I need an education on installing a set of first gen coil-overs. Not the how to get the old spring out and bolting on the new coilover, but what I need to do for the initial set-up for ride height and how to adjust the ride height with the unit installed.

It appears to me that the body of the shock can be screwed in or out of the lower mount that would change the overall length of the coil-over which would affect the ride height. Then you have the adjustment nuts for the spring itself.



I really expected to find all the info on Pfadt's site. But installation and setup directions seem to be non existent. If anyone can point me to a site or share your personal knowledge I'd appreciate the help.

Boy I feel silly as I googled and found the installation instructions but still need more specific detail on the adjustment process.


Another question for you Pfadt 1st gen coil-over owners. Did you drill holes in your rear compartment for access to the dampening adjustment screw per Pfadt instructions?

Pfadt says to adjust ride height on the car you thread the shock into the lower mounting cup. I assume you back off the lock ring and then you are or should be able to turn the threaded portion of the shock body into the mounting cup by hand????

 

I'm interested in knowing this as well.

 

What I'd like to know. Does it matter if I've already lowered my car on the stock bolts, would I need to raise it back up before installing a set of coilovers?

 

you are spot on regarding poor instructions from some of the C/O companies...my LG's required some creative tool making to get mine installed. Anyway, just keep in mind, the car body sits on the springs...very simple concept. So, when you start fiddling around with the C/Os simply make any adjustments accordingly. And, you must let the body down onto the suspension on the ground before you can ascertain the result of your work. Keep in mind how much fuel is in your tanks as well. Once you get it the way you want, over a period of days/weeks you won't need to do anything more.

 

No need to raise ride height back up, prior to the CO install

Yes with the Gen 1 CO you will need to drill two small holes, above each CO to adjust "harshness".

The holes need only to be drilled approx 1/8" larger than the diameter of the (adjustment) allen wrench

f6john, PM me..

 

Is it safe to assume that the gen 1 Pfadts do not raise or lower the car?

 

You can get the C/5 Corvettes (much lower) using the Gen 1's, compared to the next Gen, Pfadt inverted, Feather lights.

Both the Gen 1's & feather lights, allow raising & lower the ride height.

The newer generation Inverted Feather lights, make it so much easier to raise & lower, adjust harshness & requires no drilling of holes for the rear CO's ( for harshness setting.)
They are also more H/D than the Gen 1's (especially at the top ends, where they mount).

 

Toque has a excellent coilover installation write-up on his website. Fellow CF membership with some excellent information.

www.toquez06.com

Toque is the man, nice car too

 

Just reviewed Torque's site and the pictures are excellent for the install procedure. I will probably refer to them again when I actually start my install. However it does not address the initial set up of the shocks. My shocks have been installed on another car and when they were removed I know the pre-load was changed on one of the springs for sure and possibly the others too. I would also like to start with a height setting pretty close to where I want to end up. Maybe I'm expecting too much or maybe I'm trying to avoid problems that don't exist.

 

The amount of shock body screwed in or out of the mounting bracket is going to affect the overall travel of the suspension up or down as well as ride height. You are changing the overall length of the shock. I'm not sure what the initial setting should be, but both fronts should match. Both rears should match. A good rule of thumb would be to make the overall compressed length of the shock a little shorter than the stock shocks and hopefully the overall uncompressed length would be near the same as stock as well.

Setting up the ride heights and handling characteristics is done with the preload for each spring. Ideally done with the car sitting on wheel scales at each corner and weight simulating the driver in the driver’s seat.

Without wheel scales all you can do is adjust the preload on the springs to try and get the ride height correct.

In a perfect world each wheel would support 25% of the car's total weight. In most street vettes this isn't possible, so you get as close as you can.

Think of the 4 wheels supporting the car as the 4 legs of a table. Theoretically it is possible to have all of the weight on two diagonal legs and very little on the opposing legs, the ride height would be perfect, of course the dynamic handling of the car would not be happy.

Another scenario involves all of the weight being supported by just 3 corners and very little on the 4th.

These are extreme examples just to demonstrate the concept.

Hope this makes it a little more clear than mud and helps a little.

 

I seem to remember being told that with the adjustable shock bodies, then pre-load should be left alone as much as possible, and that to adjust via shock body.
This link for megan racing coilover seems to confirm that, but what do I know