My coilovers and snow?

[patsy]

My wrx wagon is not slammed totally down, but sits pretty low. About a inch gap from top of tyre to whell arch. I'm wondering if raising my suspension a couple of inch, will affect my geometry much? If I measure the coilover height to start and once the snow is away, lower them back to the same heights as now. Will i still need another geometry setup or will it be okay? My car and tyres seem to be going rather well in this snow, but very nearly risking my front bumper being a plough. Not a good idea with a new fmic is tucked behind it! Worried I'll damage it.

Thoughts and past experiences please.

Ryan

[arch]

Changing the ride height will alter the geometry in particular the toe settings which in turn will affect other settings.

[mk1cos]

ryan,

have you piped in the fmic yet or is that ma job??

if not then i would take it off ntil its needed.......

less chance of damage in the snow

[patsy]

  On 30/11/2010 at 18:24, mk1cos said:

ryan,

have you piped in the fmic yet or is that ma job??

if not then i would take it off ntil its needed.......

less chance of damage in the snow

That'll be your job sir. Going for reverse inlet manifold, so all that will be plumbed in when my motors with you's. Taking it off did cross my mind, but can't take it off once its a functional part, so was trying to work around it by maybe lifting the suspension up a few inch???

[patsy]

  On 30/11/2010 at 18:16, Arch said:

Changing the ride height will alter the geometry in particular the toe settings which in turn will affect other settings.

What actual effect will this have. If I lift by a few inch. In a dafty terms please.

Ryan

[scooby222]

handling will be rubbish and even lowering it back to the same settings again would need a geo setup im afraid

[craigdmcd]

  On 30/11/2010 at 20:29, scooby222 said:

handling will be rubbish and even lowering it back to the same settings again would need a geo setup im afraid

Why would you believe this. Once the springs are returned to their original position, everything sits exactly as it was - I know this through actual experience of carrying out this procedure.

[scooby222]

ok i stand corrected, that was just my understanding - so itd be ok to raise them up for a few months them drop them back down to the original height without having the geometry done, as per the op query?

not something id have considered doing but then i dont work on these things myself so happy to take expert knowledge

[patsy]

To be honest, think I'll raise her a bit and try putting things back to original heights in a bit. Getting about just now, out weighs any damage or a £60 geometry setup again in spring time.

Need somewhere dry to do now but! Sitting in the street with this snow is not very good.

[mk1cos]

  On 01/12/2010 at 10:45, Patsy said:

To be honest, think I'll raise her a bit and try putting things back to original heights in a bit. Getting about just now, out weighs any damage or a £60 geometry setup again in spring time.

Need somewhere dry to do now but! Sitting in the street with this snow is not very good.

drive into one of the indoor car parks

[patsy]

My thoughts exactly! On the hunt tonight for a space to get her jacked up in reasonable comfort.

Ryan

[arch]

  On 30/11/2010 at 23:53, craigdmcd said:

Why would you believe this. Once the springs are returned to their original position, everything sits exactly as it was - I know this through actual experience of carrying out this procedure.

You will never get them back to exactly where they were before moving them no matter how closely you mark them but for road use it would probably be close enough ish depends how carefully you mark them.

[patsy]

  On 01/12/2010 at 12:51, Arch said:

You will never get them back to exactly where they were before moving them no matter how closely you mark them but for road use it would probably be close enough ish depends how carefully you mark them.

Going to measure between top and bottom nuts. Not sure what to call them, but should get it back to within 1mm of where it is now. Is there anyway I can adjust the toe a little to try and compensate, it won't be real tyre scrubbing stuff will it?

Ryan

[craigdmcd]

  On 01/12/2010 at 12:51, Arch said:

You will never get them back to exactly where they were before moving them no matter how closely you mark them but for road use it would probably be close enough ish depends how carefully you mark them.

Well, years of moving the heights up and down on a Group A Impreza and a modified Group A Mazda 323 soon taught us that it when you put it back to where you were, you weren't far enough out of your settings to be concerned about.

Patsy, the best way is to mark the struts with a touch up paint where the adjusting collars are at present, and then move it up, then you can wind them back down to the exact height. As for geometry, just get a cheap tracking check done, which won't really be that far out, and when you lower it again, just get the tracking done again. The camber won't change enough with a couple of inch height change to massively upset the car, especially given the conditions we are having to drive in.

[patsy]

Nice one. Thanks for your confident reply Craig.

Ryan

[patsy]

Adjusted my front 2 coilovers up 50mm more between adjusting collars. Gives plenty more front spliter clearance now. Left back end as it was, sits a wee bit odd, but for a good reason. No where near as much scraping noises from underneath and I'm not ploughing the mound of snow in the centre of the roads anymore! FMIC safer for the time being. Lol.