Getting Coil Springs Compressed

[Lloyd]

You're going to f*ck your car. Save and do it properly, or don't do it.

The best option is adjustable, which requires money and a cert. Adjustable height suspension requires a cert no matter what your clearance with the ground. Any suspension height modification that puts your car less than 100mm from the ground requires a cert, compressed springs, replacement springs, whatever. If it is low it needs cert, if its has height adjustable suspension it needs cert.

Shortening shocks doesn't mean you don't need bumpstops. Sure, the internals of the strut may not bottom out, but all the bits on the outside of the strut will likely be the next thing in line to have a meeting and break things. Adjustable stuff generally doesn't need bumpstops so much as they're fairly stiff springs and the body of the strut itself is shorter than the standard item so you have a lot more room to work with.

[Kiwi-Corolla]

Both probably You can't usually modify things like springs. Haven't looked recently though.

I just think you either

a) have to be happy with the current height
b) do it right with new coil overs as they are the only way to get an exact height easily.

Sounds about right. They're usually pretty strict when it comes to modifying suspension components by the means of heat or an angle grinder . Might just end up throwing my old springs back in and calling it a day. Getting to the point now where I just can't be f*cked with the hassle and expense, especially since knowing my luck it'll come out all wrong and the car will either sit way too high or horrendously low

What sort of ballpark figure would I be looking at for custom made springs? Compressing my current Super Lows is going to cost $50 a spring, so $200 for the set. If the price is somewhere near that figure to get a set of custom made springs made then it might be worth considering

Probably double that. Advantage is that you can say I want them to be xx height and xx poundage.

Damn, figured as much. Would be nice if it ever saw a track day in it's lifetime, but while the 5A-FE is still under the hood I can quite confidently say that won't happen

[Kiwi-Corolla]

You're going to f*ck your car. Save and do it properly, or don't do it.

The best option is adjustable, which requires money and a cert. Adjustable height suspension requires a cert no matter what your clearance with the ground. Any suspension height modification that puts your car less than 100mm from the ground requires a cert, compressed springs, replacement springs, whatever. If it is low it needs cert, if its has height adjustable suspension it needs cert.

Shortening shocks doesn't mean you don't need bumpstops. Sure, the internals of the strut may not bottom out, but all the bits on the outside of the strut will likely be the next thing in line to have a meeting and break things. Adjustable stuff generally doesn't need bumpstops so much as they're fairly stiff springs and the body of the strut itself is shorter than the standard item so you have a lot more room to work with.

Good post. I've decided that I'm going to put the idea of getting the springs compressed to bed. There are too many variables involved in getting the height perfect after they're compressed, and considering the luck I've been having lately it'll all turn to shit.

Yep, was well aware of the cert requirements and would have made sure the lowest structural point was at least 100mm off the ground. Was just wondering if having the springs compressed was reason enough for needing a cert, but that's irrelevant now because I've gone off the idea

One thing that is still a consideration however is getting the shocks shortened. If you can remember from my last thread a little while ago I was very close to sitting on the bump stops. I'm not exactly sure how much of the piston was left but it was getting pretty close (a few inches I'd say). I'm having a hard time getting my head around what you mean about the bits on the outside of the strut breaking though. Which bits are you referring to?

My springs are perfectly captive as they are so I wouldn't be shortening the shocks for that reason, but rather so that the shock's piston didn't bottom out inside the strut. Right now the bump stops are preventing that from happening, but if the shocks were shortened wouldn't that make the piston shorter and not allow it to bottom out inside the strut even with the bump stops removed?

[wde_bdy]

If you read through the WoF requirements compressed springs or shortened shocks both require cert so you really aren't achieving what you want anyway.

Callum

[Kiwi-Corolla]

If you read through the WoF requirements compressed springs or shortened shocks both require cert so you really aren't achieving what you want anyway.

Callum

Wow, I had a feeling that compressed springs would be in there but didn't expect shortened shocks to be. Another solid reason to stick with my old set up the way they are. Guess you wouldn't get picked up for compressed springs or shortened shocks unless you went to VTNZ for a WOF and they went over it with a fine toothed comb, but that's good to know for future reference. Thanks!

[Lloyd]

Generic strut pic... And I'm going to use inches because its easier. And the numbers are exaggerations.



Imagine the bit out the top is a foot long, it has a foot of travel that it can go inside the body of the strut. It can go slightly less than that though because there is a bumpstop on the outside to stop the strut top hat (holds the spring on top) from bottoming out on the body, and stops the piston bottoming out inside the body. Straight forward, right?

Now if you shorten the shock (lets say 4 inches), generally you'll just end up getting the top of the piston machined down so the bit sticking out is shorter, which mean the top hat sits closer to the body and therefore holds a shorter spring in tight. So now if you still want your suspension travel (which you will) then you've still got a foot of gap inside the strut that things can travel, but on the outside you only have 8 inches of travel available before the hat smashes into the body of the strut.

Your piston wont bottom out, but the outside bits will.


If you get aftermarket suspension that's all low to start with then you'll have a shorter body on the strut.




This is a complete generalisation and just to get the idea across. And bear in mind that you'll be putting the weight of the car on top too which means the shockie will be half way in before you even start.

[Lloyd]

Compressed springs and shorten shocks generally don't get noticed. If its not stupidly low then it'll go through most places.

[tsoob]

what about getting some keeper springs for the cusco?

OR

make more money = Solves this problem.

[.:O4AGTZ:.]

I think there are compromises to be made depending on which way you decide to go:

- Shortened shock and new springs: MAY get to the ride height you want, probably not spot on, wont be optimally safe and would require cert anyway. Only plus side I see is that it will be lower than before. Obviously the more cost effective way of doing it but for an improvement in only height and a decrease in everything else, I dont think it is worth it.

- save some coin, fully height adjustable coilovers. Do it once, do it right. Im sure Bazda could do something well suited to your car. Would achieve desired height, and still be safe. Cert required.

I think the height that you are wanting to go would push the boundaries of what shortening and compressing suspension components can do safely and without prematurely killing suspension bits, and im pretty sure it is well known at this point!

My 2c

[jacobrjett]

your car was low enough before anyway

[Bazda]

You could of saved so much of your time if you didnt give your self the headaches of worrying about suspension so much.

Do it once do it properly. We can def help you out with a nice riding coilover setup for your corolla.

[Kiwi-Corolla]

Thanks for the replies guys. Definitely provided some much needed food for thought and was enough to persuade me to just chuck the old springs back in for the meantime until I can afford the cost of some brand new coilovers and a cert. Didn't particularly want to drive on those coilovers for one day longer because the ride wasn't comfortable at all (or in this case, too comfortable).

So I installed the old super low coil springs and Monroe shocks back in yesterday and got my wheel alignment done this morning. Drives like a dream now, the difference is like night and day.

Although for some reason my front left corner is sitting really high in comparison to the other three corners...... When I had those exact same springs and shocks fitted prior to the coilovers the car sat evenly and didn't have anywhere near as much guard gap as there is now....Is it simply a case of waiting for the springs to settle back down since they've been sitting in their decompressed state in the garage for a few weeks while I've had the coilovers installed? Or could it be an installation error? I jacked the car up yesterday afternoon to make sure the spring was seated perfectly in the bottom of the strut and it was. Bounced it up and down too and took it for a drive up the road and back but it's still sitting high. Everything is tightened down correctly and the top strut bolts were tightened when the wheels were sitting back on the ground. Any ideas?

[Kiwi-Corolla]

Actually, I just went outside and measured each corner from the centre of the wheel to the lip of the guard and I'm only 5mm higher than I used to be with the same springs installed. Guess I'm just used to seeing the height of the coilovers instead . Hopefully that 5mm will come back down in the coming weeks of driving it. Distance used to be 325mm on both front sides and 318mm on both rear sides, now it's 330mm on the front left, 327mm on the front right, 318mm on the rear left and 313mm on the rear right.

[spoonza6]

There are some finer details you shouldn't investigate that you know is going to just annoy you.

Give it a thatlooksright measure, walk away....

Come back look, still low riding, walk away

Unless it bothers you too much do as what everyone has suggested, bazda coil overs n cert.

What's the total figure of all the suspension components you have bought up to today? Include any labour n that you paid for, wheel alignments n such

[Kiwi-Corolla]

There are some finer details you shouldn't investigate that you know is going to just annoy you.

Give it a thatlooksright measure, walk away....

Come back look, still low riding, walk away

Unless it bothers you too much do as what everyone has suggested, bazda coil overs n cert.

What's the total figure of all the suspension components you have bought up to today? Include any labour n that you paid for, wheel alignments n such

The problem with me is that I'm a fussy prick, so the littlest things bug the hell out of me . The only time I can live with them is if I can't afford to fix it or if the price to fix it is unjustifiable.

That's a good question, and one I dread answering in fear of what the total is, but lets do it:

* Jamex super low springs that I bought 3 years ago - $150 + $120 to install + $40 wheel alignment

* King Springs super low bought this year from Pick-A-Part $40 for four (no alignment needed)

* Front Dobi springs and front Monroe shocks to match rear - $123.20 (no alignment needed)

* Replacement front left shock from Pick-A-Part - $34

* Cusco coilovers - $480 + $75 wheel alignment.

* Today's wheel alignment - $35

Total: $1097.20

So not far off the price of a brand new set of coilovers, although there'd still be the $350-450 cost of the cert involved + a wheel alignment. That's over the course of 4-years though, but it's only been recently that I've had the urge to go lower and that's where the money has been spent/wasted. Learnt a lot from this whole experience however