Suspension question...

[Crazzy_Al]

I looked for a "Suspension" forum, but I was uable to find one...so I hope that it's ok that I put this thread in this forum.

Here's my problem...

Last weekend I installed some coilovers to the front end of my 99 Cobra and the kit I bought is made by D&D Motorsports. The coilovers are ment to work with factory, or factory-like struts. I installed the coilovers with the factory struts and now the front end of my car bounces. The suspension and handling is very tight, but has a significant "pogo" effect to it. D&D Makes 2 different front coilover kits, the "Drag" and "Handling." I bought the handling kit which is supposed to come with 250lb springs vs the 200lb springs that are on the "Drag" kit. Before these coilovers I had the Eibach ProKit springs installed up front and there was no bouncing what so ever. With the coilovers I was able to get the front end wheel well gap down about another 1" to 1.5" and like I said, it is now bouncy.

Is there a cheap or easy fix to this problem? Do I need to buy after market struts? Do I have to get adjustable struts?

Any help from you guys will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Alberto

 

[Crazzy_Al]

Bump.

 

[dsroten]

If you're really bouncy, that seems to indicate that your struts have lost their dampening ability.

Are the coilovers adjustable in any shape or form. Cornering ability and comfort can't really be had together. You have to find a happy medium somewhere. So if you have everything set up for ultimate cornering ability, then you lose some dampening.

Aftermarket struts are a good idea anyway, especially adjustable ones. This way you could tune your suspension however you like it.

 

[Steeltwo]

what did the company say?
have you called and asked?



if you have a bouncey from end, sure you didn't heat and cut the springs :whine:

 

[Crazzy_Al]

I'm waiting on a reply email from the coilover company. No, I didn't heat up or cut the springs. :lol:

The struts worked great before I put the coilovers on, (the car didn't bounce at all) so I can't see them being worn and I did have lowering springs on before the coilovers.

 

[03'Darin]

I looked for a "Suspension" forum, but I was uable to find one...so I hope that it's ok that I put this thread in this forum.

Here's my problem...

Last weekend I installed some coilovers to the front end of my 99 Cobra and the kit I bought is made by D&D Motorsports. The coilovers are ment to work with factory, or factory-like struts. I installed the coilovers with the factory struts and now the front end of my car bounces. The suspension and handling is very tight, but has a significant "pogo" effect to it. D&D Makes 2 different front coilover kits, the "Drag" and "Handling." I bought the handling kit which is supposed to come with 250lb springs vs the 200lb springs that are on the "Drag" kit. Before these coilovers I had the Eibach ProKit springs installed up front and there was no bouncing what so ever. With the coilovers I was able to get the front end wheel well gap down about another 1" to 1.5" and like I said, it is now bouncy.

Is there a cheap or easy fix to this problem? Do I need to buy after market struts? Do I have to get adjustable struts?

Any help from you guys will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Alberto

Your stock strut has a fixed dampening rate based on the stock springs. By going to coil overs and changing the spring rate (keep in mind a coil over spring uses a much lower spring rate to achieve the same performance) you usually need a different dampening rate. Most coil over kits require a different strut to work with the kit. As stated above, check with D & D for sure on this.

Also, did you remove the control arms for any reason when you installed the coil overs? Did you change the control arm bushings?

Darin

 

[Crazzy_Al]

Control arms were not removed during the install.

Anyways, I think I know what's wrong with it now. I'm going to get it pulled apart, make a change or two, put it back together and hopefully report back with good news by Saturday.

 

[03'Darin]

Control arms were not removed during the install.

Anyways, I think I know what's wrong with it now. I'm going to get it pulled apart, make a change or two, put it back together and hopefully report back with good news by Saturday.

What do you think is wrong?

 

[Crazzy_Al]

Hard to explain without pix, or the correct terminology. I'll take some pix this weekend and do a full write-up since the directions provided by D&D are ****in worthless garbage! I don't want anyone to have to deal with this ****ed up shit!

Long story short, I think the spring is currently being compressed about 1.5" more than it should be.

The big "upside down, cup-like" bushing at the top of the strut and below the strut tower, does not have the edges cut off and it doesn't fit over the spring. Therefore the edges are compressing the spring down. The edges need to be cut off so that the upside down, cup-like bushing is actually more like and upside down plate-like bushing (no edges) and not compressing the spring.

 

[03'Darin]

Hard to explain without pix, or the correct terminology. I'll take some pix this weekend and do a full write-up since the directions provided by D&D are ****in worthless garbage! I don't want anyone to have to deal with this ****ed up shit!

Long story short, I think the spring is currently being compressed about 1.5" more than it should be.

The big "upside down, cup-like" bushing at the top of the strut and below the strut tower, does not have the edges cut off and it doesn't fit over the spring. Therefore the edges are compressing the spring down. The edges need to be cut off so that the upside down, cup-like bushing is actually more like and upside down plate-like bushing (no edges) and not compressing the spring.

I gotcha'. lol That could be causing the spring to over power the factory strut dampening resulting in the bounce your getting. Let us know how you make out with it.

 

[Crazzy_Al]

Most definitely.

 

[Crazzy_Al]

The way I originally had the coilovers installed was incorrect...thanks to lack of directions from the manufacturer I bought the coilover kit from.

Now, see the pic of the factory strut? See the wider but shorter black cylinder-like object next to it? That thing is two pieces. The top part is about 2.5" tall from top to bottom and is hard rubber covering and infused to metal...it's basically the shape of an upside down shallow cup with a hole in it. (it goes over the very top of the strut)

Anyways, when I assembled the strut and installed it on to the car, I did not modify that "cup-like" bushing I just explained to you. So what was hapening was that extra 1.5" - 2" of side wall (imagine the sides of a cup) were pushing down on and compressing that coilover spring that much, not allowing the spring to properly do it's job...hence the severe bouncing. There was a 1.5" - 2" gap from the top of the spring to strut which was not supposed to be there, so nothing was doing it's job correctly.

So what I did to remedy the problem was to disassemble the front end again and I took those "cup-like" bushings off. I then put each one (one at a time) in a bench vise and I took a bandsaw to the side and through the center, then flipped it over to the other side and did the same. That basically turned that upside down "cup-like" bushing into an upside down "plate-like" bushing (no more sides. Getting rid of the sides eliminate there being any space between parts and the spring getting over compressed. The car handles and rides awesome now.

I hope I explained that well enough for everyone who's read this to understand it...

 

[03'Darin]

I can't believe they didn't send you directions with the kit. I don't mind assembling something once but to tear it apart a second time to get it right really pisses me off. Glad you figured the problem out.

Darin

 

[Crazzy_Al]

I can't believe they didn't send you directions with the kit. I don't mind assembling something once but to tear it apart a second time to get it right really pisses me off. Glad you figured the problem out.

Darin

Oh, they sent directions. The directions made no mention of a few things that I had to mod, fab, cut and grind. I did what I could to send them any and all info I found relevant for them to add to there directions. ****in idiots I tell you.