The Better Bilstein Ebay Coilover Thread
05-04-2017, 11:30 AM
#1161
Originally Posted by Swanpuppy
One other question. NB billie, ISC 1.5" rear hats, 7" 300lb springs in the back, approx 36mm bumps. I am getting an impact over larger abrupt bumps. Last night I took the wheels off, loosened the control arms and raised everything looking for impacts. I hit the bump stops, start to lift the car off the jacks, at that point i still have another 1/4" before control arms hit the body or the coil over sleeve gets near the extended hat. I am running at about 13" in the rear hub to fender.
This seems off, some other members have been able to get 12.5" or lower in the rear with proper comfortable ride. I am higher than them, and still hitting something. Is there something that sounds off with my set up? Or is the only solution to raise the car/add bump stops? When the car is on the ground I have just over an inch of exposed shock shaft before the bump stop.
This seems off, some other members have been able to get 12.5" or lower in the rear with proper comfortable ride. I am higher than them, and still hitting something. Is there something that sounds off with my set up? Or is the only solution to raise the car/add bump stops? When the car is on the ground I have just over an inch of exposed shock shaft before the bump stop.
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05-04-2017, 11:45 AM
#1162
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Also, the bump-stops, under heavy load, will likely compress more than 6mm (1/4"). At which point you will still make contact. The 36mm bump-stop, to the best of my knowledge, is for stock top-hats, not extended. I am experiencing the exact same issue and am confident that it will be resolved with taller bump-stops or shims.
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05-04-2017, 12:07 PM
#1163
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Also, the bump-stops, under heavy load, will likely compress more than 6mm (1/4"). At which point you will still make contact. The 36mm bump-stop, to the best of my knowledge, is for stock top-hats, not extended. I am experiencing the exact same issue and am confident that it will be resolved with taller bump-stops or shims.
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05-04-2017, 12:14 PM
#1164
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Madison
Posts: 288
Total Cats: 5
That sleeve got into a nasty fight with my angle grinder. It is possible that when the bump compresses further then the sleeve might hit.
Is there a desired open distance from the top of the shock to the bump stops I should look for? Adding more bump stop will mean i hit the stops sooner, and if I lower the car another half inch (where others have been able to be) There will be minimal shock distance before bumps are engaged. I can try to cut some bump stop shims to install and try that out.
Is there a desired open distance from the top of the shock to the bump stops I should look for? Adding more bump stop will mean i hit the stops sooner, and if I lower the car another half inch (where others have been able to be) There will be minimal shock distance before bumps are engaged. I can try to cut some bump stop shims to install and try that out.
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05-04-2017, 01:38 PM
#1165
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You are working on goals that are opposed to each other. When you're dropping the car to 4" at the pinch welds, you don't have much suspension travel left to work with. So you need to run stiff springs to make the most of what you got. Extending the top-hats (at least for an NB) does not extend your suspension travel much (if any)- it just allows for longer bump-stops with better engagement characteristics. The bump-stops need to engage before your're getting metal<->metal or metal<->asphalt contact. You can't have the suspension super-low and soft. That's not how physics work.
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05-04-2017, 01:51 PM
#1166
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Madison
Posts: 288
Total Cats: 5
Aluminum should really be cut with a saw.
You are working on goals that are opposed to each other. When you're dropping the car to 4" at the pinch welds, you don't have much suspension travel left to work with. So you need to run stiff springs to make the most of what you got. Extending the top-hats (at least for an NB) does not extend your suspension travel much (if any)- it just allows for longer bump-stops with better engagement characteristics. The bump-stops need to engage before your're getting metal<->metal or metal<->asphalt contact. You can't have the suspension super-low and soft. That's not how physics work.
You are working on goals that are opposed to each other. When you're dropping the car to 4" at the pinch welds, you don't have much suspension travel left to work with. So you need to run stiff springs to make the most of what you got. Extending the top-hats (at least for an NB) does not extend your suspension travel much (if any)- it just allows for longer bump-stops with better engagement characteristics. The bump-stops need to engage before your're getting metal<->metal or metal<->asphalt contact. You can't have the suspension super-low and soft. That's not how physics work.
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05-04-2017, 01:53 PM
#1167
That sleeve got into a nasty fight with my angle grinder. It is possible that when the bump compresses further then the sleeve might hit.
Is there a desired open distance from the top of the shock to the bump stops I should look for? Adding more bump stop will mean i hit the stops sooner, and if I lower the car another half inch (where others have been able to be) There will be minimal shock distance before bumps are engaged. I can try to cut some bump stop shims to install and try that out.
Is there a desired open distance from the top of the shock to the bump stops I should look for? Adding more bump stop will mean i hit the stops sooner, and if I lower the car another half inch (where others have been able to be) There will be minimal shock distance before bumps are engaged. I can try to cut some bump stop shims to install and try that out.
When I cut my sleeves I just used a power chop saw with a carbide blade FWIW.
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05-04-2017, 01:56 PM
#1168
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Madison
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I'm curious why you decided to put 1.5" extended top hats on without considering everything. Seems you decided to use the 36mm stops based on the FCM 'criteria' but those are setup with the NB mounts with no extension.
When I cut my sleeves I just used a power chop saw with a carbide blade FWIW.
When I cut my sleeves I just used a power chop saw with a carbide blade FWIW.
I was under the impression from this thread that extended hats are not required, but going to a 1" or 1.5" in the rear give extra travel on NB's and can improve the set up. When you say "considering everything" do you mean the correct bump stop length?
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05-04-2017, 02:26 PM
#1172
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Madison
Posts: 288
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2003 NB. I perhaps got it mixed up. I know the NB hats are superior, and thought the hats help. It sounds like my issue can be fixed with some massaging of the sleeve and some bump fine tuning.
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05-08-2017, 08:50 AM
#1175
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Madison
Posts: 288
Total Cats: 5
So far so good. It is a little firmer than stock, but rides just as nicely over normal road. In corners I can tell its flatter, less roll, transitions side to side nicely. I will try to get some miles on it this week and then I have an alignment and HPDE event set up for Thursday. Should be able to test out the limits.
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05-28-2017, 11:16 AM
#1176
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 407
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So, I'm re-evaluating my setup after crashing my old car, needing to replace a shock, and moving to Michigan where the roads leave something to be desired. My old setup...
- NB Bilsteins and Top hats
- QA1 450/300 springs
- Allstar sleeves
- cut new lower grooves into shock for snap rings
- make aluminum donut adapter to fit wider FM springs on 2.5" spring seat.
- FM springs for the NA, which should be flat bottomed at either end.
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05-28-2017, 11:27 AM
#1177
So, I'm re-evaluating my setup after crashing my old car, needing to replace a shock, and moving to Michigan where the roads leave something to be desired. My old setup...
- NB Bilsteins and Top hats
- QA1 450/300 springs
- Allstar sleeves
- cut new lower grooves into shock for snap rings
- make aluminum donut adapter to fit wider FM springs on 2.5" spring seat.
- FM springs for the NA, which should be flat bottomed at either end.
When I lived in MI i thought the secondary roads were in good shape it's the interstates that get all the truck traffic that sucks. Around Detroit anyway.
By the time you get done machining, or having machined, an "adapter" of sorts you'll have similar cost into it.
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05-28-2017, 12:01 PM
#1178
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 407
Total Cats: 107
I have access to a CNC, so it would just be material costs. And I'd be looking to pick up the FM springs used.
This is going to be an experiment, I just want to check that Tab A will fit into Slot B before buying any more parts, and unfortunately my other car is a long ways away to do measurements on.
This is going to be an experiment, I just want to check that Tab A will fit into Slot B before buying any more parts, and unfortunately my other car is a long ways away to do measurements on.
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05-28-2017, 01:12 PM
#1180
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 407
Total Cats: 107
Other than a dual rate spring for droop travel, and available cheap used. Helper springs aren't cheap and I frequent mountain roads where I need the suspension travel.
I'm not asking if its the best suspension setup, I'm just asking if it will fit. I want to experiment and it seems to be a cheap idea.
I'm not asking if its the best suspension setup, I'm just asking if it will fit. I want to experiment and it seems to be a cheap idea.
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