DIY Lowering

[Harry_manback]

Theretical question.

if i had a dye the right size,

if i put another 20mm of thread on the top of the shocks would this lower the car another 20mm??

 

[CHRISK172+]

Theretical question.

if i had a dye the right size,

if i put another 20mm of thread on the top of the shocks would this lower the car another 20mm??

Nope....it's the springs that set the height.

 

[Harry_manback]

hmmm, u sure?

 

[Coby.]

Springs Lower it and the Shocks support them I think, Hence why Std Shocks get Knackered when Combined with say -60mm Springs

 

[Keano]

Theretical question.

if i had a dye the right size,

if i put another 20mm of thread on the top of the shocks would this lower the car another 20mm??

lol

 

[Turkish]

I've heard it all now, lol

 

[Harry_manback]

but surely u tighten the top mount onto the top of your shock,so it would go down futher, or would this just put more pressure on the spring in general?

 

[Andi-B]

The nut thread at the top of OEM shocks is set at a certain length and is designed for standard springs, you put aftermarket springs on and the spring height drops, but the shock height doesn't, so in effect there is play and movement on the OEM shocks (If that made sense) hence why OEM shocks on shortened springs take a slight beating.. As they're designed for full length springs.

Buy both aftermarket shocks and springs as they're both designed to work together.

 

[Turkish]

You would end up putting preload into the spring as it would be pre compressed by a further 20mm or however much you are planning to cut down a thread. That wont relate to a 20mm drop in ride height though as winding down coilovers by 20mm doesnt mean you will lower it by the same amount.

How it will effect the handling i dont know, and you will also have to cut excess off of the threaded part of the piston because it will be so far proud of the upper part of the mout in the inner wing it will probably foul the bonnet when you close it. In short dont bother, either buy some springs if you want to lower on the cheap or leave it alone IMO.

 

[dswarwick]

As you've probably guessed from people's responses so far it's not that easy.

If you want a technical explaination on why this won't work google Hooke's Law as a starting point.

There are several basic problems, shortening the damper with a standard spring is basically pre-loading the spring. Hooke's Law tells you that to compress the spring further will need even more force so basically you end up with really hard suspension - sounds good in theory but I doubt the real world experience will be one you want.

You are also likely to end up putting a permanent load on the damper as the compressed spring tries to un-compress itself. Best case the damper will wear a bit faster, worst case it will fail in fairly short order.

Normal lowering springs partly solve this problem by actually being shorter (so aren't pre-compressed) and crucially there are some more complicated maths on the spring tension to make sure the car handles properly. Properly designed lowering springs are still sub-optimal in terms of handling if paired with standard dampers because the two aren't matched, plus potential problems with camber adjustment.

If you just want to get low - lowering springs are fine. If you really want to improve the handling then you need to look at full kits.

 

[Harry_manback]

i dont wanna lower, i was just wondering.

out of interest then, would this stop the knocking under hard acceleration?

 

[Turkish]

It's not going to sort out your dodgy engine mounts no.

 

[Tyssen]

It's not going to sort out your dodgy engine mounts no.

get out of the wrong side of bed today hun?

 

[dswarwick]

Nope afraid not, different problem all together (probably!) - the knocking under hard acceleration is most likely the exhaust manifold hitting the firewall as a result of worn or broken engine mounts. Common problem if you search on these forums.

 

[Turkish]

It's not going to sort out your dodgy engine mounts no.

get out of the wrong side of bed today hun?

No :S just stating a fact. Knocking is down the the engine mounts that Renault made out of bits of sponge.

 

[Harry_manback]

Nope afraid not, different problem all together (probably!) - the knocking under hard acceleration is most likely the exhaust manifold hitting the firewall as a result of worn or broken engine mounts. Common problem if you search on these forums.

oh thanks, never thought of that!!