coilover install Q

[YellwMonky]

This is a very newbie question but I searched around and couldn't find the answer. I just received my coilovers and I'm in the middle of installation. I can't pull up the control arm enough to get bottom perch attached. Am I supposed to jack up the control arm to get it to fit? or maybe by the whole crossmember? I read that moved the spring perch up to the point where it's just supporting the spring without actually preloading the springs. I adjusted both of the fronts to the same height but when i put the first one on, i had to adjust the other side in order to make it fit...I'll accept some flaming but just help me out! thanks

[Wei240]

have no clue what you said,
is it for front, back, both, what car, brand of coilovers would be nice...
but when i installed them, it didn't take long, for rears, i install the top first, then jack the lower arm so it'll go up and fit into the coils, for front, pretty much the same except i didn't need to use a jack, just manually with hands...

[YellwMonky]

okay, i've installed them once but I see that they're too high. Now, i want to adjust them lower. In order to do that, I need to spin the bottom perch to move up right? in order to do that, i need to take the two bolts off of the lower perch. HOwever, when I do this the bolts do not line up anymore. So do I jack up the control arm in order to get them to match up? I just got the Ksport coilovers and they're for s13 coupe. I'm talking about front right now. Thanks for your help

[Wei240]

you mean to adjust height of your coilovers?
i don't know the design of ksport, but i'm assuming most are the same, and yes, i just push up the control arm to line up the bolts, and use jack to make it easier on you, i hope you measured left and right to be the same...

[Salty_X]

You could also keep the lower bracket bolted to the spindle, loosen the collar on the lower bracket, and spin the whole assembly (clockwise to lower). You'll have no idea exactly how much you've lowered one side compared to the other, so bust out with a measuring stick.

But yeah, for the other way that's how you do it. Just keep jacking up the lower control arm until the holes line up and you can jam the bolts in there...

[citizen]

don't know about you people using jacks for the lower control arm... maybe you just lack muscles?

[YellwMonky]

You could also keep the lower bracket bolted to the spindle, loosen the collar on the lower bracket, and spin the whole assembly (clockwise to lower). You'll have no idea exactly how much you've lowered one side compared to the other, so bust out with a measuring stick.


I figured out that the bolt on the top can be used to lower the car. Much MUCH easier. I thought that was for disassembly. Thanks a lot guys.

[Titan]

What top bolt? Just above the camber plate where you adjust the dampening? If so, you shouldn't be loosening that.

Like mentioned above. The proper way to raise/lower, is to remove the bracket, loosen the collars, and spin it either up or down.

[YellwMonky]

well, it worked okay for the front. The bolt wasn't loosened. It just spun the whole strut. HOwever, now I'm trying out the rear shocks and that method seems not to work. So i...
1. take off the bottom bolt
2. screw the lower perch until i get it to where i want it
3. jack up the control arm until i can jam the bolt back into the hole.
4. retighten bolt

is that right?

[omen2853]

for the rears i
1. measured everything to the height i wanted
2. bolted the three top bolts so its hanging there (through the RUCA obviously)
3. pushed the LCA up with one hand and tried to steer the bottom bolt into place.

or you could bolt the bottom first then push up untli the top holes line up. either way.

[YellwMonky]

ok, i just got off of work and installed the rears. They're a lot easier in the back, but the front...impossible to lift up by hand...

i'm also having problems slamming the rears. I screwed the perch to it's highest setting, but it still is sitting 2 inches from the tire...I heard of people having this problem with the D2/Ksports on s14s, but haven't heard anything about s13. Anybody know what the problem could be ?

[Titan]

Yeah, I also have my rear bracket threaded all the way up.

I just lessened the preload on the spring. So when the car is raised in the air, there is about a 1/8" gap between the top of the spring and the purch. So when the car is lowered, putting weight on the tire, it sits lower.

[YellwMonky]

if i were to do that, the spring wouldn't be seated at all. Is it ok for the spring to be totally loose like that ?

[Titan]

It will seat as soon as you drop the car due to the weight of the car.

Don't take my work for it though, I'm a first time installer as well. But it makes sense to me.