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coil over problems, please help


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#1 weeredmini

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Posted 07 October 2005 - 02:06 PM

I need help!! My mini has a rear beam axle and coilovers but one of the springs snapped!?! I have swapped the broken one for a new one (shock & spring unit) but it doesnt appear to function as it should. when on the floor the car sits way too low (tyre up in arch) and when jacking the car up the spring barely stretches and the wheel lifts off the ground almost as soon as you start. Ive tried adjusting the shocker and spring but that doesnt seem to do anything. Have i got the wrong coilover unit (I compared it to old one and they looked exactly the same) or could it be something else?

#2 Jammy

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Posted 07 October 2005 - 02:43 PM

Did you replace the whole damper unit or just the spring?

If you replaced just the spring did you set the pre-load to the same as it was before?

It maybe worth having your corner weights done again. Could be pricey though.

#3 weeredmini

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Posted 07 October 2005 - 02:45 PM

Replaced the whole unit. Corner weights? sorry, im a novice!

#4 Jammy

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Posted 07 October 2005 - 02:49 PM

Yea, when you have coil overs fitted, each corner of your car needs to be weighed and then the damper will be set up according to that weight. Also, the ride height is set by the pre-load on the damper, since there is no rubber donuts as you find on standard cars. You also need to make sure you got a like for like replacment as you can get different poundage springs that will compress at different rates. What make of coil over have you got?

#5 weeredmini

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Posted 07 October 2005 - 02:59 PM

new one alloy protech. old one spax. so i should have got spax then i presume?

#6 Jammy

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Posted 07 October 2005 - 03:02 PM

I would of got Spax yea. Do you know if its the lowered Spax kit (RSX520) or the standard height kit (RSX519)?

#7 weeredmini

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Posted 07 October 2005 - 03:06 PM

no idea which, its as i bought the car. is there anything i can do to make the protech one right or should i just get a spax one an hope that does the job?

#8 Jammy

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Posted 07 October 2005 - 03:15 PM

I haven't got enough experience on coilovers to give you concise advice, but I would say you would need to make sure that the poundage of the springs are the same. This will probably mean phoning Spax, who should be able to advise you on how to find out which kit you have, and therefore what the spring rates, etc of the spring are, and then ringing Protech to make sure they match.

Alternatively, sell the Protech one, ring up Spax, get the part number of the spring. And then fit that with the old damper, unless the old damper is bu**ered as well?

#9 Steve@RetroDash

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Posted 07 October 2005 - 05:08 PM

corner weights simplified

http://www.ime.org.u...nerweights.html

#10 bluebottle

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Posted 07 October 2005 - 05:23 PM

so if i have this right you had spax on there, a spring broke and you've put on a diffent make..?

there are plenty of variables where you could have gone wrong, ideally you should have put the same make and part number back on, mixing shockers isnt a good idea.

you can get diffent lengths in the body of the shocker, different strokes ( measurement open and closed)

was the spring the same length?.....the same strength?

if you look at the spax again, you'll find you can one for a standard ride height car, and one for a lowered car.

check the one you took off, and have a look for the part number, this is the one you should really try to put back on.

#11 Jammy

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Posted 07 October 2005 - 05:34 PM

I don't think the springs have part numbers on, but I think they are coloured depending on poundage, spring rate. The ones I got in my RSX520 kit are purple.

#12 bluebottle

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Posted 07 October 2005 - 08:21 PM

the poundage is usually written on the ends of the spring

#13 Jammy

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Posted 07 October 2005 - 11:26 PM

Ah your probably right then, because I got my kit second hand the dampers and springs were already put together so I can't see.

#14 Woody

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Posted 08 October 2005 - 06:44 AM

Golden Rule ! SHOCK ABSORBERS SHOULD ONLY BE REPLACED IN PAIRS (on the same axle)
the same goes for springs ,brake pads ,brake shoes , brake disks,brake drums
this golden rule should never be broken !
probs the easiest way for you is to get another (matched)protech shocker &spring for the other side .

#15 bluebottle

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Posted 08 October 2005 - 07:25 AM

not sure i'd be getting another pro tech one, thats the reason for his post in the first place!




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