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PBM Coils Maxed Out. Still uneven.

Old 12-19-2014, 12:04 PM
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Broseph Stalin
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Default PBM Coils Maxed Out. Still uneven.

I'm in the middle of adjusting for a new wheel and tire set up. I maxed out the fronts of my pbm coils (still really high for PBM's. Don't know why.), and one the driver's side lowest height is higher. I compressed the (driver's side) spring 1 cm, and the passenger side is still significantly lower, even with no preload. So my questions are:

Why are my two front coilovers so uneven? And why did my coils max out so fast?

Measurements (Top of wheel to bottom of fender)

Front driver - 55.1 mm
Front Passenger - 47.9 mm
Rears - even at 43.6 mm
Old 12-19-2014, 12:37 PM
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Broseph Stalin
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And I guess my third question is, how do I bring my front driver's side down some? I'm going to make the rears even with the front passenger side, but my driver's side is just too high.
Old 12-19-2014, 12:45 PM
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travlee
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pics of the coils..... would like to see them before making and guesses

but my initial guess is going to be that you messed with all the locking collars or something. to raise and lower it usually threads in. it would be best to take it somewhere and have them corner balance you

Last edited by travlee; 12-19-2014 at 12:47 PM.
Old 12-19-2014, 01:02 PM
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Broseph Stalin
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Originally Posted by travlee
pics of the coils..... would like to see them before making and guesses

but my initial guess is going to be that you messed with all the locking collars or something. to raise and lower it usually threads in. it would be best to take it somewhere and have them corner balance you
What specifically are you looking for? I can take a pic of the whole coil, but it's just going to look like a coilover. And what do you mean by locking collars? Becuase if locking collars =


then yes because that's how the height is adjusted.
Old 12-19-2014, 01:29 PM
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Broseph Stalin
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Ohh gotcha. I see what you are saying. Even so, pbm coils are supposed to have 0 preload, which is just enough to keep the spring from spinning. They were both roughly the same before I compressed the spring, but still very uneven.
Old 12-19-2014, 04:26 PM
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travlee
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just because they say there is supposed to be zero preload, doesn't mean it happened.
Old 12-20-2014, 08:30 AM
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Compressed the spring 10mm on the drivers side and the drivers side is higher. Simple physics actually, if you compress the spring, that actually means you lifter the car.

Preload, to many people are wrapped up on the 0 preload thing, for that to happen if should would have to be made to the car for each spring rate. That would be dumb for a company to do.

I would start fresh, take it all apart and go from there, remember to disco the sway bar so you don't have to fight it
Old 12-20-2014, 04:16 PM
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Originally Posted by travlee
just because they say there is supposed to be zero preload, doesn't mean it happened.
They recommend zero preload, meaning make the collars just tight enough to keep the springs from spinning. Which I did.

Originally Posted by terrasmak
Compressed the spring 10mm on the drivers side and the drivers side is higher. Simple physics actually, if you compress the spring, that actually means you lifter the car.

Preload, to many people are wrapped up on the 0 preload thing, for that to happen if should would have to be made to the car for each spring rate. That would be dumb for a company to do.

I would start fresh, take it all apart and go from there, remember to disco the sway bar so you don't have to fight it
I made the other three sides even, and the driver's side came down. Now everything is within 5mm of eachother, so I guess it sin't a problem for now. Maybe in the future if I want to go lower, but chances are I wont. thanks for the help guys.
Old 01-13-2015, 07:42 AM
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Drive around for a couple hundred miles. Sometimes coils will settle a little bit as well.
Old 01-16-2015, 09:21 AM
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People don't read lol, The upper control arm will bottom out before you even have to touch the pre-load on the Powered By Max coils. My car on pbms; front pre load untouched, strut tower hole cut out:
Old 01-16-2015, 04:53 PM
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Originally Posted by chris05ppwZ
People don't read lol, The upper control arm will bottom out before you even have to touch the pre-load on the Powered By Max coils. My car on pbms; front pre load untouched, strut tower hole cut out:
And what is the point ? You destroyed the suspension, and you just improperly adjusted the coils, wow.
Old 01-20-2015, 10:13 AM
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Originally Posted by terrasmak
And what is the point ? You destroyed the suspension, and you just improperly adjusted the coils, wow.
Wow I totally destroyed my suspension in which way? And how have I improperly adjusted my suspension when I haven't even adjusted it? wow
Old 01-20-2015, 10:40 AM
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Old 01-21-2015, 06:04 PM
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Originally Posted by travlee
Haha, i was expecting him to respond sooner than this. I was simply giving input because yes, I've had the same problems as op, given the fact i was on the same suspension as him/her. Didn't realize there was so much entitlement as a mod, WOW
Old 01-21-2015, 06:10 PM
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Screw the people that say you ruined the suspension.

You did what you wanted to do to it.

That's that.

But, in regards to the uneven heights. Check the locking collars are tight. Once you have checked this - go to measuring the height between collars, and right now I am having a mind blank.

Use the bottom collar to adjust height not the preload.

Boom.
Old 01-22-2015, 07:08 AM
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GreyZ
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Doing coilovers without scales baffles me...

And Chris, you just adjusted to go super low. if low is all you want then go for it. You have screwed all of the suspension geometry.
Old 01-22-2015, 10:24 AM
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i see where this is going
Old 01-22-2015, 12:46 PM
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Originally Posted by GreyZ
Doing coilovers without scales baffles me...

And Chris, you just adjusted to go super low. if low is all you want then go for it. You have screwed all of the suspension geometry.
Correct - I have buggered up the suspension geometry.

I am aware of it, and have no issues with it, why? Because I just wanted to slam it.

Come a months time, I will be setting it up (roughly) at my place, and heading to my mates work shop to finish it off.
Old 01-22-2015, 12:51 PM
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Originally Posted by GreyZ
Doing coilovers without scales baffles me...

And Chris, you just adjusted to go super low. if low is all you want then go for it. You have screwed all of the suspension geometry.
It sucks that people are so quick to assume How do you know i don't have shortened spindles and rca's?! (Corrected suspension geometry) What if i told you i still have fun in my car despite the "adjusted slammed messed up suspension". Believe it or not pbm coils are made to go low, yes that is how they come from wherever they are produced. Yet i know my car isn't the fastest, best handling car in the world, or even the best looking, but i still have fun and thats what it should be about. Not to thread jack op's thread.
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Old 01-22-2015, 05:29 PM
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They come like that because they fit it the box better, no other reason. Coilovers are not set from the factory, they are thrown together expecting people to know what their doing.
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