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Coilover install problem

Has anyone experienced an issue installing coilovers where when setting the rear height one side's adjustment is greatly different from the other? I'm reinstalling my BC ERs after having a

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Old 03-23-2012, 07:59 AM   #1 (permalink)
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Default Coilover install problem

Has anyone experienced an issue installing coilovers where when setting the rear height one side's adjustment is greatly different from the other? I'm reinstalling my BC ERs after having a blown front left shock replaced (user error) and I was able to get the car level at ~26.5" ground to top of arch but:

the RR spring adjuster is at essentially the minimum height setting and
the LR spring ajduster is at essentially the maximum height setting. Springs are equal in length and preload.

Setup procedure was:
  1. Shocks off
  2. Set adjuster to mid height
  3. Lower car so that it sits on the springs to check height.
  4. Raise car and adjust height (repeat as needed)
  5. Attach shock at top
  6. Preload spring ~1/4" with floor jack
  7. Adjust shock length to connect bottom.
  8. Profit
Rear perches have the gold colored base clocked to sit properly in the bottom of the midlink, the spring, then the adjuster held on top by the stock tabs.

Any suggestions? BC doesn't open for another 30 minutes but I intend to give them a call for help.
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Old 03-26-2012, 09:16 PM   #2 (permalink)
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did you ever figure this out ?
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Old 03-26-2012, 09:27 PM   #3 (permalink)
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Nope. Going back to stock tomorrow afternoon so I can make my track day this weekend.
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Old 03-26-2012, 09:29 PM   #4 (permalink)
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My car was like this too with my KW coilover install. This weekend, I un-did the toe bolts and completely took them out when I installed my solid diff bushing. So either take out those bolts and the bottom perch ones to reset it, or check if your diff bushing is blown... I dont know why that would make a difference but my car did strange things ever since mine went out.
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Old 03-26-2012, 10:11 PM   #5 (permalink)
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Interesting. I'll take the midlink off entirely tomorrow and see what I can see. Only cost me an hour or so to check it. No garage so it kinda sucks working on the car now that it's cooled off again though.
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Old 03-27-2012, 10:13 AM   #6 (permalink)
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Thinking about it some more... if it was a bushing or toe bolt issue I would expect the ride height on stock suspension to be different side to side...
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Old 03-27-2012, 11:00 AM   #7 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sig11 View Post
Has anyone experienced an issue installing coilovers where when setting the rear height one side's adjustment is greatly different from the other? I'm reinstalling my BC ERs after having a blown front left shock replaced (user error) and I was able to get the car level at ~26.5" ground to top of arch but:

the RR spring adjuster is at essentially the minimum height setting and
the LR spring ajduster is at essentially the maximum height setting. Springs are equal in length and preload.

Setup procedure was:
  1. Shocks off
  2. Set adjuster to mid height
  3. Lower car so that it sits on the springs to check height.
  4. Raise car and adjust height (repeat as needed)
  5. Attach shock at top
  6. Preload spring ~1/4" with floor jack
  7. Adjust shock length to connect bottom.
  8. Profit
Rear perches have the gold colored base clocked to sit properly in the bottom of the midlink, the spring, then the adjuster held on top by the stock tabs.

Any suggestions? BC doesn't open for another 30 minutes but I intend to give them a call for help.
I have installed a handful of BCs on Z's...
The side to side weight should differ a little bit due to the corner weighting differing a decent amount per corner.

I will say that one time i installed them and the tire pressure on one tire was a little lower then the opposite side when setting the rear after pre-load set and everything.... Long story short one of the tires had a slow leak from the Rays Valve stem... So i tightened the inner valve in the stem filled the tires to equal PSI and that fixed the HUGE differing between the LR and RR.

They should vary by a 1/4 to 1/2 inch on the threads of the rear coilover inner adjustment countering the weight difference though so im not sure how big of a difference you were seeing.

-Chad
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Last edited by Volk Z; 03-27-2012 at 11:03 AM.
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Old 03-27-2012, 11:23 AM   #8 (permalink)
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I'll post some better pictures when I get it back up on stands before I take 'em off. Don't have any more time to screw with it before my first track day.

LR adjuster rings are all the way at the top. RR is 3/4 of the way at the bottom.

Pics on the lift Friday:

LR (click for bigger): RR (click for bigger):
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Old 03-28-2012, 09:04 AM   #9 (permalink)
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Sig- Are you rocking swift springs? Its so hard to see in those pics but i can see a little difference in thread depth differing per each side. Whats the spring rate on the Swifts? I know my BCs were 10kg front 8kg rear....

Odd as well that they brought those gold perches on the bottom back... They got rid of them for the 350Z when they did the revised spring.
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Old 03-28-2012, 09:38 AM   #10 (permalink)
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Yep. Swift springs. 12k front 10k rear shocks revalved by Scott@RA. Both springs are 8" long and are preloaded about the same (~1/2")

Stock suspension is going on tonight... have to be track ready Thursday night so I can head to Mid-Ohio.
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Old 03-28-2012, 03:41 PM   #11 (permalink)
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I've changed my mind and decided to go to the track as-is (after alignment of course). i can't think of anything that would flat out break and cause trouble so I'm going for it.
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Old 03-28-2012, 03:52 PM   #12 (permalink)
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This isnt much help brother but i had the exact same set up from Scott and had no issues like this at all. The perches are correct tho, preload might be a bit high, BC told me 4-6mm max on the phone but its still not much.... and would not be causing that issue. Only thing i can think of is if one of your shocks is not serviced correctly and the pressure is that much different? Mine did NOT have that big a difference between the two sides. Just around a 1/8ths difference at most.

Who knows tho..im not a pro!
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Old 03-28-2012, 04:24 PM   #13 (permalink)
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Yep! I'm pretty confused... Only thing I can think of is something letting the magic smoke out of one of the rear shocks between last spring and now. ;/ They were on before without the massive difference in height setting.
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Old 03-28-2012, 04:49 PM   #14 (permalink)
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I had bc Coilovers and had no height problem. What is that gold thing underneath the spring? I would think that could be the problem. I used the oem rubber mounts when I installed mine.
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Old 03-28-2012, 06:59 PM   #15 (permalink)
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The gold rings are included and are shaped to fit in the bottom of the spring buckets...
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