Megan help

[wraitherx]

Alright, I’m frustrated with Coilovers at this point. I love how it’s changed the driving and it feels more planted to the ground but I have an issue.

The fronts are perfect, the rears in the other hand are pissing me off. No matter what height I set them at they continue to go back to the height they were before. The drivers rear is at 4 1/2” and the passenger rear is at 4 1/4”. This wouldn’t be an issue if it wasn’t for it scraping all the damn time. I’ve set the recommended preload per Megan but still, I can raise the spring perch up to compensate, set preload and adjust the shock, and then once I move the car it settles back down to what it was before... 4 1/4”. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

 

[wraitherx]

Also, this is with the camber bolts and alignment done.


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[StealBlueSHO]

You set the preload with the shocks by twisting them. The spring perch that has the two blue metal rings that you use the spanners on sets the height....

If the issue is the rears, you need get whole the rear end up off the ground and make sure you have the suspension fully relaxed (extended if you will) then set the height, then set the preload to neutral. That should give you a good baseline to work with.

The Megan’s were always a nightmare on my 2010 which is why on my 2016 I just throw in HRs and called it a day.


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[StealBlueSHO]

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[wraitherx]

Thanks for the quick reply!

So the process I was doing at first was jacking up one side, removing the shock, setting it back down, adjust +/- for height, Jack car back up, reinstall shock, raised arm up 1/4 inch and then threaded shock until bolt holes lined up. Buttoned everything up and then sat car back down. Did the same for the other side. Everything looked good and then when I went to move the car it all relaxed, as expected, but back to the same height as before.

Prior to that the only thing that was different was everything was in, unbolted shock, and when height was set redo preload. But again, would go back to the same height.

So cliff notes, instead of jacking up each side individually I should work with the entire rear off the ground, give some time to relax, adjust, button up, and then place back on the deck, correct?


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[StealBlueSHO]

This adjusts the height of the vehicle... nothing else adjusts the height. Twisting the shock just adjusts preload not height.

Use the two spanner wrenches included in the kit to adjust it. It can be adjusted if need be while the car is on the ground with the weight of it sitting on it. You shouldn’t need to be pulling the shock out of the car.


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[wraitherx]

I should’ve elaborated. Don’t mind me, just frustrated. I find the correlation with longer years lived and shorter patience is a real thing

Yes, I’ve been adjusting at the spring perch to “raise” the height and then adjust the shock for preload. I’ve adjusted the springs on the car the whole time. The removal of the shocks the second time around was just to make sure that the height was adjusting accordingly seeing as the springs are what determines the height and the shocks just dampen. Did it for all my previous cobras without failure so figured it wouldn’t hurt.

So I’m assuming that neutral preload is just adjusting the spring and then lining up the shock body so the bolt slides right through and then just go from there?

I appreciate all the help btw!


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[StealBlueSHO]

I should’ve elaborated. Don’t mind me, just frustrated. I find the correlation with longer years lived and shorter patience is a real thing

Yes, I’ve been adjusting at the spring perch to “raise” the height and then adjust the shock for preload. I’ve adjusted the springs on the car the whole time. The removal of the shocks the second time around was just to make sure that the height was adjusting accordingly seeing as the springs are what determines the height and the shocks just dampen. Did it for all my previous cobras without failure so figured it wouldn’t hurt.

So I’m assuming that neutral preload is just adjusting the spring and then lining up the shock body so the bolt slides right through and then just go from there?

I appreciate all the help btw!


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No worries, I have been accused lately of turning into a grumpy old man lol!

I’m trying to find the directions from Megan but iirc...

Ideally on a lift the the suspension hang, adjust shocks until there is no tension (no preload), set the the desired height using the spring perch, then adjust preload accordingly.

The idea is to start with no preload which means you  twist the shocks while in the car until the springs are snug but not compressed.

It’s been a few years but I believe that was the process....


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[wraitherx]

I think I’m gonna try your advice and start with neutral preload. I believe that what I’m doing wrong from what I’ve been seeing is when I’ve got the ride height set I’m placing the jack underneath and jacking up another 1/4” and then adjust the shock. So with the spring at my desired height I wanted it was already under compression and by applying the 1/4” preload suggested I’m technically compressing the spring even more about 1/4” which negates the adjustments I had previously made...
I think that’s right...
It is close to midnight and I worked on it for several hours so I could be totally off


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[StealBlueSHO]

I think I’m gonna try your advice and start with neutral preload. I believe that what I’m doing wrong from what I’ve been seeing is when I’ve got the ride height set I’m placing the jack underneath and jacking up another 1/4” and then adjust the shock. So with the spring at my desired height I wanted it was already under compression and by applying the 1/4” preload suggested I’m technically compressing the spring even more about 1/4” which negates the adjustments I had previously made...
I think that’s right...
It is close to midnight and I worked on it for several hours so I could be totally off


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Good luck!

You know, an easy way to test? Just crawl under the rear and use the spanners to screw the perch higher.  It should raise it.. shoot for a 1/4 inch... use a tape measurer and count the number of threads you need lift it for a 1/4 inch...


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