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Thread: sky high ride height

  1. #1
    4,000 rpm - entering the fun zone Slampen's Avatar
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    sky high ride height

    Merknad 2019-09-16 114936.jpg
    (Yes, I should adjust the front light lids)

    As you can see of the picture the car sits very high.
    It's about 35cm in front and about the same in the rear. Measured from the centre of hub to edge of fender.

    Since I don't have it registered I don't have the opportunity to go for a ride to 'adjust'.

    I have changed all bushings in the control arms, LSD with new bushings, new sway-bars with new bushings and mounted a set of Ohlins coilovers.
    I would guess it would maybe get 10-20mm lower after a ride not 30-40mm, even though I have changed a lot more components than with a coilover swap.
    Max lowering on the coilovers are 17mm in front and 10mm in rear according to the documentation from Ohlins.

    What is your experience and thoughts?


    Edit:
    It's worth mentioning that the alignment are way off.
    I did torque down the suspension with the control arm jacked up so the car had no weight on the closest jack stand
    Last edited by Slampen; 09-16-2019 at 05:31 AM.

  2. #2
    4,000 rpm - entering the fun zone Roadster7's Avatar
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    I don't get your question. Are you saying this is as low as it will go, and how do you get it lower?

    You shouldn't torque down anything suspension related unless the suspension is loaded. If you don't have access to a lift, get the car up on stands, loosen control arms, place a jack under the wheel and lift until the suspension compresses. Then tighten everything. Repeat for each corner.

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    Ninja Messiah kung fu jesus's Avatar
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    Are you at the lowest recommended settings recommended by Ohlins?

    It will settle a little, as the parts wear in a bit. Are you trying to get to about 31.75cm?

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    5,000 rpm - there be torque here! Greasemonkey2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Roadster7 View Post
    You shouldn't torque down anything suspension related unless the suspension is loaded. If you don't have access to a lift, get the car up on stands, loosen control arms, place a jack under the wheel and lift until the suspension compresses. Then tighten everything. Repeat for each corner.
    This. I never really heard of this being a issue until getting into Miata's but in that 6 year time frame I can't tell you how many times I have seen others with the same issue that was resolved as described above by roadster7.

    As far as suspension/spring settling, in my experience with Fat Cat Motorsports coilovers and FEAL coilovers it was around 0.25"-0.5"(7-13mm).
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    Slampen (09-18-2019)

  6. #5
    4,000 rpm - entering the fun zone Slampen's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Roadster7 View Post
    car up on stands, loosen control arms, place a jack under the wheel and lift until the suspension compresses. Then tighten everything. Repeat for each corner.
    That is what I did for each corner.

    Quote Originally Posted by kung fu jesus View Post
    Are you at the lowest recommended settings recommended by Ohlins?
    The car is set up after this documentation. So I can go down 17mm front and 10mm in the rear. That would give 318 mm in front and 340 mm in rear at the lowest.
    Something is strange.
    20190915_122356.jpg


    Quote Originally Posted by kung fu jesus View Post
    It will settle a little, as the parts wear in a bit. Are you trying to get to about 31.75cm?
    I was aiming for 31cm front and 32 rear. Do you recommend something different?


    I will loosen and tighten the control arms again when adjusting the height. I send may prayers that it will magically "fix" the issue.

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    Ninja Messiah kung fu jesus's Avatar
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    sky high ride height

    Nope, the 31.75cm was a guess. 31 should be ok, I just don’t know how bumpy your roads are or your frequency with speed bumps.

    Also, did you happen to order longer springs with your Ohlins or measure them when they arrived? Just curious if maybe the wrong length was sent?

    Are there separate sets from them for the NA and the NB? I am not familiar with how they are ordered. Wondering if maybe your tophats are in play here. Just spitballing.

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    Slampen (09-19-2019)

  9. #7
    4,000 rpm - entering the fun zone Slampen's Avatar
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    I can't see any wrong with the coilovers or my mounting... (of course)

    Remember that the car actual was about this height when I mounted the MeisterR, even though MeisterR claimed it should be 31/32cm out of the box....
    I did some adjustings to get it to 31/3 2cm. Ofcourse I don't remember exactly what I did.....

    This time I have changed a all the control arms as well......


  10. #8
    4,000 rpm - entering the fun zone Slampen's Avatar
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    A little update.
    After wheel alignment I measured the car to 34cm rear and 33cm front, from hub to fender.
    I can go lower in front the Ohlins, the rear is adjusted as low as physical possible on the dampers. I adjusted the car up to 33cm in front to get "balance"
    If I want to go lower I need to buy different top mounts in the rear. I will stay with this height a while, even that it almost looks like the car is oem.
    Last edited by Slampen; 06-09-2020 at 08:41 AM. Reason: Typos, and hard to read

  11. #9
    Ninja Messiah kung fu jesus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Slampen View Post
    A little update.
    After wheel alignment I measured the car to 34cm rear and 33cm front, from hub to fender.
    I can go lower in front the Ohlins is as low as possible in the rear, I adjusted the car up to 33cm to get "balance"
    If I want to go lower I need to buy different top mounts in the rear. I will stay with this height a while, even that it almost looks like the car is oem.

    Bummer. That is high but not horrible. I wonder if that has anything to do with your country and/or MOT type things?

  12. #10
    4,000 rpm - entering the fun zone Slampen's Avatar
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    I rewrote some of previous post to make it easier to understand.

    Quote Originally Posted by kung fu jesus View Post
    I wonder if that has anything to do with your country and/or MOT type things?
    If the ride height is limited due to the TUV approval? I don't know.

    I did adjust the rear dampers down until it physical stopped, and then about half a turn back.

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  14. #11
    6,000 rpm - mere mortals would shift HarryB's Avatar
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    What is your limit now? You may need shorter springs on the rear. Also, extended rear top mounts are a good idea with Ohlins on the NA and NB platform; Maruha ones are very nice and fairly inexpensive.

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    kung fu jesus (06-09-2020)

  16. #12
    4,000 rpm - entering the fun zone Slampen's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HarryB View Post
    What is your limit now? You may need shorter springs on the rear. Also, extended rear top mounts are a good idea with Ohlins on the NA and NB platform; Maruha ones are very nice and fairly inexpensive.
    In the rear the lowest I get is 34cm, in front I can at least go as low as 31cm...

    What is the difference between the Maruha top hats and those that Goodwin sells?

  17. #13
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    sky high ride height

    I would just get shorter springs. Most coilovers come with spings in standard diameters, rates, and lengths. A variety of manufacturers sell them in many different versions these variables to accommodate this issue.

  18. #14
    5,000 rpm - there be torque here! MaRcOp01o's Avatar
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    I am in the same place with my BRG.

    I am also on Ohlins and the rear is as slammed as can be but the fronts can go way lower. I have it with a quarter inch of rake in the front and the car sits and drives nicely after a sporty alignment.
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  19. #15
    4,000 rpm - entering the fun zone Roadster7's Avatar
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    Sounds like a problem with shock body or spring length.

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