How to Adjust Coilovers - Explained

Stock shock absorbers don't allow for altering ride height - that's where coilovers come in. How to adjust coilovers. How to lower your car. This video shows how to raise or lower your car using coilovers. It is important to note that altering your ride height will change your suspension geometry, and should be followed up with a wheel alignment.

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[UrPeaceKeeper]

One final recommended step.  If you take your car to get an alignment, ask to have the car corner balanced.  If they look at you like you are stupid, find a shop that will corner balance your car and corner balance it CORRECTLY so there is no wedge in the car (the sum of your right front and left rear is the same as the sum of your left front and right rear) when you are in the car.  This ensures that your car has the same handling both right and left.  Just adjusting the ride height alone will not corner balance the car and can actually upset that balance and can create a funky handling ride.

[esoteric__]

If you don't have something to measure the gap, you can also count how many threads are exposed.

[EngineeringExplained]

The actual adjustments aren't that difficult, but I don't own the expensive laser level tool which is used to find out where your alignment is at, so I probably won't have videos on this anytime soon.

[EngineeringExplained]

Check out my videos on camber, caster, toe, and steering axis inclination. These are different variables (some of which are not adjustable) which can be used to alter alignment. Most shops will alter toe, and some will alter camber (if adjustable). To be sure it's done right, ask for a print-off of the alignment before and after, and ask what the OEM spec for the vehicle is. If they can't tell you (or provide this), pick a different shop!

[EngineeringExplained]

Check out my Facebook page (facebook dot com / engineeringexplained). I'll have a video up soon!

[EngineeringExplained]

I have videos on damping (suspensions - explained), camber (camber - explained) an toe (toe in and toe out - explained). Search my channel or go to my suspensions playlist. :)

[dkkila]

For all those confused on how this specific coilover system works. The 1st gold ring right under the spring itself is to set the pre-load... but only until after you set it appropriately and use the 2nd (middle) gold ring to lock it in position can you use that same 1st ring to adjust the height. This specific coilover systems spring is independent from the top mount so it can move up and down without affecting the pre-load.

[pejmanshahroozi]

You don't actually have to keep periodically checking the height. You can just take the lowest lock ring at the bottom of the threads, and bring it up to where the gap between that and the top adjusting rings is the placement you want it at, then keep adjusting down until you get the lower lock ring at the bottom again. Then measure and adjust slightly if needed.

[EngineeringExplained]

So far so good, I definitely like them. They are stiff so they won't compress as much with weight in the car, but that said it is a bit rough over certain bumps and such. But yeah I'd say worth it, I've looked at others and the spring rates seem to be fairly similar across the line.

[EngineeringExplained]

Spring stiffness will not change, and I'm not changing the overall length of the spring (known as adjusting pre-load).

[EngineeringExplained]

Very happy to hear it, thanks and thank you for watching!

[EngineeringExplained]

Yonaka supplied me with the coilovers; I haven't looked in to other brands much. They're definitely stiffer, but body roll is also reduced a good amount.

[DjSharperimage]

Great video, I used this video to help me adjust my coilovers.
Also every coilover is different, just because he set his at 6.5 inches doesn't mean you should set yours to 6.5 inches too. The coilovers on my Toyota Celica was exactly the same inches as the wheel gap, where 4 inches on the coilovers (bottom of bottom-ring to top of top-ring) was exactly 4 inches on the wheel gap (fender to tire).

[pnevma]

You can get more adjustments from some more expensive coilovers on top of height adjustment (or preload). But they are mainly use for 80% track and 20% road.
Eg. compression and rebound adjustment for the shocks.
There are also some coilovers that you can adjust high speed compression and rebound, and low speed compression and rebound.

[EngineeringExplained]

Yes, excessive negative camber would cause the insides of the tire to wear quicker, while positive camber would of course cause the opposite.

[foxrace]

Holy crap! Just stumbled on an OG video from 9 years ago. Bet you didn't expect your videos to take off like they did but i still learned something from this vid.. had to double check my brain on the right way to raise or lower coilovers..

[kayinoue]

Question for you: I've heard pretty often that you should -not- adjust the lower ring (not the lower shock collar, but the lower one by the spring perch) as that will mess with the preload, on coilovers with threaded shock bodies.  So, I'm slightly confused. 

[EngineeringExplained]

Well, it's best to eliminate camber for street use. It will cause uneven tire wear, though I've heard poor toe is worse than a little camber. I'm planning to get adjustable camber arms to compensate.

[wt]

please make a dampening/preload video. or help me out and explain how to adjust them and what I would need to do. my car is crazy stiff and I am not sure if I need to adjust both and or how much I should be adjusting each of them. (I purchased the car like this).

[KLP]

Correct me if Im wrong but I thought the locking nut/ring at the very bottom had to be loosed then rotate the whole spring assembly to adjust ride height?