Coilover Ride Height Query

[Gaijin]

Hi guys,

Probably an easy one but my brain isn't working well and i'm on a bit of tight schedule as it were.

A couple of months back I managed to pick up some Koni Coilovers for my MX5 for a very tidy price. Similar to these:

Now these coilovers are of a reasonably old design, namely in the way that they don't have separate/independent preload and ride height adjustment. Changes in ride height are achieved by adjusting the preload on the spring.

Now the crux of it is that the car has failed its NCT (think MOT) on the alignment and I need to get it done - it's booked in on saturday. However, I would like to raise the ride height on the rears slightly as they have settled lower than I would like.

However, I can't remember which way to wind the collars in order to do this and don't really have time to experiment.

Do I increase or decrease preload in order to raise the ride height on the car?

 

[NoNameNoNumber]

Wind the collars up/increase preload

 

["andy"]

because of the progressive spring your not really adjuting the preload all that much

but yea winding them up will make car higher

 

[Gaijin]

Thanks guys

 

[Simon]

Preload doesn't exist here

Move the platform up so the bottom of spring moves up and the top of the spring will go up by the same amount

 

[OCPete]

Preload doesn't exist here

Move the platform up so the bottom of spring moves up and the top of the spring will go up by the same amount

This.

The car weighs the same so will compress the spring the same amount.

 

[Fuzz]

Exactly as Simon says.


Up is the direction in which you need to move.

 

[Gaijin]

Thanks chaps - managed to do both sides tonight after work and reinstall plastic a gasket thinger on top of one of the struts too - good job MX5 suspension is like lego!

Still have a really irritating chirp when going over bumps on the nearside though

For another day I guess.