Jim - did you ever solve your problems?

[Grant Lenahan]

See below.
On Jan 12, 2007, at 9:15 PM, thejimrose wrote:

> Heh.. thanks for your concern grant. i can't say for sure that my 
> coils were hitting [although with the shock/spring is on the bench it 
> certainly looks like they *would* once in the car] and my travel is 
> limited.
>
>  i can say that the ride is harsh, and the car seems over sprung. it 
> wants to launch itself over bumps and such. i also have camber 
> problems that are KILLING the insides of my front tires.

Sounds like too stiff a spring.  And a misalignment - possibly due to 
the lowering. How low did it go? Did you make any correction for 
camber?

>
> so it seems that the best / only solution / option is to raise the 
> front suspension by adjusting the lower spring perches up. that's the 
> motive behind my initial questions.
That may solve the camber problem, but will do absolutely, positively, 
nothing for the ride.

>
> i'm going to assume that neuspeed did SOME homework on spec'ing the 
> springs and shocks and ive spoken to other with the same kit that seem 
> to have better opinions. so im not going to reinvent the wheel [yet] 
> and start re-specing the package. maybe im too fussy or expected too 
> much. but as soon as i can im going to redo the front's and set them 
> higher and see where that puts me as far as ride / performance / etc.

I have found most aftermarket spring/strut packages suck.  Even tests 
by the "we love everything" editors of European Car showed graphs that 
revealed that most systems reduced track times (vs stock M3).  Stiff is 
not necessarily good.
I want to ask again-since you never answered me in so many words -
1.) is this a matched spring/chock kit?
2.) is it specifically for your model car? With your motor (weight) , 
etc.?
(if not, they couldnt do their homework since they didnt have the specs)

>
> of course this means totally disassembling the front suspension again. 
> which im NOT stoked on. i am tempted to redo them all and use the 
> stock sport springs.
I think that is a good idea. But use ALL FOUR. If you want I can 
explain, but there are numerous reasons to use 4 matched springs. No 
H7R rear / stock front hybrids.  By the way, this will also give you 
what i consider the better of two alternatives - well (over) damped vs 
what sounds to be under-damped.

  i'll be really aggrivated if i adjust the fronts only to find there 
still not great and then pull it all apart for a 3rd time. i guess i'll 
have it pretty wired at that point however. =)
>
> i will definitely keep you all posted. im hoping to redo the fronts in 
> the next few weeks.
Wrong-o. Do all four. Rears are easy anyway.

>  my concern now is having the F+R perches at different heights so the 
> car sits right and how that will impact under/oversteer. the F needs 
> to come up, but the R set max low is fine [actually higher than i'd 
> expect.
>
> maybe i installed them all backwards? are we having fun yet? =)
What do you mean backwards?

>
> thanks all
> jim
>
> On 1/12/07, Grant Lenahan < glenahan at vfemail.net> wrote:We had a 
> fascinating discussion on coil-over designs, btu as I recall,
>> you still had a hard ride, coils hitting each other and little
>> suspension travel.  Which regardless of design, is unacceptable.
>>
>> What have you found?
>>
>> Grant
>>
>
>
>
> -- 
> --------------------------------------------------------
> Chuck Norris counted to infinity. Twice.