BC ER, SPL Install and Adjust

sandersd

Recently installed BC ER Type coil overs with the Swift spring upgrade (12k fr 10k r) along with SPL endlinks, front lower link (camber arm) and radius rod (traction links).

First of all - Love it! This is my first car with coil overs. The handling around corners blows away the stock Nismo setup as well as the Swift Sport lowering springs. The ride is smooth and comfortable, the turns are absolutely flat with the compression and rebound set at the middle as shipped.

I haven't had it aligned yet. The shop I wanted to take it to was closed this week so they could man their booth at the auto show. I still need to have the ride height equalized. I'm shooting for 27" at the center of the wheel arch. Anyone with suggestions based on their own experience please feel free to offer your thoughts.

I have noticed the bumps are a bit "thunky" - it sounds like hitting the underside of the car with a rubber mallet, mostly on very low speed small bumps. Is this typical of lowered coil over setups?

The other issue is the end links will not stay straight. I don't think this is the cause of the thunky sound but I would like them to stay straight and not bind. When I installed the car was on the ground with the bar loose. I installed one side with the link vertical as recommended by SPL, then adjusted and installed the other side to match. The links were vertical and centered on the ball joint.

I took some pics today with the car on the ground and as can be seen the links are twisted to the limits of their travel with the exception of the right rear.

Left front
IMG_0848.JPG

Right front
IMG_0850.JPG

Right rear
IMG_0853.JPG

Left rear
IMG_0854.JPG

They can be easily rotated back to their proper orientation and do not bind throughout their full range of travel. I'm not sure what criteria I should use to set the overall length of the end link. When I went to install the first I grabbed the bar and of course it rotates. I felt like the fat guy in Jurassic Park when he hits the sign with his Jeep and doesn't know which fork in the road to take. I couldn't find any direction of how to determine the proper location for the end of the bar but figured is should be tucked up rather than extending down lower where it could hit something.

Perhaps the rotation of the end link is normal and unavoidable.

Any advice on fine tuning the end links is appreciated.

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2014 370Z NISMO -- HKS Hi-Power Exhaust -- Swift Springs -- BC ER Coilovers -- SPL Suspension Components -- Nismo R-Tune Intake -- Seibon BD CF Hood

sandersd

I did purchase a set of Race Ramps 12" wheel cribs to lower the car onto and simulate being on the ground while adjusting and tightening components. The only drawback is being unable to roll the car to settle out the suspension so that solution is not ideal. I'm thinking I need to undo one link and lower the car to the ground, roll it back and forth, load the driver side with 150 lbs of ballast, then adjust and tighten the links.

The problem is there is no way to physically access the links with the car on the ground because it is so low - the Catch 22. This also makes it difficult and tedious to adjust the ride height (I'm 1/4" to 1/2" off from my target of 27"). I'm thinking I'll let the alignment shop even out the height when I take it since they have a lift.

I'm thinking of setting up my GoPro under the car as a suspension cam to watch it in action.

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2014 370Z NISMO -- HKS Hi-Power Exhaust -- Swift Springs -- BC ER Coilovers -- SPL Suspension Components -- Nismo R-Tune Intake -- Seibon BD CF Hood

dP3NGU1N

I had a clunking sound as well on my coil overs. It turns out I hadn't tightened down hard enough with the spanner wrenches. Check your shock length adjustment knobs and make sure they're all completely tightened down.

As far as height adjustment with the spring is concerned, that's just the nature of it. Car needs to be up to adjust height because you don't want to adjust with load on the spring anyway. You want to set the car down, take a tape measure and figure out how low you want to be and adjust accordingly. Don't eyeball.

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35% Hooper Optik | Takeda Attack CAI | F.I. HFC | Hotchkis Sway Bar | Stillen 24row | OS Giken Super Lock LSD | TK Shift Knob | EVO-R Carbon Diffuser

sandersd

Readjusted the ride height on the left side to even things up. I still need 1/2" on the right rear. I disconnected the link on the left rear but once on the ground I couldn't even see the link much less attach or adjust.

I have to figure out a way to access the link once the car is on the ground and the suspension is settled out. Last resort is to measure from ground to the center of the hub, remove the wheel and jack the suspension under the spring to the same height, then attach and adjust the link. I'll need some way to place a safety stand or some type of support in case it were to fall of the jack. I prefer not to be crushed.

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2014 370Z NISMO -- HKS Hi-Power Exhaust -- Swift Springs -- BC ER Coilovers -- SPL Suspension Components -- Nismo R-Tune Intake -- Seibon BD CF Hood

sandersd

Checked everything over again and all bolts and locknuts are tight. It's not the lock rings as those are all tight. It sounds almost if it were hitting the bump stops but that doesn't sound reasonable given the speed I'm traveling and the limited scale of the bumps. Maybe I'll be able to tell once I set the camera up.

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2014 370Z NISMO -- HKS Hi-Power Exhaust -- Swift Springs -- BC ER Coilovers -- SPL Suspension Components -- Nismo R-Tune Intake -- Seibon BD CF Hood

redline10000

Did you try making your endlinks longer? Looking at the pics they seem really short and low on clearance.Since they are adjustable wont hurt to give it a shot.

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AAM Axleback + AAM Midpipe | K&N Drop in filters | Eibach Front Sway bar |Whiteline diff bushing| Dunlop ZII

sandersd

I tried to keep the end links vertical and the bar ends horizontal. I sent an email to SPL for their analysis and recommendation. Before I try lengthening the link ends I'll wait for their response.

I'm not even sure lengthening the links will affect the geometry so that the joint stays centered. I pondered that as I lay under the car yesterday visualizing the action of the bar and links under load.

I found a good place to attach the GoPro in the rear, so I went to Best Buy and bought a roll bar clamp to mount on the brace strut...

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2014 370Z NISMO -- HKS Hi-Power Exhaust -- Swift Springs -- BC ER Coilovers -- SPL Suspension Components -- Nismo R-Tune Intake -- Seibon BD CF Hood

sandersd

Just heard back from Pat at SPL. I can't say enough good things about their customer service. He agreed that the bar ends should be parallel to the ground and that nothing can be done to keep the links centered on their ball end, they go where they want to go. So I guess I'll just center them when installed and as long as they don't bind call it good.

Still scheming on the access problem...

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2014 370Z NISMO -- HKS Hi-Power Exhaust -- Swift Springs -- BC ER Coilovers -- SPL Suspension Components -- Nismo R-Tune Intake -- Seibon BD CF Hood

DR_

Your thunk is probably because you don't have the collar on the shock adjusted correctly which allows the spring on the spring collar to move.
You didn't mention aftermarket toe bolts so I suspect your toe is way positive at your height. Have you had an alignment yet?

sandersd

The collars are set at the recommended preload and tight. Your other points were covered in previous posts.

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2014 370Z NISMO -- HKS Hi-Power Exhaust -- Swift Springs -- BC ER Coilovers -- SPL Suspension Components -- Nismo R-Tune Intake -- Seibon BD CF Hood

sandersd

Still having difficulty equalizing the height between the right and left rear. The right side is consistently 1/2"-3/4" lower regardless of the height of the spring perch.

LR - Ride height adjusted to 27 1/4" measured from level ground to the apex of the wheel arch. the spring seat is 31mm from the bottom of the spring hat to the top of the lower locking ring.
IMG_0858-1.JPG

RR - Ride height adjusted to 26 3/4" measured from level ground to the apex of the wheel arch. the spring seat is 40mm from the bottom of the spring hat to the top of the lower locking ring.
IMG_0860-1.JPG

LR shock height - note the connector from the shock body to the reservoir is at the limit of its adjustment range and cannot be lengthened further.
IMG_0859-1.JPG

I kept lowering the RR spring perch to raise the right side but it would not come up even with the perch adjusted at the limit. Here the right side came up 1/4". There's no way the shock would adjust long enough to fit the lower bolt into its attachment with the perch adjusted like this.
IMG_0863.JPG

I contacted BC Racing's tech support and the guy was helping me until 3pm (5pm EST), then he bailed so I'm in limbo for the weekend. He had me remove everything completely, measure the static spring height (180mm), reset the perches to equal heights (30mm), reinstall the springs and measure the compressed spring height with the car on the ground. The LR was 135mm and the RR is 125mm.

The only thing I can think of that would cause the right side to be heavier than the left is fuel in the tank. Even so, it's odd that I can't get the right side to raise.
Screen Shot 2015-01-30 at 9.05.17 PM.jpg

If the right side was full while the left was empty it might cause the discrepancy. I don't know which side empties first. Tomorrow I will reinstall the shocks and top off the tank, add ballast to match my weight, then recheck the measurements.

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2014 370Z NISMO -- HKS Hi-Power Exhaust -- Swift Springs -- BC ER Coilovers -- SPL Suspension Components -- Nismo R-Tune Intake -- Seibon BD CF Hood

sandersd

Hot tip for anyone setting ride height - make sure your garage floor is level...

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2014 370Z NISMO -- HKS Hi-Power Exhaust -- Swift Springs -- BC ER Coilovers -- SPL Suspension Components -- Nismo R-Tune Intake -- Seibon BD CF Hood

Rusty

Both sides of the fuel tank empty at the same time normally. Hard right hand turns, different story.

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sandersd

So I reinstalled the shocks and went to fill up. After I pulled up to the pumps but before I started filling I measured and both sides = 26.5". After I filled up both sides measured 26.5".

Went back home and measured and the 1/2" diff was back. So all that was for nothing. Moral of the story is make sure you have a flat and level area to take your measurements.

Well, at least I am intimately acquainted with my suspension setup.

__________________
2014 370Z NISMO -- HKS Hi-Power Exhaust -- Swift Springs -- BC ER Coilovers -- SPL Suspension Components -- Nismo R-Tune Intake -- Seibon BD CF Hood

sandersd

Alignment shop was booked for last Saturday so I'm planning for this Friday. Still have an annoying low speed rattle/klunking. Doesn't seem to be localized from one place so I still have to sort that out.

Was driving home Sunday from the grocery store, went over railroad tracks and something sounded like it broke, then a dragging sound. Limped around the curve, turned left, drove 100 yards and turned into a parking lot.

I'm thinking "Geez, now what?"

I look at the rear - nothing. I look at the front - nothing. I look under the car and there's a branch jammed into the undercarriage and dragging on the ground.

Relief...

__________________
2014 370Z NISMO -- HKS Hi-Power Exhaust -- Swift Springs -- BC ER Coilovers -- SPL Suspension Components -- Nismo R-Tune Intake -- Seibon BD CF Hood