Car sits higher after new shocks?

[kurqa]

just want to share from personal experience, which honestly i find rather baffling..

1. lowered car with koni sport springs frt 35mm rear 30mm
2. car sits pretty low enough on stock shocks
3. few months later changed to koni yellows as stock shocks are dead
4. car sits higher than previous sport springs/stock shocks combo...almost 1 finger more all around!!!

question is...shocks do not control the ride height right?? so would like to ask why this happened...is it because the stock shocks were dead and hence car is "sunken" beyond the intended drop given by the springs, or is there some other explanation?

anyone? many thanks..!!!

 

[hitmee]

Re: Car sits higher after new shocks?

did they install properly?

 

[TripleM]

Re: Car sits higher after new shocks?

Well, the CUP or the perch where the lower part of spring sits maybe higher in KONI vs stock shock....hv u compared them before?

 

[Shaun]

Re: Car sits higher after new shocks?

Kurqa, you're right... shocks don't control static ride height.

At the rear if it is any variant of a trailing arm setup where the spring is separate from the shock, then there is no way ride height at the rear changed unless spring perches or inserts at the rear were changed when the new shocks were installed.

At the front if it is a Macpherson strut setup with coilovers, then it is possible that the new shocks are longer than stock. If ride height is raised at the front, it might lead you to perceive the rear to have been raised as well, although it wasn't.

If there really has been a ride height increase at the rear with absolutely nothing changed in terms of spring, perches, inserts, then you should check for range of motion at the rear especially in compression. Make sure the shock is the correct shock, then make sure it isn't bound up and holding the car up. If everything checks out then the last thing to check is for enough preload on the spring to keep it in place. That should be fine but there's no harm in double checking.

 

[kurqa]

Re: Car sits higher after new shocks?

thanks for the info...honestly i havent compared the stock shocks with the konis and cant do it now since theyre already mounted...but quite sian to see the car higher (though still lower than stock)! think i will bring the car back to check if the installation was done well...

pretty sure the car is higher all around, not just in front..actually the spring in front looks a wee-bit off when sitting on the shock's rubber pad...is that normal/acceptable or should i get it rectified? hope to hear from you guys..