Loweing Del sol Issues
10-21-2009, 01:57 PM
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Loweing Del sol Issues
I just picked up another Del Sol. My first one I had a ghetto ass suspension but it rode smooth as hell and was dumped...
Meghan struts from autozone with cut skunk2 lowering springs in front,
240sx coilovers on meghan struts in rear.
Yes I know, That is the most fucked up suspension set up but it worked and I loved it.
Thing Is I picked up some Koni Yellows (Fairly New) and some coil over sleeves that are yellow springs chrome sleeves. I have no clue what any spec is on anything but I do know that my old car tucked 15's with 50 height tires, I got the same rims and tires on this set up also. hing Is that my old setup the struts never bottomed out and the ride was smooth and barely bumpy but it was a smoothbumpy. This setup is stiff as balls but rides smooth till you hit a smooth dip, or a bump and the shit bottoms out. I know the struts are good cause they don't bounce, they rebound when you load the suspension. But why in hell do they bottom out so easily.
Also I'd like to state that this setup (koni-coils) there is a inch gap between the tire and well.
My question is...
Is it possible that the struts were made for like an Integra, or prelude, or accord, or some other vehicle and the strut tower is taller than that of a del sol or eg? And why did I have to swap out my forks too. My stock del sol one's were almost 1/4 inch to big and wouldn't clamp the bottom of the strut.
I'm not a suspension GURU and that's why i'm asking...
pm's welcome, please bump cause I need info asap.
Leave the negative and shit talk off the thread please.
Meghan struts from autozone with cut skunk2 lowering springs in front,
240sx coilovers on meghan struts in rear.
Yes I know, That is the most fucked up suspension set up but it worked and I loved it.
Thing Is I picked up some Koni Yellows (Fairly New) and some coil over sleeves that are yellow springs chrome sleeves. I have no clue what any spec is on anything but I do know that my old car tucked 15's with 50 height tires, I got the same rims and tires on this set up also. hing Is that my old setup the struts never bottomed out and the ride was smooth and barely bumpy but it was a smoothbumpy. This setup is stiff as balls but rides smooth till you hit a smooth dip, or a bump and the shit bottoms out. I know the struts are good cause they don't bounce, they rebound when you load the suspension. But why in hell do they bottom out so easily.
Also I'd like to state that this setup (koni-coils) there is a inch gap between the tire and well.
My question is...
Is it possible that the struts were made for like an Integra, or prelude, or accord, or some other vehicle and the strut tower is taller than that of a del sol or eg? And why did I have to swap out my forks too. My stock del sol one's were almost 1/4 inch to big and wouldn't clamp the bottom of the strut.
I'm not a suspension GURU and that's why i'm asking...
pm's welcome, please bump cause I need info asap.
Leave the negative and shit talk off the thread please.
10-21-2009, 10:54 PM
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Re: Loweing Del sol Issues
The firm, harsh ride has nothing to do with the shocks, and everything to do with the springs. If you have springs with a very high spring rate, it takes a lot of force to compress the springs (which is basically the definition of spring rate) so any bump will be pretty harsh. I'm not sure if you're actually bottoming something out, or if the springs are so stiff that it just feels like you are.
If you are bottoming something out, it might not be the shock. If you're using springs with threaded sleeves, the springs are usually fairly short, and the sleeves sometimes pretty long. So you could be bottoming the sleeve out, because it obviously can't compress once you make contact with it on both ends. Or, if the springs are short and there are a lot of coils for the spring length, you could be compressing the spring enough that it's going into coil bind. If that's the case, all of the coils are touching each other, the spring can't compress any more, and then you still have the length of the sleeve that may be making matters worse. Cheap springs or springs/sleeves can cause all kinds of problems when they're designed poorly.
It could be any of those things, all of those things, or none of those things. But, you should know about them so you can recognize them and figure out what's happening.
And yes, you should be using the right parts for your car and they should be a drop-in fit. If they aren't, you probably don't have parts for the right car.
If you are bottoming something out, it might not be the shock. If you're using springs with threaded sleeves, the springs are usually fairly short, and the sleeves sometimes pretty long. So you could be bottoming the sleeve out, because it obviously can't compress once you make contact with it on both ends. Or, if the springs are short and there are a lot of coils for the spring length, you could be compressing the spring enough that it's going into coil bind. If that's the case, all of the coils are touching each other, the spring can't compress any more, and then you still have the length of the sleeve that may be making matters worse. Cheap springs or springs/sleeves can cause all kinds of problems when they're designed poorly.
It could be any of those things, all of those things, or none of those things. But, you should know about them so you can recognize them and figure out what's happening.
And yes, you should be using the right parts for your car and they should be a drop-in fit. If they aren't, you probably don't have parts for the right car.
Last edited by Fabrik8; 10-21-2009 at 10:56 PM.
10-22-2009, 10:36 AM
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Re: Loweing Del sol Issues
The firm, harsh ride has nothing to do with the shocks, and everything to do with the springs. If you have springs with a very high spring rate, it takes a lot of force to compress the springs (which is basically the definition of spring rate) so any bump will be pretty harsh. I'm not sure if you're actually bottoming something out, or if the springs are so stiff that it just feels like you are.
If you are bottoming something out, it might not be the shock. If you're using springs with threaded sleeves, the springs are usually fairly short, and the sleeves sometimes pretty long. So you could be bottoming the sleeve out, because it obviously can't compress once you make contact with it on both ends. Or, if the springs are short and there are a lot of coils for the spring length, you could be compressing the spring enough that it's going into coil bind. If that's the case, all of the coils are touching each other, the spring can't compress any more, and then you still have the length of the sleeve that may be making matters worse. Cheap springs or springs/sleeves can cause all kinds of problems when they're designed poorly.
It could be any of those things, all of those things, or none of those things. But, you should know about them so you can recognize them and figure out what's happening.
And yes, you should be using the right parts for your car and they should be a drop-in fit. If they aren't, you probably don't have parts for the right car.
If you are bottoming something out, it might not be the shock. If you're using springs with threaded sleeves, the springs are usually fairly short, and the sleeves sometimes pretty long. So you could be bottoming the sleeve out, because it obviously can't compress once you make contact with it on both ends. Or, if the springs are short and there are a lot of coils for the spring length, you could be compressing the spring enough that it's going into coil bind. If that's the case, all of the coils are touching each other, the spring can't compress any more, and then you still have the length of the sleeve that may be making matters worse. Cheap springs or springs/sleeves can cause all kinds of problems when they're designed poorly.
It could be any of those things, all of those things, or none of those things. But, you should know about them so you can recognize them and figure out what's happening.
And yes, you should be using the right parts for your car and they should be a drop-in fit. If they aren't, you probably don't have parts for the right car.
But I being a genius I took apart my stock suspension last night without spring compressors, That was a new experience but faster and not dangerous haha. But yeah I'm a take the koni's off and put the coils on the stock struts and see what I'm left with.
If it's still horrible, I/m a just cut a coil off the stock spring just enough to get the fender well a little closed up over stock.
10-22-2009, 10:38 AM
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Re: Loweing Del sol Issues
10-22-2009, 11:10 AM
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10-22-2009, 11:50 AM
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10-23-2009, 05:34 AM
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Re: Loweing Del sol Issues
Word, That shit is fresh even if it single cam. Like the rims you put on there too. But yeah, I put the stock suspension on with modified springs, I've had Cut springs before and I if you do it right it's notbad at all. Never once had a problem with previous del sol which had cut springs for 3 years. I went through 2 sets of rear struts and i was tucking 15's. rode good, never bottomed out, and struts lasted. Autozone specials with the struts haha. When I get my school and work back on track I'm getting some Ksport pro coil overs. My buddy had them on his del sol and I love the performance, and he still has them on his ek to this day after 4 years!
