What make are they, are they tricky to set up?Many Thanks for the info Lee.I might need to PM you later
Does it make any difference if i am using these to replace everything?
Changing suspension all round
- Thread starter waynerp
- Start date
JOM Bluelines - http://www.jomcoilovers.co.uk/
Thanks Gary
The only tricky bit will be setting the ride height, this can be a bit of a faf up and down on the jack, wheel on, wheel off etc. to adjust the spring lock rings. The car will settle down slightly once you have them set. Easy enough to do just take your time 
well if our looking for volunteer work near to home Tony feel free to help me change the ABS pump and bleed brakes as ive never done this before.Shame you're not nearer to me Wayne, I would have been happy to help you.
Tony.
HA.
Dobbo
Let me know when you have it and if I have time we can do that.
Tony.
Tony.
Thanks Tony
already have a second hand replacement. bit risky I suppose but at £42 much cheaper than other options I found so far. Exactly same part numbers but off 3 series so may need coding using INPA?!
Sorry if this sounds strange but whats the real advantages of coilovers over stock suspension besides being able to lower the car = harsher ride. Only asking as just replaced mine with oem shock absorbers and droplinks front and rear on 18 inch rims not a bad ride but wouldn't want it any harder but would like to lower the car about 20mm is this possible. The point is also the coilovers seem a good price compared to stock why?
@GazHyde Hi. You say you fitted these on your Z.
Well today i had a crack at it, and to say im stressed is a slight understatement. I'm clearly NOT a mechanic by any stretch of the imagination.
Long story short. i started on the nearside back. Got the shock off. Got stressed with the spring so cut it off. Spent a further 4 hours trying to get the new spring on. Got very VERY stressed as it wouldnt go on. Phoned my mechanic who very calmly got me to describe what i was doing, and then calmly pointed out that as i only had the nearside back raised that was the reason i couldnt get the spring on..
So after much blood vessel burstage !! i just about managed to get the spring on.
So where i am at. I need to get new shock struts, not a major issue.
BIG issue. I watched a video of someone doing the same as me, and they said it is optional to put back on the rubber moulds on top and bottom that the spring sits on.
I managed to get the bottom one on, but the top one, where i have put the adjustable part just wont fit on, so i havent put the rubber bit on.
This is why i think that when i try to adjust the spring, the whole unit turns, so it wont adjust
Can you give me any advice as to remedy this.
Also the new shock hasnt got the spacer that the original has. Do i need to get a washer or someting to replicate this?
Any advice much appreciated
New and old
whole unit spins when trying to adjust the height
Original rubber gromit that i didnt put back on. Fits into the adjuster, but wont fit on the car
Well today i had a crack at it, and to say im stressed is a slight understatement. I'm clearly NOT a mechanic by any stretch of the imagination.
Long story short. i started on the nearside back. Got the shock off. Got stressed with the spring so cut it off. Spent a further 4 hours trying to get the new spring on. Got very VERY stressed as it wouldnt go on. Phoned my mechanic who very calmly got me to describe what i was doing, and then calmly pointed out that as i only had the nearside back raised that was the reason i couldnt get the spring on..
So after much blood vessel burstage !! i just about managed to get the spring on.
So where i am at. I need to get new shock struts, not a major issue.
BIG issue. I watched a video of someone doing the same as me, and they said it is optional to put back on the rubber moulds on top and bottom that the spring sits on.
I managed to get the bottom one on, but the top one, where i have put the adjustable part just wont fit on, so i havent put the rubber bit on.
This is why i think that when i try to adjust the spring, the whole unit turns, so it wont adjust
Can you give me any advice as to remedy this.
Also the new shock hasnt got the spacer that the original has. Do i need to get a washer or someting to replicate this?
Any advice much appreciated
New and old
whole unit spins when trying to adjust the height
Original rubber gromit that i didnt put back on. Fits into the adjuster, but wont fit on the car
Hi Wayne, I was lucky that most of the work was done by @Lee who has fitted more sets of coilovers than I've had hot meals. Some comments on where you are currently.
We raised the back end with a trolley jack on the rear differential so both wheels were fully off the ground, with jack stands positioned just in case.
We only fitted the rubber moulds on the top, and ended up leaving the spring adjusters on the lowest setting as well.
Looking at your second picture you have it the wrong way up and the adjuster should sit at the bottom. So you need to turn it upside down to how you have it now. We had... no rubber moulding on the bottom >> spring adjuster >> spring >> top rubber moulding.
This is the only picture I took at the time of the back end...
I think I can help here, I was also daunted at first when I started adjusting my rears but this place, @Lee and YouTube helped!
When you are trying to adjust the collars are you using both of the adjusting spanners the kit came with?
You need to use one spanner to hold one collar in place and the other to adjust the second collar, the spring will rotate otherwise.
My setup is the reverse:
Rubber pad on bottom.
Adjusters on top
Top pad: had it with the top pad in and out, no big difference really (apart from more lowering with pad out) and a bit less noise (highly subjective though).
I don't believe it matters if the adjusters are at the top or bottom.
Also worth noting the spring will rotate even by hand unless you pre-load it a lot (compress the swing arm to hold the spring tight as it will be when the car is on the ground). Even then it will probably twist when using just one adjusting spanner so you still have to use two spanners together.
Best to have the car on axles stands and use your trolley jack to move the swing arm up and down.
You may need to have someone help push the swing arm down (stand/push down on the hub hard) and wiggle the spring in if you want both pads in place. Safety note: Make sure the car is propped up safely, I put the wheels under it in case it slipped off the stands.
Some close up pics of mine:
And another from @Brian H who labelled this well and is also running adjustable (hope you don't mind Brian?!)
Disclaimer: I'm definitely no expert just been on the same journey so please feel free to double check, refute or correct this info!
When you are trying to adjust the collars are you using both of the adjusting spanners the kit came with?
You need to use one spanner to hold one collar in place and the other to adjust the second collar, the spring will rotate otherwise.
My setup is the reverse:
Rubber pad on bottom.
Adjusters on top
Top pad: had it with the top pad in and out, no big difference really (apart from more lowering with pad out) and a bit less noise (highly subjective though).
I don't believe it matters if the adjusters are at the top or bottom.
Also worth noting the spring will rotate even by hand unless you pre-load it a lot (compress the swing arm to hold the spring tight as it will be when the car is on the ground). Even then it will probably twist when using just one adjusting spanner so you still have to use two spanners together.
Best to have the car on axles stands and use your trolley jack to move the swing arm up and down.
You may need to have someone help push the swing arm down (stand/push down on the hub hard) and wiggle the spring in if you want both pads in place. Safety note: Make sure the car is propped up safely, I put the wheels under it in case it slipped off the stands.
Some close up pics of mine:
And another from @Brian H who labelled this well and is also running adjustable (hope you don't mind Brian?!)
Disclaimer: I'm definitely no expert just been on the same journey so please feel free to double check, refute or correct this info!
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Near the end if this video it shows how he uses a second pair if hand to pull the swing arm down:
View: http://youtu.be/X5WrBZ8Fto0
We have a lot less room on the Z so you need some serious wiggling and maneuvering (at lest I did when trying to get both pads one, with just one pad no problem).
We have a lot less room on the Z so you need some serious wiggling and maneuvering (at lest I did when trying to get both pads one, with just one pad no problem).
Another suspension thread here where Dave mentions he has a very short handbrake cable limiting the swing arm movement:
https://zroadster.org/index.php?threads/David-&-Scarlett.5549/
https://zroadster.org/index.php?threads/David-&-Scarlett.5549/
Thanks Dino, yes I had a lot of trouble removing the old spring, but the new spring was so much shorter that this wasn't an issue.
@waynerp I was in very much the same position as you, tackling the suspension as a complete novice, feel free to ask if you need and assistance.
A few things I will add:
Like @Dino said, my handbrake cables are short so even when the handbrake was released, they appeared to still be restricting the swing arm's movement. So make sure you have released your handbrake (I didn't at first when trying to remove the original springs, and it gave me at least an extra inch of play in the swing arm.
As instructed by my coilovers' documentation (AP), I installed the adjusters at the top - it wouldn't have been possible the other way round. For me, the vertical space was not an issue, but there simply wasn't space for the rubber mount to fit inside the adjuster columns, so these were discarded.
For you, I'd recommend getting a friend to help push the swing arm down while you adjust, or buying a set of spring compressors (£10 off eBay) - although, given the shape of the shorter rear, I'm not sure the compressors will be able to grab on to the top and bottoms of the springs.
@waynerp I was in very much the same position as you, tackling the suspension as a complete novice, feel free to ask if you need and assistance.
A few things I will add:
Like @Dino said, my handbrake cables are short so even when the handbrake was released, they appeared to still be restricting the swing arm's movement. So make sure you have released your handbrake (I didn't at first when trying to remove the original springs, and it gave me at least an extra inch of play in the swing arm.
As instructed by my coilovers' documentation (AP), I installed the adjusters at the top - it wouldn't have been possible the other way round. For me, the vertical space was not an issue, but there simply wasn't space for the rubber mount to fit inside the adjuster columns, so these were discarded.
For you, I'd recommend getting a friend to help push the swing arm down while you adjust, or buying a set of spring compressors (£10 off eBay) - although, given the shape of the shorter rear, I'm not sure the compressors will be able to grab on to the top and bottoms of the springs.
Hi Guys.
I really don't know what i would do if it wasn't for the unbelievable help and support you guys have given on here. I thank each and every one of you
So i am going to have a crack at the offside rear tomorrow as im still aching from yesterdays fiasco .
The only thing that now concerns me is that, i only got one C spanner with my kit, so i'm not sure how i am going to adjust the ride height, and do i need to get some sort of spacer for the new shock as the original has a spacer.
One again a huge thanks to you all
I really don't know what i would do if it wasn't for the unbelievable help and support you guys have given on here. I thank each and every one of you
So i am going to have a crack at the offside rear tomorrow as im still aching from yesterdays fiasco .
The only thing that now concerns me is that, i only got one C spanner with my kit, so i'm not sure how i am going to adjust the ride height, and do i need to get some sort of spacer for the new shock as the original has a spacer.
One again a huge thanks to you all
Only one C spanner is a pain....you just need a way to hold the one ring whilst turning the other with the C spanner.
Maybe a big wrench or even a screwdriver holding the one collar whilst you use the C spanner on the other.
I have some C spanners from my kit that may work that you could borrow. I'm near Canterbury.
Once the swing arm is dropped fully you can turn the adjusters by hand to your desired height, the spanners just to tighten/break the tension.
Maybe a big wrench or even a screwdriver holding the one collar whilst you use the C spanner on the other.
I have some C spanners from my kit that may work that you could borrow. I'm near Canterbury.
Once the swing arm is dropped fully you can turn the adjusters by hand to your desired height, the spanners just to tighten/break the tension.
When replacing the spring both front or back that end of the car has to off the ground both wheels or else the anti roll bar will try and keep some tension on the springs. This is worse at the front as the roll bar is stronger. You will need some axle stands or strong blocks to rest the car on.
Edited some of my spelling.
Edited some of my spelling.
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Can never get C spanners in my motorbike suspension,flat screwdriver and a mallet or hammer tap the locking one and a little wd40 and your away
Out of curiosity. I have to get newshock mounts. Will the poweflex mounts make any noticeable difference compared to the stock ones? I know that with the adjustablesprings that the ride will be harder so will the power flex help this?