well it has officially been done, took me about 4 hours if you don't count going to auto zone 2 times and then taking my stock struts to the shop to have them switched over...sorry but i forgot my camera and my girl didnt have any batteries for hers or i would have did a diy thread. thanks myszkewicz for the how to thing, i appreciate it. very helpful

 

How much did the shop charge you?

 

the shop i took them too charged me $10 per strut. so it was not very bad at all. when i want to adjust the ride height to a lower setting would i make the spring more compressed or less compressed? i know thats probably a dumb question.

 

You aren't compressing the spring, you lower the spring perch for lower ride height.

 

yeah thats what i meant, the only reason i was saying compressing the spring was cause when i lower the spring seat the spring becomes less compressed. is that not supposed to happen? and i'm guessing i'll just lower the spring seat to lower ride height?

 

The spring should not become less compressed. There's still the same amount of weight on it.

 

^ Yup, what he said. All you are doing is moving the spring up and down on the strut when you raise and lower the perch. There shouldn't be any change in spring compression at all.

 

ok...but lowering the spring seat is what lowers ride height right?

 

Yes.

For example, say the spring is 17" tall when uncompressed. You install it in the car, and put the weight of that corner of the car on it, and it compresses down 3" to a height of 14" compressed. You move the perch up or down on the strut, the spring will always be 14" tall. Ride height is then determined by where the perch is.

 

Shock stroke can also affect this. If you raise the perch to its highest possible setting, and the shock stroke is maxed out, you can compress the spring more. The Tein basics don't have much travel and when these are set to max height, there is a "preload" on the spring if I can say and the shock stroke is maxed way out. WHen hitting bumps it gives a nasty sound when the shocks bottom out going UP...LOL

 

ok i appreciate it. the only reason i was asking is because the teins (idk if its like this with the other brands) only have the spring seat, which is only on the bottom of the spring. it confused me cause on the rear before i tightened up the seat, brought it up higher, the spring could move freely up and down, but when i tightened it up it didnt but i'm afraid that if i move the spring seat down the spring won't be in contact with both the top and the bottom??? anyone know if that is normal or not?

 

what is the overall review on the tein basics...granted stiffer ride
As a daily driver, putting 20,000 miles a year on the car...are the coilovers going to beat the car up pretty bad?

 

Normal if you have the car up off the ground when you're doing the adjustment (which you should). Once you set the car back down on the ground, drive it around the block a couple times to settle everything in place, and reach in without lifting the car and try to move the spring again. It shouldn't move.