zblackz06

So I installed my Rippie shicks and was wondering how much you guys collapsed the upper shock bushings?.When I did mine I tightened the top shock not until the bushing started to just compress and the nut started to feel tighter.
Is this correct for this application?
Also has anyone noticed since the install that the lower air dam seems to scrape more going over speed bumps or hitting potholes?

tommyc6z06

tightened mine about same as you did. I checked again (about 300 miles later) and they're the same...ever so slightly compressed. Should be ok

Not sure if I noticed any change in scraping, although initial 'impact' absorption does seem milder (better ride?), while further stroke seems a bit more buttoned down and firmer than OE. But, this is just from mildly puttering about on street/highway. First on-track experience with them will be this Friday

zblackz06

Thanks man, I have just driven it slightly around town so far but plan on road tripping her up to Watkins Glen at the end of the month and want to make sure everything is o.k.

racerx3317

Yeah that sounds about right. I over tightened mine and it broke. Made a hell of a racket to get home. Just slightly compressed works.

meanjoe

Years ago I worked for a suspension parts manufacturer, then the procedure was to tighten the nut until the rubber bushing was the same diameter as the washer that held it in.
Maybe this will help you.

Premiumspeed

I read a thread a few weeks back that said the DRM's lower your car like 3/4" due to how they are built? Not sure how much truth there is to that, but a lot of people seem to believe it.

tommyc6z06

They’re shorter overall but they did not visibly lower my car.
it’s the springs that support the car.
I can guess that if their gas pressure would be lower than OE (they were easier to compress by hand) it may make a tiny difference, but not on mine.
Anyway, just in case, I had mine re-aligned

zblackz06

Me to and I thought that was standard practice but if I do that I am seriously compressing the Delrin bushing and that's not even close to the size of the supplied washers.

99Hawk262

I installed some recently and they made zero difference in ride height, even after several thousand miles.

They ride better than the factory shocks for sure, but in my opinion they were nowhere near all the hype I had read about them. I don't regret the purchase, but if you're expecting shock and awe as this site can sometimes lead one to expect, you might be disappointed.

Cman01

My DRM shocks have been on the car for like 7-8 years now, where I used to live I had no issue going up the driveway to park in the garage then after the shock change I would drive in as before and my front air dam would scrap lightly. It turns out from my research back then that the DRM Bilsteins do lower your car slightly (like 1/8" or so). In most cases it's not an issue the majority of the time but in my case it was slightly since I didn't want to keep scraping my air dam.

I ended up angling the car into the driveway to avoid the contact, and I have to do that too now at my current residence.

Tony

phxcobra

New control arms, amt spherical and arm shocks. Car is definitely lower and first two items wouldn't have made a difference. Looks better lower anyway.

phxcobra

This is what I did and believe drm recommended.