MPP AWD/Performance Coilover Impression and Installation

[beastmode13]

MPP actually said the ratio is 1:1.2 so 10mm difference in adjustment give you 12mm of ride height difference. That lined up with my adjustment. I needed car 6mm lower in front to even it out and I dropped the collar 5mm on the front dampers.

EDIT: TREED, lol

Good catch. Yeah it’s on post 301. 1:1.2.

 

[DrZoidberg]

Ok, here are my calculations for peer review trying to maintain stock ride height, or close to it. I do realize it will droop after the springs settle which should be fine for my steep driveway:

My stock battery height from the battery (perpendicular to the front jack point), and then to ground is 6 in. (152.4mm)

Stock PD3 with 20 inch wheels (fender to hub center) :15.5 in. (393.7mm)

MPP recommended height (fender to hub center in mm) 354F/359R (13.94F/14.13R In.): Basically a drop of 1.5 in. from stock.

To maintain my stock fender to hub measurements, I would need to do the following using a 1:1.2 ratio in the calculations:

393.7-354=39.7/1.2=33mm, or 1.3 inches front (adjustment up from 80.4 mm recommendation).

393.7-359=34.7/1.2=28.92mm, or 1.14 inches rear (adjustment up from 18mm recommendation)

So for the front, set the spring perch to 80.4+33=113.4mm, or 4.46 in. (total spring perch measurement)

For the rear, set the spring perch to 18mm+28.92=46.92mm, or 1.85in. (total spring perch measurement)


From the MPP website as of 4/5/20:

FRONT SPRING PERCH OFFSET: START AT: 80.4mm
FRONT RIDE HEIGHT: 354mm (Hub to Fender)
FRONT BATTERY HEIGHT: 110mm (Using OEM 18″ wheels and tires)

REAR:

REAR SPRING PERCH OFFSET: 18mm (this is the gap between the bottom of the spring perch and the top of the body – see photo)
REAR RIDE HEIGHT: 359mm (Hub to Fender)
REAR BATTERY HEIGHT: 111mm (Using OEM 18″ wheels and tires)

I recently played around with what you are doing. The ratio holds around the recommended height, but I think it increases a bit at the extreme as more preload supports more weight @MountainPass can correct me if needed. You might see where you are at by first adding 15 mm. I easily had full hand wheel gap clearance at that setting and dropped some from there.

 

[ULEWZ]

As I am totally anal about these things, I verified the following torque values, use at your discretion (I should be installing this weekend):

Front torque values:
Front damper (coilover) lower through bolt and nut, 106Nm (78.18 lb ft) (torque at ride height, hub to fender desired measurement)
Top hat 3 nuts, 23 Nm (17 lb ft)
Sway bar top link to damper nut, 98 Nm (72.28 lb ft)
Upper Control arm to knuckle (pinch bolt and nut) 56 Nm (41.30 lb ft)

If you removed the 4 upper bolts (instead of 3 hat nuts):
The 2 larger bolts are 62 Nm (45.73 lb ft)
The 2 smaller bolts are 35 Nm (25.81 lb ft)

Rear torque values:
The 2 upper damper bolts to body (installing up) 41 Nm (30.24 lb ft)
Rear lower strut 2 bolts and 2 nuts 115 Nm (84.81 lb ft) (torque both at ride height, hub to fender desired measurement)

The torques listed for lb ft are a direct calculation from Nm, so plus or minus a few lb ft is fine (usually plus/minus 10% is used in aviation).

 

[jgrgnt]

As I am totally anal about these things, I verified the following torque values, use at your discretion (I should be installing this weekend):

The torques listed for lb ft are a direct calculation from Nm, so plus or minus a few lb ft is fine (usually plus/minus 10% is used in aviation).

Very helpful to have this all in a single post. Thanks for sharing.

The values I used during my installation were identical to yours, except for two items:

Front torque values:
Front damper (coilover) lower through bolt and nut, 106Nm (78.18 lb ft) (torque at ride height, hub to fender desired measurement)

I used 84 lb ft.​

Rear torque values:
The 2 upper damper bolts to body (installing up) 41 Nm (30.24 lb ft)

I used 17 lb ft.
​

Can I ask how you were able to verify your values? I definitely want to get this right, as I'm OCD about this as well, but was never 100% confident in the values I found. I'm mostly concerned about the rear damper-to-body value, since mine is quite a bit lower than yours.

 

[ULEWZ]

Very helpful to have this all in a single post. Thanks for sharing.

The values I used during my installation were identical to yours, except for two items:

Front torque values:
Front damper (coilover) lower through bolt and nut, 106Nm (78.18 lb ft) (torque at ride height, hub to fender desired measurement)

I used 84 lb ft.​

Rear torque values:
The 2 upper damper bolts to body (installing up) 41 Nm (30.24 lb ft)

I used 17 lb ft.
​

Can I ask how you were able to verify your values? I definitely want to get this right, as I'm OCD about this as well, but was never 100% confident in the values I found. I'm mostly concerned about the rear damper-to-body value, since mine is quite a bit lower than yours.

I know a guy who knows a guy with access to manual.

 

[ULEWZ]

 

[ULEWZ]

My first question, why don't MPP coilovers have locking rings or set screws to keep the ride height from moving while driving? Most other coilovers do.

My second question, does the plus move to a higher compression number, so to start from zero, move in the Minus direction until it lightly bottoms out?

Looks like full hard, all the way in the plus direction is 0 (lower number is harder). Back out in the minus direction to set.

 

[beastmode13]

My first question, why don't MPP coilovers have locking rings or set screws to keep the ride height from moving while driving? Most other coilovers do.

My second question, does the plus move to a higher compression number, so to start from zero, move in the Minus direction until it lightly bottoms out?

Locking ring and set screw aren’t necessary. There is enough tension on the seat from the spring and the weight of the car, it Is not going to move.

Turn clockwise until it stops, this closes the valve, which is full stiff.

 

[ULEWZ]

Locking ring and set screw aren’t necessary. There is enough tension on the seat from the spring and the weight of the car, it Is not going to move.

Turn clockwise until it stops, this closes the valve, which is full stiff.

Thanks, and that is also full Plus + direction, from what I figured out.

 

[yourotherleft]

I'm wondering what Bump/Rebound setup you guys use or like on your MPP Sport Coilover.

My setup currently is as recommended by MPP, Bump/Rebound is 12/10 clicks from closed or full stiff. I feel currently the rebound is a tad soft, especially front side. I probably still need to drive it like few hundred more miles to let it settles before making adjustment.

-Hank

 

[dfwatt]

I'm wondering what Bump/Rebound setup you guys use or like on your MPP Sport Coilover.

My setup currently is as recommended by MPP, Bump/Rebound is 12/10 clicks from closed or full stiff. I feel currently the rebound is a tad soft, especially front side. I probably still need to drive it like few hundred more miles to let it settles before making adjustment.

-Hank

I'm running 10/8. Just about right for me. But I'm coming from a ridiculously stiff suspension essentially a competition coilover package on a Lexus IS350. Needed a kidney belt to drive it on rough roads.

 

[cjm5199]

Does anyone have a Torklift Eco hitch installed with these? Looking to pull the trigger but can't if the hitch-mounted bike rack won't work while lowered.

 

[vogz]

After a couple hundred miles I just measured my ride height again since the front looks higher than the rear again. When I initially set it up to MPP's recommended height measurements the fronts were about 1/4in higher that the rears. I lowered the fronts to match. Now the fronts are exactly the same height that they were 2 weeks ago (27 1/4in from ground to fender) and the rears are lower than they were by 1/4in. They are now 27 inches ground to fender. I'm going to give it a little more time before I start messing with the height again.

 

[ULEWZ]

Does anyone have a Torklift Eco hitch installed with these? Looking to pull the trigger but can't if the hitch-mounted bike rack won't work while lowered.

As you can set it to stock height, I don't think it will be a problem. If you wish to lower your car, you may scrape on steep driveways.

 

[ULEWZ]

After a couple hundred miles I just measured my ride height again since the front looks higher than the rear again. When I initially set it up to MPP's recommended height measurements the fronts were about 1/4in higher that the rears. I lowered the fronts to match. Now the fronts are exactly the same height that they were 2 weeks ago (27 1/4in from ground to fender) and the rears are lower than they were by 1/4in. They are now 27 inches ground to fender. I'm going to give it a little more time before I start messing with the height again.

What is your center of hub to bottom of fender well measurement? Tires wear, so ground to fender will change as the tires change.

 

[vogz]

What is your center of hub to bottom of fender well measurement? Tires wear, so ground to fender will change as the tires change.

I'll measure it tomorrow. I've only drive 100 miles or so since I last measured. If my tires wore enough in 100 miles to change the ground to fender measurement 1/4in then I have bigger problems.

 

[ULEWZ]

I am a tech writer by trade and have written some comprehensive removal and installation procedures for the sport MPP coilovers. If anybody is interested, I can send them to you no strings attached. I always write them for myself before a major install to make sure I fully understand what is in store, but then find the procedures may be useful to those unsure of themselves.

 

[JGCyber3]

ULEWZ - PM Sent

 

[ULEWZ]

ULEWZ - PM Sent

Procedure sent. I have installed the two rears and one front before I ran out of energy. I will finish the final front today and then set the ride height.

 

[JGCyber3]

Thank you!