How to preload...
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How to preload...
pardon the ignorance, but i just got my tein s-techs installed today and they are definitely not preloaded. i searched the forum but didnt find exactly what i was looking for other than that in order to do it I have to loosen the 2 bolts on the upper control arm. um, where are these, and how should i go about doing this? do i need to do this to the front and back? any and all help (pictures maybe?) would be much appreciated. im not really familiar with these kinds of things...thanks.
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there are 2 bolts when you take the wheel off behind the brakes. the control arm in the triangle shaped piece that the springs and shocks connect to. The control arm looks like the letter A upside down, with the shocks connecting right into the "tip" of the upside down letter A. Now the two bolts are what hold the control arm to the actual car. In order to preload the suspension you simply put those bolts in just like you are putting everything back together after the springs are in, but don't tighten those bolts completely (just hand tighten them.) Then drop the car down completely on all 4 of its tires like normal and then reach under and tighten those bolts.
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The reason you do this is because if you tighten those bolts super tight then drop the car back down it won't complete drop to it's prefered height because those super tight bolts will be holding the weight of the car up by themselves
EDIT: just looked it up, they are 14mm bolts if that helps.
EDIT: just looked it up, they are 14mm bolts if that helps.
Last edited by dillsrotary; 07-11-2007 at 10:33 PM.
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In order to preload the suspension you simply put those bolts in just like you are putting everything back together after the springs are in, but don't tighten those bolts completely (just hand tighten them.) Then drop the car down completely on all 4 of its tires like normal and then reach under and tighten those bolts.
#6
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What they said... this is what I would do:
1. Jack up the front, enough to easily access the front upper A-arm bolts.
2. Break 'em loose and turn them just a tiny bit tight.
3. Put the car down on the ground. You are now looking at your new ride height. Maybe move the car forward and backwards a bit to make sure things are settled.
4. Rotate wheel all the way to the left, this exposes 2 of those bolts for pretty easy access. Tighten them well (60-70 ft/lbs of torque).
5. Rotate wheel the other way and tighten the other two.
1. Jack up the front, enough to easily access the front upper A-arm bolts.
2. Break 'em loose and turn them just a tiny bit tight.
3. Put the car down on the ground. You are now looking at your new ride height. Maybe move the car forward and backwards a bit to make sure things are settled.
4. Rotate wheel all the way to the left, this exposes 2 of those bolts for pretty easy access. Tighten them well (60-70 ft/lbs of torque).
5. Rotate wheel the other way and tighten the other two.
#7
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Hey astral, did you stiffen up those rear Koni's yet?
So, is there any benefit to "preloading" the stock suspension? Has anyone gone through the process just to see if it lowers the front a bit? Would there be any good reason not to try?
So, is there any benefit to "preloading" the stock suspension? Has anyone gone through the process just to see if it lowers the front a bit? Would there be any good reason not to try?
#9
Purveyor of fine bass
I haven't yet. I have Mazdaspeed springs I'm going to put on, I will do it then.
Like TeamRX8 said, it's not really preloading as much as it is "unloading" and "not preloading". But everybody says preload anyways.
So, is there any benefit to "preloading" the stock suspension? Has anyone gone through the process just to see if it lowers the front a bit? Would there be any good reason not to try?
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pic attached, both boths (one of each side)
Yes you'll need a jack, you have to take the tire off to loosen it, but you can reach in and tighten it with the tire on and the car fully on the ground.
Yes you'll need a jack, you have to take the tire off to loosen it, but you can reach in and tighten it with the tire on and the car fully on the ground.
#11
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Thankfully, I have now been schooled on the proper application of the word preload.
Lets not forget that the OP had a ride height problem related to the way the suspension was reassembled. So, let me rephrase the question to avoid offending the sensitivities of those who wear bags on their heads:
Given that
1) there is a variation in ride height which is dependent on the order in which suspension parts are reassembled,
2) finishing the assembly with the weight of the car riding fully on the suspension appears to solve the problem
3) many people notice that the front of the RX8 seems to sit higher than desired from the factory,
It stands to reason that
1) someone with more experience than myself may have tried loosening and retightening the upper control arm bolts with the weight of the car fully supported by the suspension
2) such person may have noted whether there was any change in ride height or camber adjustment range
If anyone wants to comment, I'd appreciate it.
Lets not forget that the OP had a ride height problem related to the way the suspension was reassembled. So, let me rephrase the question to avoid offending the sensitivities of those who wear bags on their heads:
Given that
1) there is a variation in ride height which is dependent on the order in which suspension parts are reassembled,
2) finishing the assembly with the weight of the car riding fully on the suspension appears to solve the problem
3) many people notice that the front of the RX8 seems to sit higher than desired from the factory,
It stands to reason that
1) someone with more experience than myself may have tried loosening and retightening the upper control arm bolts with the weight of the car fully supported by the suspension
2) such person may have noted whether there was any change in ride height or camber adjustment range
If anyone wants to comment, I'd appreciate it.
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Here is the rear, should be the bolt on the left and right side of the spring and the one on the bottom left of the spring also.
http://picasaweb.google.com/quatacke...93629865990866
http://picasaweb.google.com/quatacke...93629865990866
#14
I would imagine that would work.. I will find out tomorrow myself. Got a set of GF210 Tanabe's installed last week and the front gap is really bothering me compared to the rear. If it doesn't drop I'll be investing in something more aggresive for the front.
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I have measured my car before and after the drop on the day and a week later, so I might post something later when I get a chance.
BTW, I did preload (or unload) the car, ie tighten the bolts while car is on the ground.
#16
I wish I would have thought to have taken measurements! I am very happy with the drop now. I noticed a drastic difference when I loosened the upper A arm bolts on the ground, but today I actually took the wheel off and jacked under the rotor up and re-tightened, it looks great. I am very happy with it now. Straight out of the shop it had no gap in the rear and a huge gap in the front....it was a nightmare! If you do get a chance I would like to see your measurements and I will post mine later.
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I wish I would have thought to have taken measurements! I am very happy with the drop now. I noticed a drastic difference when I loosened the upper A arm bolts on the ground, but today I actually took the wheel off and jacked under the rotor up and re-tightened, it looks great. I am very happy with it now. Straight out of the shop it had no gap in the rear and a huge gap in the front....it was a nightmare! If you do get a chance I would like to see your measurements and I will post mine later.
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I wish I would have thought to have taken measurements! I am very happy with the drop now. I noticed a drastic difference when I loosened the upper A arm bolts on the ground, but today I actually took the wheel off and jacked under the rotor up and re-tightened, it looks great. I am very happy with it now. Straight out of the shop it had no gap in the rear and a huge gap in the front....it was a nightmare! If you do get a chance I would like to see your measurements and I will post mine later.
This pic shown a day after it is dropped on Tanabe GF210+OEM shock:
This is how I measured the spring drop, from the bottom of wheel arch to the bottom of rim edge:
The numbers are (in mm):
Before (stock spring):
FL625 / FR625
RL605 / RR605
After (driving around the block then measured):
FL602 / FR602
RL591 / RR593
2 weeks later:
FL600 / FR600
RL580 / RR580
So the difference between before and 2 weeks later are:
FL25 / FR25
RL25 / RR25
When I look at my rear wheel gap, the rear wheel arch horizontally lines up with the top of the tyre (225/45/18), the drop is only 25mm, which is under 1", the Tanabe GF210 claimed their springs will drop 1.4" front and 1.2 rear", this led me to believe that my OEM springs have sagged over 6 years.
The front has dropped only 25mm, not quite 1.4" (35.56mm), it's kinda annoying despite I did tighten the A-arm bolts while car was on the ground, however what i didn't do was to roll the car back and forth while bolts are still loosen, so when my new rims arrive, I'd loosen all bolts on front again and re-tighten, hopefully the front would drop a bit more.
Now, please post your numbers so we can checked against each other.
I had 3 adults and a kid in the car yesterday, the rear would drop so much that the rim is about 2" from the guard, that's when the car is stationary, when over the bump, the rim probably line up with the wheel arch! no, the passengers aren't fat, however the ride is so comfy! more so than the OEM springs!!
Cheers.
Last edited by Kusanagi; 04-05-2011 at 01:33 AM.
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#24
Fronts are 596mm
Rears are 584mm
I've driven over 1,000 miles since the drop. I'm going to loosen the A-arm bolts again this weekend and see if I cant squeeze a little more out of them. The driver side seems to be just a little bit lower than passenger, but not anything significant.
Rears are 584mm
I've driven over 1,000 miles since the drop. I'm going to loosen the A-arm bolts again this weekend and see if I cant squeeze a little more out of them. The driver side seems to be just a little bit lower than passenger, but not anything significant.