How to Set Ride Height on Coilovers

Setting the correct ride height on your coilovers is essential for maximizing your car's performance, handling, and aesthetic appeal. Whether you're looking to lower your classic ride or enhance the stance of your daily driver, understanding the ins and outs of ride height adjustment can make all the difference. In this guide, we will walk you through the critical components, importance, preparation steps, adjustment techniques, and common pitfalls to avoid, ensuring you get the most out of your coilover setup.

Understanding Coilover Components

Coilovers are a hybrid suspension system that combines a shock absorber and a coil spring into a single, compact unit. On high-performance vehicles like a Lamborghini, understanding these components is especially important for achieving precise handling and optimal ride quality. Familiarity with each part helps make adjustments more accurate and effective.

Here’s a breakdown of the essential coilover components and how they function:

• Main Spring: The primary coil spring in the coilover assembly. The main spring's length and spring rate directly affect ride height, suspension travel, and handling. Selecting the correct main spring is crucial for optimal suspension performance.

• Spring Length: The length of the spring determines available suspension travel and preload. An incorrect spring length can cause limited travel or excessive preload, impacting ride quality and handling.

• Coils: Refers to the coil spring design. The number of coils, their thickness, and spacing influence spring rate, ride height, and overall suspension performance.

• Spring Rate: This is a measure of how stiff the spring is. A higher spring rate improves handling but can reduce ride comfort, while a lower rate offers a softer ride but may compromise performance.

• Lower Spring Perch: This is where you adjust the height of your vehicle. Turning this perch up raises the ride height, while moving it down lowers it.

• Spring Collars: Used to adjust ride height by changing the position of the spring perch. Some setups make spring collars difficult to turn without removing control arms, but they are a common method for fine-tuning height.

• Adjuster: The adjuster allows you to modify the spring seat position and adjust preload, helping maintain proper suspension travel and load distribution.

• Helper Springs: Auxiliary springs used alongside the main spring to prevent coil dislodgement, assist with ride height adjustment, and optimize suspension travel, especially with short or soft springs.

• Lock Nut: This part secures the lower spring perch in place to prevent unwanted movement during driving.

• Damper Body / Shock Body: The main body of the coilover, often threaded to allow for ride height and preload adjustments. The shock body positions both the spring and damper, playing a key role in setting ride height and handling characteristics.

• Spanner Wrenches: These tools are vital for adjusting the spring perch. They allow you to make precise adjustments without damaging the threads.

Familiarizing yourself with these components will not only make the adjustment process easier but also ensure you’re making the right modifications for your vehicle’s unique characteristics.

Importance of Proper Ride Height

Proper ride height is crucial for several reasons:

1. Optimizes Handling: The right height enhances your vehicle’s center of gravity, leading to improved handling and stability, especially during corners. Achieving the correct ride height also depends on setting the proper base height and understanding the range of adjustment available on your coilovers.

2. Prevents Bottoming Out: An incorrect ride height can cause bottoming out on bumps and dips, leading to potential damage to your suspension components. Proper damper travel and bump travel settings are essential to prevent interference and maintain suspension performance.

3. Bump-to-Droop Ratio: Ideally, your suspension should maintain a ratio of 2/3 bump to 1/3 droop. This means that your vehicle should be designed to compress two-thirds of the way while effectively allowing one-third droop. Key factors in maintaining this configuration include adjusting bump travel and damper travel, which help control suspension movement during dynamic driving situations.

4. Ensures Adequate Wheel Clearance: Proper adjustment prevents your tires from rubbing against fenders, reducing potential damage to both tires and bodywork.

The aim is to achieve the desired ride height based on regulations, experience, calculations, or data. By understanding these factors, you can appreciate why achieving the correct ride height is not just for aesthetics, it’s essential for performance and safety.

Preparing for Ride Height Adjustment

Before diving into the adjustment process, it’s important to be properly prepared. Follow these steps:

1. Measure Current Ride Height: Start with a simple measurement from the floor to the center of the fender over the axle. For a more accurate starting point, use a measuring tape to measure the distance of the exposed threads left on each coilover. The amount of exposed threads left is important for consistency. Make a note for each corner to ensure even adjustment across all wheel positions.

2. Gather Necessary Tools: Make sure you have spanner wrenches, anti-seize lubricant, a tape measure, and a jack handy.

3. Jack Up the Vehicle: Safely lift your vehicle off the ground, engaging the bump stop to check clearance and ensure stability during adjustments.

4. Set Your Target Height: Determine your desired ride height based on your goals, whether it’s for aesthetics, handling improvement, or lowered performance. Pay attention to the spring and damper position, as their adjustment impacts the final ride height and overall suspension geometry.

Taking these steps before you start will streamline the adjustment process and help you achieve your goals.

Steps to Adjust Ride Height

After your coilovers are installed, follow these steps to set ride height correctly:

1. Loosen Lock Nut: Start by loosening the lock nut on the lower spring perch. This allows you to make adjustments.

2. Initial Spring Position: For even ride height, start with the spring about half way up the shock body or at the bottom of the adjustment. Use a measuring tape to check the length of exposed threads for consistency across all corners.

3. Adjust the Lower Perch: If you’re using traditional coilovers, turn the lower perch up to increase ride height and down to lower it. Be careful not to compress the spring directly—make adjustments to the perch only. If you switch to a softer spring or use linear rate springs, remember that pre load and spring length will affect your adjustment approach, and different amounts of spring length or rate may require different settings.

4. Dual-Adjustment Coilovers: For models with dual-adjustment features, first set the damper body height for proper bump and droop. Afterward, adjust the spring perch for final ride height. This process is covered in detail in this guide, and for visual learners, check out our video for step-by-step instructions.

5. Apply Anti-Seize: To ensure smooth adjustments in the future, apply anti-seize lubricant to the threads. This helps prevent galling, a common problem that can occur with frequent adjustments.

6. Settle the Suspension: After the coilovers are installed and adjusted, set the vehicle on the ground and roll it back and forth so the suspension is sitting properly. This helps the springs and shocks settle before making final adjustments.

7. Fine-Tune Ride Height: You may need to adjust the collars a bit at a time to dial in the ride height exactly where you want it. It often takes more than one hand to get the ride height perfect on the first try, so don’t be discouraged if you need to repeat the process.

8. Re-check Measurements: After lowering, measure the height again and take a short drive to allow the suspension to settle. Re-check and ensure both sides are equal. Use the idea of visually assessing the stance to determine if further tweaks are needed.

9. Final Check: After setting the ride height, check that the spring is still captive under full droop before locking off the lower spring perch collars.

When adjusting ride height on a vehicle such as a Lancia, it’s important to remember that even small changes can affect alignment, camber, and toe due to shifts in suspension geometry. Lowering the rear suspension may also influence toe and camber, which directly impacts handling and tire wear.

Lowering typically increases negative camber and can alter toe settings, especially on suspensions with noticeable bump steer. Because ride height adjustments affect wheel alignment, a professional re-alignment is strongly recommended after any changes to maintain optimal performance, stability, and tire longevity.

By adhering to these steps, you can achieve a customized ride height that suits your vehicle’s needs.

Common Mistakes and Tips

While adjusting ride height, it’s easy to make mistakes that can affect both the performance and safety of your vehicle. Here are some common pitfalls and tips for successful adjustments:

• Mistakes:

• Over-compressing the Spring: This can lead to a stiff ride and reduce comfort.

• Ignoring Bump/Droop Ratios: Without proper ratios, you risk compromising handling during dynamic conditions.

• Uneven Heights: Make sure adjustments are equal on both sides to avoid misalignment issues.

• Neglecting Anti-Seize: Not using anti-seize can lead to galled threads, making future adjustments difficult or impossible.

• Extreme Heights: Setting the ride height too low can damage shock absorbers and interfere with safe driving dynamics.

• Tips:

• Use the Perch for Height Adjustments: Adjust the lower spring perch for height adjustments but avoid using it to affect the spring preload on some models.

• Double-check After Settling: Suspension components can shift after initial adjustments, so it’s wise to check measurements after a few drives.

• Consult Manufacturer Specifications: Understanding your specific coilover setup can save you headaches down the line.

• Re-align the Vehicle After Changes: Always re-check your alignment after making adjustments to ensure optimal handling and tire wear.

• Note on Alignment and Chassis: Any adjustment to ride height will affect alignment, particularly toe and camber settings, regardless of your vehicle's chassis type. The adjustable nature of coilovers allows for fine-tuning, but it’s essential to carefully measure and recheck alignment after each change to maintain proper suspension geometry and handling.

By being mindful and following these tips, you can significantly enhance your vehicle’s performance while ensuring its longevity.

Setting the right ride height on your coilovers is a vital part of achieving both the look and performance you desire from your vehicle. With a solid understanding of the components involved, the importance of your adjustments, and careful preparation and execution, you can fine-tune your suspension system for an optimal driving experience. Remember to be mindful of common mistakes, apply tips from the pros, and always prioritize safety. By doing so, we can enjoy our rides to the fullest.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you set the ride height on coilovers?

To set ride height on coilovers, loosen the lock nut and adjust the lower spring perch. Raise it to increase ride height or lower it to decrease height, then re-tighten the lock nut before lowering the vehicle.

What tools do I need to adjust coilover ride height?

You'll need spanner wrenches, a tape measure, anti-seize lubricant, and a jack. These tools help ensure precise adjustments and prevent future complications with the coilover threads.

Why is proper ride height important for performance?

Proper ride height optimizes handling by enhancing your vehicle's center of gravity, prevents bottoming out, and ensures adequate wheel clearance to avoid tire and bodywork damage.

What is the ideal bump-to-droop ratio for suspension?

The ideal bump-to-droop ratio is 2/3 bump to 1/3 droop. This ensures your suspension compresses effectively while maintaining control during dynamic driving conditions.

Can setting the ride height too low affect my vehicle?

Yes, setting the ride height too low can damage shock absorbers and interfere with safe driving dynamics, leading to potential handling issues and increased wear on components.

How can I ensure equal ride height on both sides of my vehicle?

To ensure equal ride height, measure the height from the floor to the fender over the axle after each adjustment. Make height changes symmetrically on both sides to prevent misalignment.