HELP!!!! what have i done wrong!!!!!

[warrior]

Have replaced my shocks and springs in my NA. Shock were just a KYB replacment..slightly firmer than stock but still streetable and KINGS 30mm drop springs. The front left side of the car has dropped appox 20mm...just what I wanted but here is the problem. The right front has dropped 5mm....and the rears have only dropped 2-3mm. I have changed springs and shocks before so have a fair idea what i,m doing but have I done something wrong? Maybe a trick to lower mx5,s correctly? I have driven the car 4-5 times to let the springs settle but as you would guess I am very unhappy with this. I am going to swap the fronts around to see if the problem moves but cant see how this will fix anything. The car handles much better than before, a bit firmer but very nice. Before I go back to where I bought them from I NEED HELP!!!!!!!!

[LS3V8MX5]

Something seriously wrong here Warrior.
I'm sure you're measuring it on a flat level surface...

Are the front springs the same length sitting on the floor, ie not mounted onto shocks?

Is the lower spring plate on the high side shock fitted fully?
Are the Shocks the same length- and similar pressure?

[warrior]

Yeah...four brand new shocks and four brand new springs all the correct sizes. Measured the car in same place before and after new springs/shocks. I am very baffled with this myself. You can easliy see the diffrence between the two front struts even without a measuring tape. and basically no change to the rears from standard. anyone out there used Kings springs before with any success????

[warrior]

p.s the new springs were quite a bit shorted than the originals sitting side by side out of the car.

[WideOpenThrottle]

Hi - i put King springs in my landcruiser to firm up the ride and was told the ride height wouldn't change much, which is what i wanted and i can tell you now that i needed a ladder just to get my tools out the back of it.It was so close to hitting the garage door i cringed every time i went in or out!I just had to take them out again and when i rang the supplier he said i had the right ones??????????

[warrior]

dont you think if they advertise them as a 30mm drop that is what they should be?

[zorruno]

warrior said on 14/11/10 11:24:

Have replaced my shocks and springs in my NA. Shock were just a KYB replacment..slightly firmer than stock but still streetable and KINGS 30mm drop springs. The front left side of the car has dropped appox 20mm...just what I wanted but here is the problem. The right front has dropped 5mm....and the rears have only dropped 2-3mm. I have changed springs and shocks before so have a fair idea what i,m doing but have I done something wrong? Maybe a trick to lower mx5,s correctly? I have driven the car 4-5 times to let the springs settle but as you would guess I am very unhappy with this. I am going to swap the fronts around to see if the problem moves but cant see how this will fix anything. The car handles much better than before, a bit firmer but very nice. Before I go back to where I bought them from I NEED HELP!!!!!!!!

------------------------
warrior

Hi - the possibility is that you have the front and the rear springs
swapped - I've seen it happen a couple of times... the stock spring on
the front is shorter/stiffer than the rear - but not sure about your
aftermarket ones. Not sure if it will solve your side to side imbalance
though.

cheers

[Posted via external email]

[warrior]

????? I,m confussed????? The front spring on the front is SHORTER? than the rear. When I took my stock springs off the fronts were LONGER than the rear?

[Blues Boy]

If one corner is almost where it should be, it sounds like the other corners might be binding up somehow? Did you torque all the bolts while the car was still in the air?

[WideOpenThrottle]

Silly question-but have you taken the car for a run to see if the suspension settles?

[warrior]

Hi, yes to the last few questions. I put two sacks of cement in the boot (50kg) and its looks like it is starting to settle down. I will leave them ther for a few weeks to see what happens...thanks for all the comments

[Keith Jones]

The free spring lengths of the standard NA springs are:
Front - 282mm to 302mm depending on whether your car is a manual or automatic and what year it is.
Rear - 340mm to 356mm.

The lowered stiffer King springs are around 245mm for the fronts (don't know the rears.

[zorruno]

The front spring on the front is SHORTER?

for stock NA springs - yes

[warrior]

Just for anyones info, got the kings swapped for some dobies and they have worked perfect. 20-25mm drop which is spot on.....so anyone wanting to put king springs in there MX5......my suggestion would be DONT.

[WideOpenThrottle]

I agree!