Adjusting rear coilovers ride height

[MarcG]

My Unplugged Performance coilovers have been working very well for me, and I've had a chance to try them out on the track with great success.

The front dampening is super easy to adjust, and the rear dampening is not too bad either - just need to be able to reach the adjustment knob.

The front suspension is also fairly straightforward to raise and lower, however I'm hesitant to adjust the rear ride height as it supposedly involves having to use a transmission jack, unscrewing two control arm bolts, and possibly removing the spring.

Does anyone have tips (or better yet, a video) on how to do this safely and more easily than the installation method shows?

Model 3 - Coilover Suspension Installation Guide - Unplugged Performance

Thanks in advance.

 

[SD_Engnr]

My Unplugged Performance coilovers have been working very well for me, and I've had a chance to try them out on the track with great success.

The front dampening is super easy to adjust, and the rear dampening is not too bad either - just need to be able to reach the adjustment knob.

The front suspension is also fairly straightforward to raise and lower, however I'm hesitant to adjust the rear ride height as it supposedly involves having to use a transmission jack, unscrewing two control arm bolts, and possibly removing the spring.

Does anyone have tips (or better yet, a video) on how to do this safely and more easily than the installation method shows?

Model 3 - Coilover Suspension Installation Guide - Unplugged Performance

Thanks in advance.

If I'm not mistaken, that's only to remove the OEM springs, and for ease of installing the lower strut bolt. To change the height, lift the car, remove the wheel, clean the threads, adjust the spring perch height, measure/record the new height, and then rinse/repeat on the other side. At least that's how I've done it on the Mountain Pass coilovers.

Maybe @UnpluggedP can clarify?

 

[MarcG]

If I'm not mistaken, that's only to remove the OEM springs, and for ease of installing the lower strut bolt. To change the height, lift the car, remove the wheel, clean the threads, adjust the spring perch height, measure/record the new height, and then rinse/repeat on the other side. At least that's how I've done it on the Mountain Pass coilovers.

Maybe @UnpluggedP can clarify?

Thanks for the quick response! So you don't need to reduce/remove load on the spring at all to adjust your rear ride height?

 

[mcbarnet007]

Thanks for the quick response! So you don't need to reduce/remove load on the spring at all to adjust your rear ride height?

UPP spring perch sits on the bottom of the spring instead of on top of the spring. This limits the access to the spring perch collar that you need to rotate in order to raise or lower the height. I've tried changing the height without removing the two bolts and it was next to impossible.

 

[MarcG]

UPP spring perch sits on the bottom of the spring instead of on top of the spring. This limits the access to the spring perch collar that you need to rotate in order to raise or lower the height. I've tried changing the height without removing the two bolts and it was next to impossible.

Interesting, thanks for the details.
Do you have to raise the control arm to remove those two bolts to compress the spring?

 

[mcbarnet007]

Interesting, thanks for the details.
Do you have to raise the control arm to remove those two bolts to compress the spring?

Yes, if you're doing this yourself, you'll need two jacks, one to raise the car on the corner you're working on and another to raise the rear lower control arm a little bit so that the bolts are not under tension. Below is what I did to change the ride height.

1. Raise your car with a jack and use jack stand if you have one available. Remove wheel.
2. Loosen the two bolt/nut combos on the rear lower control arm.
3. use another jack and place it under the rear lower control arm. Raise it until the two bolts are no longer under tension, remove the bolts.
4. lower the jack under the control arm slowly so spring can decompress.
5. adjust the spring perch height.
6. with the spring and perch in place, put a jack under the rear lower control arm again and raise it until the holes line up. Insert the bolts.
7. Keep raising the jack under the rear lower control arm until the wheel hub is at ride height, then tighten the nuts on the bolts to spec.
8. Lower the jack under the rear lower control arm slowly while making sure the original jack or jack stand under the jack point is still in place to support the car.

Above are what I remembered from personal experience awhile ago, use them at your own risk. If you're not comfortable working on your own car it's best to leave it to the professionals.

 

[MarcG]

Yes, if you're doing this yourself, you'll need two jacks, one to raise the car on the corner you're working on and another to raise the rear lower control arm a little bit so that the bolts are not under tension. Below is what I did to change the ride height.

1. Raise your car with a jack and use jack stand if you have one available. Remove wheel.
2. Loosen the two bolt/nut combos on the rear lower control arm.
3. use another jack and place it under the rear lower control arm. Raise it until the two bolts are no longer under tension, remove the bolts.
4. lower the jack under the control arm slowly so spring can decompress.
5. adjust the spring perch height.
6. with the spring and perch in place, put a jack under the rear lower control arm again and raise it until the holes line up. Insert the bolts.
7. Keep raising the jack under the rear lower control arm until the wheel hub is at ride height, then tighten the nuts on the bolts to spec.
8. Lower the jack under the rear lower control arm slowly while making sure the original jack or jack stand under the jack point is still in place to support the car.

Above are what I remembered from personal experience awhile ago, use them at your own risk. If you're not comfortable working on your own car it's best to leave it to the professionals.

Thanks a lot for all the steps! That's a lot of work for just ride height adjustment.. I miss my P85D's "plus" air suspension

 

[mcbarnet007]

Thanks a lot for all the steps! That's a lot of work for just ride height adjustment.. I miss my P85D's "plus" air suspension

The MCS system uses a Ground Control weight jack under the rear spring which allow you to adjust the height with a socket wrench. But the whole system cost over $4k. Do you know what is the spring rate for your rear?

 

[SD_Engnr]

Thanks a lot for all the steps! That's a lot of work for just ride height adjustment.. I miss my P85D's "plus" air suspension

You could always change to MPP coilovers

 

[MarcG]

The MCS system uses a Ground Control weight jack under the rear spring which allow you to adjust the height with a socket wrench. But the whole system cost over $4k. Do you know what is the spring rate for your rear?

No idea, is there a way to tell by looking at the spring itself? (i.e. is the number written on the spring, or does the spring color mean anything)

 

[mcbarnet007]

No idea, is there a way to tell by looking at the spring itself? (i.e. is the number written on the spring, or does the spring color mean anything)

If it's Swift spring, it should be on the spring itself.

 

[Bigtuna00]

You could always change to MPP coilovers

The MPP video instructions say you need to do the same thing to adjust rear ride height (@2:30):

 

[beastmode13]

The MPP video instructions say you need to do the same thing to adjust rear ride height (@2:30):

It depends on how much adjustment you’re looking to do. I’ve made +/- 5mm adjustments multiple times since initial installation almost a year ago, all without removing any bolts/arms. The system is under pressure, some muscle is required to adjust in either directions. If I were to make 10mm adjustment, then I might remove the bolt/arm. Always make sure the threads are clean of any dirt before making adjustments.

 

[Orwell]

The MPP video instructions say you need to do the same thing to adjust rear ride height (@2:30):

Not true. I've adjusted 12mm lower without doing anything other than taking the wheel off.

 

[Orwell]

You could always change to MPP coilovers

Was waiting for someone to chime in with this. You did not disappoint.

 

[Bigtuna00]

Not true. I've adjusted 12mm lower without doing anything other than taking the wheel off.

What do you mean "not true"? It's literally stated in the video. I get that you ignored the instructions, that doesn't make it "not true"...

 

[SD_Engnr]

What do you mean "not true"? It's literally stated in the video. I get that you ignored the instructions, that doesn't make it "not true"...

The part where it's stated that "you need to" remove it. In that case, I will agree that it's "not true". I have also made adjustments (10mm) without removing that bolt. As others have stated, it's definitely possible, and even easy to do with the MPP setup. Whereas, it's not really possible, and certainly not easy to do with the UPP setup.

 

[dsgerbc]

Can you do it w/o undoing the bolts? Sure.
Will it make you rip your rubber bushings sooner? Yes it will

 

[beastmode13]

Can you do it w/o undoing the bolts? Sure.
Will it make you rip your rubber bushings sooner? Yes it will

What rubber bushing are you referring to?

 

[dsgerbc]

What rubber bushing are you referring to?

Rear hub mounting point to the spring tray has a rubber bushing. So does the MPP rear shock. 10mm of ride height change is not gonna kill them tomorrow, but extra wear (and resistance) will be there and they'd wear prematurely.