setting ride height sucks! big time.

Beedub · 08-09-2012, 11:56 AM

well after the install of my clubsports i finally decided to sorting this ride height once and for all.... and what a pain in the ass it is!!

heres my thinking a setting on one perch will yeild the same ride height on the opposite perch, NO.... lol... its a painstaking process of trial and error, driving around, checking again, driving round, and the rears which require me to drop the bottom shock bolt just adds insult to injury.....

complete pain in the ass.... im nearly their now thankfully but i know ive still got a good few hours ahead of me missing around with this thing...

the rears are the worst by far,,, one of my perches is like near top level adjustment and the other is midway... so annoying..... probably doesnt help is have 40lb worth of s/c slung right over the passenger side front, pretty sure thats adding more fuel to this fire! lol..... another day at it saturday then!!!

so basically all the perches are at different heights to get the car as level as possible!! nightmare!!

F
m
l

siiigggghhhhhh...............

please somebody else tell me you feel this pain!!!!

dorifto88 · 08-09-2012, 12:09 PM

this always helps me when i work on the car

Mirko · 08-09-2012, 12:25 PM

Yes, I feel your pain. I can't get the back to equal out. Passenger side is 1 finger gap and driver side is 1.5 finger gap. I played with it for hours, had the tech fix it slightly when doing alignment but still like this. It isn't too big of a deal but bothers me sometimes. haha

You shouldn't have that big of a difference in height settings, one at top and other half way down. My difference isn't too big.

Beedub · 08-09-2012, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mirko

Yes, I feel your pain. I can't get the back to equal out. Passenger side is 1 finger gap and driver side is 1.5 finger gap. I played with it for hours, had the tech fix it slightly when doing alignment but still like this. It isn't too big of a deal but bothers me sometimes. haha

You shouldn't have that big of a difference in height settings, one at top and other half way down. My difference isn't too big.

Yeah I spoke to kw about it.... They said its normal on street cars, Infact they said they've never fitted coilovers to a road car and the perches are set equal each side... So I'm not fussed about it, like I say I have huge added weight slung out over my front passenger side, sadly it has to effect things.

If I was to corner weight this car id probably be shocked.

GP20 · 08-09-2012, 03:05 PM

Just get it close to the ride height you want and take the car to get corner balanced? Chances are all 4 corners won't have the same height anyway after it's been properly balanced.

Beedub · 08-09-2012, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GP20

Just get it close to the ride height you want and take the car to get corner balanced? Chances are all 4 corners won't have the same height anyway after it's been properly balanced.

100% what my plan is. Get it how I want it to sit, run it for 3 weeks then off for a proper alignment and corner balance. I agree I've been warned that after a corner balance the perches can be set vastly different.

seank · 08-09-2012, 05:27 PM

Don't forget to unhook the sway bars! And I hope your links are adjustable. Coilovers without adjustable links does not make any sense.

inTgr8r · 08-09-2012, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seank

Don't forget to unhook the sway bars! And I hope your links are adjustable. Coilovers without adjustable links does not make any sense.

I agree it's best to be able to eliminate preload on the bars, but COs still make a lot of sense in other ways.

pal · 08-10-2012, 04:57 AM

I just removed V3s off the car and installed the KW Clubsports last week. I set the front and rear perches to max then went for a quick drive and came back and measured ride height. Then I lowered the front and rear by an equal number of threads left to right and went for a drive and came back and measured.

I repeated the above process 4 times to get to desired ride heights. My left to right perches are almost at the same height (counting number of exposed threads below the perch).

My V3s were the same - left and right perches were almost at the same place. Front to rear were/are obviously different so cannot and should not be compared.

I have a Z4M with european headers instead of stock US that were heavier by about 10 lbs. other than that, the engine is stock.

inTgr8r · 08-10-2012, 05:07 AM

^same here
My heights were very close.

pal · 08-10-2012, 05:10 AM

Oh, and I never took the rear shocks out to adjust ride height. Did have to take the wheel off though.

Fronts I did without even taking the wheel off the car- just jack the corner to take the wheel off the ground.

3002 tii · 08-10-2012, 08:48 AM

Adjust rears w/o taking the wheel off

http://www.rogueengineering.com/rogu...SH/RE-ASP.html

inTgr8r · 08-10-2012, 09:23 AM

^those look great!

Beedub · 08-10-2012, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DSC_OFF

Adjust rears w/o taking the wheel off

http://www.rogueengineering.com/rogu...SH/RE-ASP.html

thats a great idea.... they look like they will be noisy as fuck tho!!
think ill get the car balanced professionally and let them deal with the BS of getting it all level.

Beedub · 08-11-2012, 09:44 AM

ride height is set ..... around 15-20mm lower than stock, i can get my hand to halfway of the tyre tread so this is conservative....

Finnegan · 08-11-2012, 01:59 PM

No comment on the process, which sounds like a PITA, but that shot of the "backyard" sure is wonderful!

Beedub · 08-11-2012, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finnegan

No comment on the process, which sounds like a PITA, but that shot of the "backyard" sure is wonderful!

thanks bro.... sure is pretty, im a lucky boy :-)

Beedub · 08-12-2012, 11:37 AM

Guys what everyone's opinion on the ride height of the car, take a look back at the other pics on top of page, I also took some up close ones of the gap, I can get index and middle fingers comfortably in the arch... the above pics make it look lower to to the shadow cast in the wheel wells....

should i raise, lower or leave it be?

dubsesd · 08-12-2012, 01:52 PM

i would lower it another 1/2"-3/4"

i have no finger gap and i dont rub at all and my car handles 10x better than stock

seank · 08-12-2012, 01:54 PM

Full side pics would be better for evaluation. Is the ride height that you want for looks or performane?

Beedub · 08-12-2012, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seank

Full side pics would be better for evaluation. Is the ride height that you want for looks or performane?

Performance all the way this is the reason why I went a lil conservative....

Beedub · 08-12-2012, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dubsesd

i would lower it another 1/2"-3/4"

i have no finger gap and i dont rub at all and my car handles 10x better than stock

It looks fantastic but god that's low!!!

I have 2 finger gap maybe a touch more and I looks quite low.

08-09-2012, 11:56 AM	#1
Beedub Major General 423 Rep 5,327 Posts Drives: 2007 Z4 M roadster vt2-500 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	setting ride height sucks! big time edit ; pics added well after the install of my clubsports i finally decided to sorting this ride height once and for all.... and what a pain in the ass it is!! heres my thinking a setting on one perch will yeild the same ride height on the opposite perch, NO.... lol... its a painstaking process of trial and error, driving around, checking again, driving round, and the rears which require me to drop the bottom shock bolt just adds insult to injury..... complete pain in the ass.... im nearly their now thankfully but i know ive still got a good few hours ahead of me missing around with this thing... the rears are the worst by far,,, one of my perches is like near top level adjustment and the other is midway... so annoying..... probably doesnt help is have 40lb worth of s/c slung right over the passenger side front, pretty sure thats adding more fuel to this fire! lol..... another day at it saturday then!!! so basically all the perches are at different heights to get the car as level as possible!! nightmare!! F m l siiigggghhhhhh............... please somebody else tell me you feel this pain!!!! __________________ Z4MR VT2 - Clubsport build. Multi award winning Detailing \| Wrap \| PPF specialists UK based - www.topwrapz.com Last edited by Beedub; 08-12-2012 at 11:38 AM..
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08-09-2012, 12:09 PM	#2
dorifto88 Major 48 Rep 1,135 Posts Drives: 88 Nissan Pathfinder Join Date: May 2010 Location: cowtown iTrader: (4)	this always helps me when i work on the car
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08-09-2012, 12:25 PM	#3
Mirko Major 182 Rep 1,031 Posts Drives: E86 Z4M, E90 328i, E84 X1 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Toronto iTrader: (2)	Yes, I feel your pain. I can't get the back to equal out. Passenger side is 1 finger gap and driver side is 1.5 finger gap. I played with it for hours, had the tech fix it slightly when doing alignment but still like this. It isn't too big of a deal but bothers me sometimes. haha You shouldn't have that big of a difference in height settings, one at top and other half way down. My difference isn't too big.
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08-09-2012, 03:05 PM	#5
GP20 Major 95 Rep 1,269 Posts Drives: Z4M, F80 M3, 991.2 GTS Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Canada iTrader: (5)	Just get it close to the ride height you want and take the car to get corner balanced? Chances are all 4 corners won't have the same height anyway after it's been properly balanced. __________________ 2019 Porsche 911 4 GTS 2016 BMW M3 2008 BMW Z4M coupe
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08-09-2012, 05:27 PM	#7
seank enthusiast 48 Rep 1,695 Posts Drives: e30 m3,e90 wagon,sprinter,z4m Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: sacramento, ca iTrader: (4)	Don't forget to unhook the sway bars! And I hope your links are adjustable. Coilovers without adjustable links does not make any sense.
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08-10-2012, 04:57 AM	#9
pal Captain 433 Rep 753 Posts Drives: Z4 M Coupe Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Seattle, WA iTrader: (2)	I just removed V3s off the car and installed the KW Clubsports last week. I set the front and rear perches to max then went for a quick drive and came back and measured ride height. Then I lowered the front and rear by an equal number of threads left to right and went for a drive and came back and measured. I repeated the above process 4 times to get to desired ride heights. My left to right perches are almost at the same height (counting number of exposed threads below the perch). My V3s were the same - left and right perches were almost at the same place. Front to rear were/are obviously different so cannot and should not be compared. I have a Z4M with european headers instead of stock US that were heavier by about 10 lbs. other than that, the engine is stock.
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08-10-2012, 05:07 AM	#10
inTgr8r Lieutenant General 2426 Rep 11,667 Posts Drives: M2 Comp Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Toronto iTrader: (10)	^same here My heights were very close. __________________ '21 M2C Hockenheim Silver '18 718 Cayman S Lava Orange (sold) '13 E92 M3 Santorini Blue (sold) '07 Z4 M Coupe Alpine White (sold)
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08-10-2012, 05:10 AM	#11
pal Captain 433 Rep 753 Posts Drives: Z4 M Coupe Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Seattle, WA iTrader: (2)	Oh, and I never took the rear shocks out to adjust ride height. Did have to take the wheel off though. Fronts I did without even taking the wheel off the car- just jack the corner to take the wheel off the ground.
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08-10-2012, 08:48 AM	#12
3002 tii Lieutenant General 2280 Rep 12,565 Posts Drives: Z4 M, X5, GX460 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: CT iTrader: (99) Garage List F15 X5 xDrive35i [8.75] E86 Z4 M [10.00] F10 550i (Retired) [9.17] F25 X3 xDrive35i (R ... [9.43] E82 135is (Retired) [9.50] E85 Z4 M (Retired) [9.41] E90 328i xDrive (Re ... [9.25] E86 Z4 3.0si (Retired) [9.20]	Adjust rears w/o taking the wheel off http://www.rogueengineering.com/rogu...SH/RE-ASP.html __________________ Follow for latest mods
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08-10-2012, 09:23 AM	#13
inTgr8r Lieutenant General 2426 Rep 11,667 Posts Drives: M2 Comp Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Toronto iTrader: (10)	^those look great! __________________ '21 M2C Hockenheim Silver '18 718 Cayman S Lava Orange (sold) '13 E92 M3 Santorini Blue (sold) '07 Z4 M Coupe Alpine White (sold)
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08-11-2012, 09:44 AM	#15
Beedub Major General 423 Rep 5,327 Posts Drives: 2007 Z4 M roadster vt2-500 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	ride height is set ..... around 15-20mm lower than stock, i can get my hand to halfway of the tyre tread so this is conservative.... __________________ Z4MR VT2 - Clubsport build. Multi award winning Detailing \| Wrap \| PPF specialists UK based - www.topwrapz.com
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08-11-2012, 01:59 PM	#16
Finnegan Dog Listener 701 Rep 7,850 Posts Drives: Z4M/. Z3M, E36/46 M3 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Teaching the dog to slalom iTrader: (22)	No comment on the process, which sounds like a PITA, but that shot of the "backyard" sure is wonderful!
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08-12-2012, 11:37 AM	#18
Beedub Major General 423 Rep 5,327 Posts Drives: 2007 Z4 M roadster vt2-500 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	Guys what everyone's opinion on the ride height of the car, take a look back at the other pics on top of page, I also took some up close ones of the gap, I can get index and middle fingers comfortably in the arch... the above pics make it look lower to to the shadow cast in the wheel wells.... should i raise, lower or leave it be? __________________ Z4MR VT2 - Clubsport build. Multi award winning Detailing \| Wrap \| PPF specialists UK based - www.topwrapz.com
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08-12-2012, 01:52 PM	#19
dubsesd #dubspec 6327 Rep 5,200 Posts Drives: G05 X5/ 2016 F80 M3 INDVL Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Ottawa iTrader: (2)	i would lower it another 1/2"-3/4" i have no finger gap and i dont rub at all and my car handles 10x better than stock __________________ LCI ///F80 M3 Individual Atlantis Metallic / Black Full / Carbon Cermics / 6MT MPE / M Performance & Carbon package / KW v3 / 20" HRE R101LW / 20" HRE 527s / Michelin PSS / 20% tint / 3d Design / Streckenn splitters / OEM GTS hood / EAS Carbon seatbacks / Carbon RKP sideskirt / Bootmod3 / M Performance Tri color alcantara / AWE S Flow instagram: @ dubsesd
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08-12-2012, 01:54 PM	#20
seank enthusiast 48 Rep 1,695 Posts Drives: e30 m3,e90 wagon,sprinter,z4m Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: sacramento, ca iTrader: (4)	Full side pics would be better for evaluation. Is the ride height that you want for looks or performane?
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