we installed new GC's on Saturday, took it out on Sunday, and ordered new 1" longer springs on Monday (and that was w/ 400 lb. springs and 1" of travel).

But as has been said, if you aren't bottoming out either a) drive harder or b) don't worry about it.

[sykikchimp]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (HippoSleek @ July 12 2002,5:09)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">But as has been said, if you aren't bottoming out either a) drive harder or b) don't worry about it.</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
LOL.. &nbsp;Yes pleeease.. &nbsp;I'll take option A for $1

[adey]

oh seut, sorry, double post.

[adey]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (HippoSleek @ July 12 2002,11:54)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
2) Best solution, I've decided is a coilover system that adjusts height w/o changing travel (height moves by the mounting plate, not the collars). That's the only way to get the best of both worlds. Zeals and Tein HE's do this.
</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>

This is something I've never understood. How does it work!? Every time I picture i in my head, I can't figure out how you can retain shock travel.

The only possibility i can think that MIGHT do this (haven't thought it out completely) is if you basically pushed the whole shock LOWER, through the bottom 'mount' (where it bolts to the car, basically) and the bottom of the shock body was pushed lower, closer to the ground and towards the bottom inner lip of the wheel.

Looking at HEs and Zeal Functions, what boggles me is that they still look like they use the spring height/compression to lower the car.

Are Tein HEs and Zeal B6s the only coilovers that do it? how about some of the more expensive teins like the RAs, HTs, Toda Fightex, Gav REvolution strokes, and Cusco Zero-2s?

[HippoSleek]

adey- that's basically it. &nbsp;You can squeeze what you got or move it. &nbsp;The nicer set ups now move it. &nbsp;I don't know about the higher dollar systems - I'd imagine they do, but I haven't checked into it. &nbsp;When I was considering them, I was looking for low buck b/c the higher performance, the worse on the streets and the greater the need to rebuild - often <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':('>

The collars on these systems are used to adjust spring preload, not height. &nbsp;Well - not really preload b/c a linear spring has linear compression (i.e., can't "preload"). &nbsp;Actually, you cinch them down lower so that on extreme rebound, the springs don't come unseated. &nbsp;That's all that does. &nbsp;(I've seen some ugly damage from springs floating off their perches and destroying the threads on the body).