How do you adjust body lean with coil overs?

[TheJDMan]

As I put more miles on "Dust Off" I am noticing more body lean to the left. I have tried tightening the springs on the driver side to level it out but it does not seem to change the ride height. It does seem to increase the spring rate which feels like it is creating an unbalanced suspension. Is it possible that the sway bars are causing the body to lean? What am I missing?

[exwestracer]

Steve,
This is a tough deal to do without corner scales. I would hook up with a circle track racer and see if you can get the corner weights balanced. If the shock mounts were installed correctly and you balance the corner weights, the ride height should take care of itself. Make sure you don't have a shock mount bending or some such problem.

[Nessumsar]

I don't think it would be the culprit, but also check your sway-bar ends to see if they are bent.

[David Pozzi]

Disconnect one end link of each anti roll bar, adjust your spring perches to level the car & even out corner weights. Usually the drivers side will be slightly heavier. Shim or adjust your sway bar end links so they don't preload the suspension when you re-connect them.
David

[bret]

Don't discount the possibility of a coilspring that has settled. It takes a really good hi tensile cold wound spring to eliminate settling over a period of time.

[parsonsj]

Shim or adjust your sway bar end links so they don't preload the suspension when you re-connect them.Exactly! Sway bar preload sounds like what you're seeing.

[TheJDMan]

OK, today I disconnected both front and rear sway bars. Nothing happend with just the rear bar disconnected. I have a DSE subframe which has a large front sway bar with splined arms and there is no adjustment in the links. So I rotated the high side arm up one spline and the car now sets level. I need to drive it but I think I still need to normalize the coil spring preload side to side now and I should be good. Now once I work out a few more bugs I will be ready to try attending some auto-X and track events. Thanks for the help guys!

[GeoffP]

Hey you should bring your car out to RTOS! It's reasonably close and would be a good starter event for you!

[TheJDMan]

Geoff,
Thanks for the invite. I plan to make some of these events, but I still need some basic safety items such as good seats and seat belts. I also need to weld a cross bar in my roll bar.

[exwestracer]

OK, today I disconnected both front and rear sway bars. Nothing happend with just the rear bar disconnected. I have a DSE subframe which has a large front sway bar with splined arms and there is no adjustment in the links. So I rotated the high side arm up one spline and the car now sets level. I need to drive it but I think I still need to normalize the coil spring preload side to side now and I should be good. Now once I work out a few more bugs I will be ready to try attending some auto-X and track events. Thanks for the help guys!

Steve, I'm sure you know that is NOT the way to level the car...

[dontlifttoshift]

It is if it was assembled one spline off to begin with...

[TheJDMan]

Ray,
I can't guarantee I assembled the sway bar arms correctly when I put the subframe together a year or so back. I can tell you that before I moved the swaybar arm the car would bounce unevenly side to side when I went over a transition or dip in the road. Now, with the front coils normalized side to side and the arm moved, the suspension reacts evenly side to side. The suspension just feels like it is much better balanced than before. All that said, I still have a LOT to learn about adjusting a coilover suspension and since you are only about 225 miles from me I would love to drive up to PA some time and have you take a look at my setup and teach me some basics.

[exwestracer]

Sure Steve. Just let me know when you want to come up.

[Rod]

whhhaaatt??? is Ray having a corner scales/ suspension setup party!! whoa! date and time please , nothing better than a all nighter bending suspension and tilting beers! :rolleyes: ummm ok some things are better

[Bryce]

whhhaaatt??? is Ray having a corner scales/ suspension setup party!! whoa! date and time please , nothing better than a all nighter bending suspension and tilting beers! :rolleyes: ummm ok some things are better



Rod,

Anytime you are in san diego call me up and we will weighs cars.

[Rod]

Rod,

Anytime you are in san diego call me up and we will weighs cars.

awesome Bryce, I will take you up on that! maybe next Del Mar, unless its David Pozzi's birthday again, he has like 3 a year

[Bryce]

awesome Bryce, I will take you up on that! maybe next Del Mar, unless its David Pozzi's birthday again, he has like 3 a year

Sounds good. we can have a scales party at my house friday night.

[TheJDMan]

Update,
I seem to have an issue with the spline alignment on the DSE swaybar arms. When they are splined on the bar correctly they should be even with each other side to side. My arms are off by a little over 3/8" which when connected to the control arms results in one side being a little over 1/2" higher than the other. I'm working with DSE now to figure out why. With the bars disconnected the car sets level.

[David Pozzi]

I've seen one DSE front bar that had a spline mis-alignment similar to yours. It's not unheard of. Check if its in the bar or in the arms. Contact DSE.

[parsonsj]

I had a splined sway bar that had slightly different OD at the bushing boss. I ended up making two different-sized bushings to compensate. Nearly all of these bars are hand-made, so mistakes do happen.