the hustler07

This is really a opened question to anyone?? I have no clue how to use the coilovers properly. I just got the JIC-FLTA2 and JIC body kit. Here the questions:
1. How do you know that all sides are lowered the same amount. I read something about you guys talking about clicks, but they aren't any clicks on these coilovers.
2. Everytime I lower or raise the car, is that messing up my alignment, when i get it done after installing the coilovers?
3. How low can I lower the car, because of the bodykit (my bodyshop is rolling the back fenders).

Can you feel me in on any other do's and don'ts I'm forgetting.

lawman

I am not one of the gurus listed above but I did the SF-1 install myself... I know this is not a SC or FLA2 coilovers but it may help:

http://www.overboost.com/story.asp?id=438

When you pull your stock ones out you can measure how much lower you want to adjust your JICs to. This is not going to be an exact thing but just make sure you measure all four to be the same height and you will be fine.

I think you can lower as much as you want... but you are going to run into alignment issues if too low, run it bumps on the road if too low, scrapes... etc. As for my JIC's they are almost to the top (I can drop waaay more) and my car still looks kinda low.

Regarding the adjustment and alignment... Yes, everytime you play with the suspension you will more likely then not need an alignment. Sooo install your coilovers.. see if you like the height... many people say the coilovers will "settle" after a while so it may even go a tad bit lower... drive around for a couple weeks, adjust the height/position etc to what you like factor in the lowness that JIC kit is going to do and what size wheels ya got. Drive around more, adjust if necessary... when you are happy with the height/position - be sure about this... then go get that bad-boy aligned...

hope this helps some...


crud, I just realized that you need to sign up with overboost to see the article... To me the article was nice to see... color photos and all. Up to you.

MrJohnTan

1. To make sure all four corners are the same height, I left the spring perches as is from the factory. I did all my adjustments from the bottom of the shock tower. I just used a tape measure to measure the distance between red locks on the shock tower and the spring perch. I did lower the right side about 1/5 of an inch lower so to even out the ride height. (in general the driver side tends to sag a little lower).

As for the clicks, we were probably talking about the dampening adjustment.

2. Everytime you lower or raise the car, you will be throwing off the alignment. I was talking to the tech at the shop where I got my alignment done and he said for about every 1" you lower the car, you gain approximately 1 degree of negative camber.

3. That all depends on how many people you have in your car at any given time, how low the body kit his, how big your rims are. The only way to know for sure is through trial and error. For reference, I have measured 3" between the red lock on the bottom of my shock tower and 3" from the red lock on the spring perch. I am sitting on 18's and I lightly scrape on speedbumps at my work/school.

Congrats on your purchase. You'll be very happy with the coilovers.

the hustler07

I have 20" wheels on the car. So, everytime I lower or raise the car with coilovers its messing up my alignment ...that isn't good...I already need 3 new tires from driving around I think on a bad alignment and my tires look like this.

How come Din gets to play with his air supension without messing up his alignment

the hustler07

picture of 20" toyo tires that where on my SC.

MrJohnTan

ouch $$$$. may i suggest the daizen camber kit? I read somewhere that if you lower our cars more than 1" or 1.5", the stock camber adjustment will not compensate enough.

the hustler07

My car wasn't dropped, when this happened to my wheels though....but I'll do a search on the daizen camber kit.

Din

damm...

im alwasy checkin my tires for camber wear. I had my car alglined before my air suspension and on normal driving i try to leave it at the height that the car was algined at before. Its hard to get it right though.

TGRich

Those tires are crazy bad!!!

Definitely need and alignment, but maybe you could save the tires as slicks for the drag strip

MrJohnTan

The best is when those idiots street race at the illegals on tires that are worn down to the wires.... you get to see pretty cool sparks!!

Manaray

email me...gs430@mac.com

the hustler07

thanks to everyone for their input and help.