What is the easiest way to recover some front suspension travel? I just ditched a set of AGXs and springs because they couldnt keep my car off the bump stops. I swapped them for some Koni struts with 8k Eibach springs...and Im still having the same issue. So I measured the front bump travel and came up with only 1.5'' of available compression before I hit the 1/2 inch poly stop...not gonna cut it...

The only options I can think of now are either extending the strut tube, or grinding the welds off the housing mounting bracket and scooting it up the strut a couple inches.

I have 6 inches between the pinch welds/jack points and the ground. So I figure I could definitely use at least 4 inches of travel...any thoughts?

 

coils?

 

had coilovers. They sucked. Too stiff, no travel.

 

something else has to be dramatically wrong.
I've driven a car with agx struts and tien springs and couldn't come close to hitting the bump stops. Well, unless I was doing 50 over a speed bump or something like that.

what is it like with the stock suspension on it.

why would you want 4 inches of travel anyway?

 

What else could cause that? It mainly hits on the drivers side. I never feel the passenger side bottom out unless I go over a gutter sideways, or like you said hit a speed bump at ~20mph.

With the stock suspension, it was quite bouncy but with it so high up, I never hit the stops. I have had all sorts of spring/dampers on this thing. Stock, gr2/sleeves, godspeed coils, stock s14/lowering springs, kei office coils, AGX with springs, and now this setup....all the non-coilover setups with lowering springs have had this issue. Coilovers were fine since the ones I had featured a threaded strut body so you can keep your travel while still lowering. So that is why I figure I can use more travel. I would probably be fine with about 3 inches...because with a static height of 6 inches at the pinch welds I could still clear a 3 inch bump at full compression. Make sense?

Also, the car has always sat about a half inch higher on the drivers side front and rear, with the springs at the same length.

And here is a pic of the current front setup next to the last one incase it matters.

 

Install longer springs and to have your vehicle sit up higher. Being higher is the only was to keep from hitting objects. The lower you go, the stiffer the spring rate you also need to install with it to keep the car from bottoming out all the time. One of the things that the aftermarket coilover companies sometimes don't mention. When you lower your car via an adjustable coilover, the travel is reduced and the bumpstop is closer to the top of the strut. Driving over the same bump will compress the spring the same amount, only you are lower to start with. Install stiffer springs. Better yet, go back to stock and be done with it and eliminate the guesswork.

 

Thanks for the comment. Ive got it covered though. Telling someone to go back to stock suspension is just silly. lol. The main issue is spring perch height combined with the adjustable coil sleeve. It was actually bottoming out on top of the sleeve (since I had it maxed out on low due to the stock-location spring perch).....This is using a 400lb/in 5'' Eibach wind...

Soooo I drilled out the bottom of the strut tube till the strut insert pulled through a bit. Then stacked $5 of washers on the end and bolted it back up. Chopped the top of the strut tube accordingly. Added a helper spring and threw it back on the car. Issue solved.

 

You should re-invent s-chassis suspension because apparently no one has done it right yet. The lower you go the stiffer it NEEDS to be so you don't bottom out. G/L

 

^Cant tell if thats sarcasm? lol



Seriously though, s chassis front suspension blows ass.

8611 setups/coilover porn:

 

Nice set up!!