Megan LP Coilovers Not Low Enough in the Front!
11-20-12, 12:03 PM
#16
Instructor
Thread Starter
I just spoke to Megan Racing about this issue and here are a few key points:
a.) The 98-05 GS cars have a shorter lower shock housing body in the front than the rear. Because of this the fronts will have less adjustability than the rears. This is normal and expected. Other makes and models could have more adjustability in the front and less in the rear for example. This is related to how the car manufacture designs the front/rear suspension.
b.) Megan EZ have coil springs with a different length & spring rate than LP. Therefore you cannot compare LP adjustability to EZ adjustability.
c.) Megan noted that although they don't recommend adjusting pre-load to set ride height, it can be done if the user understands that bump travel of the shock is reduced. Typically, if you are adjusting the preload to go a small amount lower, it shouldn't have adverse effects. But you want to go significantly lower using preload, you run the risk of destroying your ride quality and bottoming out on the damper which could eventually destroy the damper.
d.) Some people set preload in different ways (mostly because they don't know how to do it) and this could affect ride height.
e.) There does not look to have been any revision changes to the product.
a.) The 98-05 GS cars have a shorter lower shock housing body in the front than the rear. Because of this the fronts will have less adjustability than the rears. This is normal and expected. Other makes and models could have more adjustability in the front and less in the rear for example. This is related to how the car manufacture designs the front/rear suspension.
b.) Megan EZ have coil springs with a different length & spring rate than LP. Therefore you cannot compare LP adjustability to EZ adjustability.
c.) Megan noted that although they don't recommend adjusting pre-load to set ride height, it can be done if the user understands that bump travel of the shock is reduced. Typically, if you are adjusting the preload to go a small amount lower, it shouldn't have adverse effects. But you want to go significantly lower using preload, you run the risk of destroying your ride quality and bottoming out on the damper which could eventually destroy the damper.
d.) Some people set preload in different ways (mostly because they don't know how to do it) and this could affect ride height.
e.) There does not look to have been any revision changes to the product.
11-20-12, 01:55 PM
#18
Instructor
Thread Starter
Absolutely. I am treating the 98-05 GS as one model. There is no difference in the suspension geometry between 300/400/430. There is a weight difference but that's probably not it since I have the heaviest of the three.
11-24-12, 08:42 AM
#20
I think RCA's are the clear choice. You'll be able to raise back up to the height your looking for and save some camber that otherwise is lost. It will keep the full lenght of travel your looking for without touching your preload. Plus gives you more options in the future should you descide to go a tad lower.
2 hours to remove two bolts and install a spacer each side seems odd... unless your counting the alignment (which you would obviously do anyways)
2 hours to remove two bolts and install a spacer each side seems odd... unless your counting the alignment (which you would obviously do anyways)
11-30-12, 08:36 PM
#21
I just spoke to Megan Racing about this issue and here are a few key points:
a.) The 98-05 GS cars have a shorter lower shock housing body in the front than the rear. Because of this the fronts will have less adjustability than the rears. This is normal and expected. Other makes and models could have more adjustability in the front and less in the rear for example. This is related to how the car manufacture designs the front/rear suspension.
a.) The 98-05 GS cars have a shorter lower shock housing body in the front than the rear. Because of this the fronts will have less adjustability than the rears. This is normal and expected. Other makes and models could have more adjustability in the front and less in the rear for example. This is related to how the car manufacture designs the front/rear suspension.
version 2 has slightly shorter body (as seen on the EZ) and longer cups.
my conclusion is that you have the first release.(mine looks like is300 coilovers)
12-03-12, 12:56 PM
#22
Hi folks, I got the LPs installed on my 2001 GS430.
I set them to 0 preload and started by adjusting the rear. The rear has HUGE adjustment. I mean I can absolutely slam this car if I wanted to in the rear by not touching the pre-load and only adjusting the lower strut mount, as the directions call for.
However, the front lacks adjustment. With 0 preload, I set the lower shock mount as low as it will go (to the point that it bottomed out and you couldn't lower it any further). With my 245-35-19 front tire, I have 1.5 fingers gap. I need the front to come down another 1/2-3/4"
I see two options. Take the front coilovers apart and have a machine shop cut about 0.5 - 0.75 inches off the threaded tube. This is probably the right way to do it but major work.
The second option is to lower the bottom spring mount. This will obviously violate Megan's 0 preload recommendation. What are the implications of this? I know a lot of you guys are actually doing this but what negative effects can I expect? I don't want any new unwanted noises.
Please advise. Thank you.
Luke
I set them to 0 preload and started by adjusting the rear. The rear has HUGE adjustment. I mean I can absolutely slam this car if I wanted to in the rear by not touching the pre-load and only adjusting the lower strut mount, as the directions call for.
However, the front lacks adjustment. With 0 preload, I set the lower shock mount as low as it will go (to the point that it bottomed out and you couldn't lower it any further). With my 245-35-19 front tire, I have 1.5 fingers gap. I need the front to come down another 1/2-3/4"
I see two options. Take the front coilovers apart and have a machine shop cut about 0.5 - 0.75 inches off the threaded tube. This is probably the right way to do it but major work.
The second option is to lower the bottom spring mount. This will obviously violate Megan's 0 preload recommendation. What are the implications of this? I know a lot of you guys are actually doing this but what negative effects can I expect? I don't want any new unwanted noises.
Please advise. Thank you.
Luke
12-03-12, 01:58 PM
#23
Instructor
Thread Starter
Once again, I'm at 0 preload with the threaded cylinder maxed out into the bottom shock mount. I can't go any lower than what you see in the pics without dropping the lower ring that the bottom of the spring sits on.
12-03-12, 02:19 PM
#24
ok im a newb on the word preload but what im asking is... where your coil sits on the coilover, if im not mistaking if you coil the bottom spacer up which will tighten the spring up and it will lower the car. ex coil the spring up to make spring smaller will lower vehicle . if you lower the spring perch it will raise your car. Did you do this? also are your spring on your coil overs of the rear on the top side of the coilover or are they lower like the stock shocks. basically does your front and rear coilovers look the same?
12-03-12, 03:38 PM
#26
Instructor
Thread Starter
ok im a newb on the word preload but what im asking is... where your coil sits on the coilover, if im not mistaking if you coil the bottom spacer up which will tighten the spring up and it will lower the car. ex coil the spring up to make spring smaller will lower vehicle . if you lower the spring perch it will raise your car. Did you do this? also are your spring on your coil overs of the rear on the top side of the coilover or are they lower like the stock shocks. basically does your front and rear coilovers look the same?
Raising the bottom spring perch on the threaded rod will RAISE the car. Lowering the bottom spring perch on the threaded rod will LOWER the car. The point is to be a 0 preload. In other words, that lower perch is NOT to be touched once it's been set for 0 preload and instead raising and lowering of the car is done with the lower shock mount. The spring perches are not to be touched if you want to maintain 0 preload.
And does my front and rear coilover look the same? Of course not, they are not supposed to.
Thanks for the attempt and I appreciate it, but it doesn't sound like you have an understanding of how Megan coilovers work. Here's a reference for you: http://www.meganracing.com/tech/inst...ing%20pre-load
Last edited by BayAreaLex; 12-03-12 at 03:47 PM.
12-03-12, 03:59 PM
#27
You have it backwards.
Raising the bottom spring perch on the threaded rod will RAISE the car. Lowering the bottom spring perch on the threaded rod will LOWER the car. The point is to be a 0 preload. In other words, that lower perch is NOT to be touched and instead raising and lowering of the car is done with the lower shock mount. The spring perches are not to be touched if you want to maintain 0 preload.
And does my front and rear coilover look the same? Of course not, they are not supposed to.
Thanks for the attempt and I appreciate it, but it doesn't sound like you have an understanding of how Megan coilovers work.
Raising the bottom spring perch on the threaded rod will RAISE the car. Lowering the bottom spring perch on the threaded rod will LOWER the car. The point is to be a 0 preload. In other words, that lower perch is NOT to be touched and instead raising and lowering of the car is done with the lower shock mount. The spring perches are not to be touched if you want to maintain 0 preload.
And does my front and rear coilover look the same? Of course not, they are not supposed to.
Thanks for the attempt and I appreciate it, but it doesn't sound like you have an understanding of how Megan coilovers work.
12-04-12, 01:43 PM
#28
Instructor
Thread Starter
I appreciate the help, however, that makes little sense to me.
By raising the lower spring mount, you are effectively raising the position of the spring. As a result, you should be raising the car, not lowering it simply because you are compressing the spring.
By raising the lower spring mount, you are effectively raising the position of the spring. As a result, you should be raising the car, not lowering it simply because you are compressing the spring.
12-05-12, 04:00 PM
#30
Instructor
Thread Starter
If I did, I could probably get away with limiting the preload or RCAs. RCAs would be the best option.