General help with lowering suspension

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General help with lowering suspension

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Sep 19, 2009
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Hi have fitted some Bilstien lowering suspension to my hgt 155 the thing is the ride height is fantastic and looks good but there is too much of a thud when going over speed bumps. The question is would i benefit from putting the standard rear shocks back on would this make any differance. help please.
 
Hi have fitted some Bilstien lowering suspension to my hgt 155 the thing is the ride height is fantastic and looks good but there is too much of a thud when going over speed bumps. The question is would i benefit from putting the standard rear shocks back on would this make any differance. help please.

Depends how low it is, the thud could be the suspension hitting the bump stops. Springs determine the ride height, if its too low it doesnt matter what dampers you put on.

If its not the suspension bottoming out it might be the dampers bottoming out... pretty destructive to the dampers IMO.

Either makes the car unsafe.
 
Depends how low it is, the thud could be the suspension hitting the bump stops. Springs determine the ride height, if its too low it doesnt matter what dampers you put on.

If its not the suspension bottoming out it might be the dampers bottoming out... pretty destructive to the dampers IMO.

Either makes the car unsafe.
Hi i have taken off the bump stops so i know it isn't them as it is the with them on, the new shocks are gas i think so could this be the reason.
 
Hi i have taken off the bump stops so i know it isn't them as it is the with them on, the new shocks are gas i think so could this be the reason.

How low is it? 20 - 30 - 40 - 50 - 60mm lower than original spec? More?

With the bump stops off the suspension could be hitting the body! Personally I'd keep the bump stops on, and re-think the lowering strategy, all the dampers do is regulate the springs in compression & recoil, do the replacements have a longer travel than the originals?
 
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I think they are 40mm i got them of another hgt that was being broken up. The springs are definatly shorter but i think the shocks are the same length.

Shock length is immaterial really Craig its the stroke of the damper that matters. Seriously, 40mm isnt that extreme. I'd really keep the bump stops on...
 
Shock length is immaterial really Craig its the stroke of the damper that matters. Seriously, 40mm isnt that extreme. I'd really keep the bump stops on...
Yeah gona put them back on as i know it isn't them just one thing i just pulled of one of the rear shocks and pushed the shock in and when released it came straight back out but on the old shocks when compressed they stay in and have to be pulled out is the right.
 
The old shocks will be standard oil-filled ones, they don't extend automatically like the gas ones do.

It could be that fitting lowering springs and standard length gas dampers has a different effect than on ordinary oil dampers. In either case it's not ideal as the stroke of the dampers should really match the springs. 40mm is about the limit for standard dampers, and in the long term they will suffer a bit in any case.

See how it goes, and start saving for Bilstein shocks...
 
The old shocks will be standard oil-filled ones, they don't extend automatically like the gas ones do.

It could be that fitting lowering springs and standard length gas dampers has a different effect than on ordinary oil dampers. In either case it's not ideal as the stroke of the dampers should really match the springs. 40mm is about the limit for standard dampers, and in the long term they will suffer a bit in any case.

See how it goes, and start saving for Bilstein shocks...
The shocks are bilstein i will just have to get used to it.
 
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