How to Adjust Coilovers: Height, Preload, Dampening

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MaXpeedingRods
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how to adjust coilovers

Editor’s note: There are 24 Levels adjustable coilovers that MaXpeedingRods offers. What you need to do is adjust your ride height, preload, damper force to an ideal condition! Read on the following how-to guide to learn how to adjust.

How to adjust coilovers height

Usually, there is no height presetting to your suspension when you received it from an aftermarket auto store. You should compare with your OEM suspension and adjust to the height you desire and then install it in the car. More details can be found in the installation steps.

how to adjust coilovers height

Step 1, Loosen the fixed nut.①
Step 2, Used the wrench to loosen tighten nut.②
Step 3, Survey distance.⑤
Step 4, Tum cylinder and follow direction③ to raise or direction ④ lower.
Step 5, Tighten the lock nut② again.
Step 6, Be sure to tighten the lock nut②. A loose lock nut is extremely dangerous.
Step 7, If unnecessary, don’t loosen or move the nut.⑥

We all know that MaXpeedingRods coilovers are lowering kits that can lower 1-3 inches from OEM height. Specific lowering height may vary from vehicle to vehicle but will not be more than 3 inches.

Note: Make sure the minimum 30mm damper inserting into the lower mount when you go to the highest height.

How to adjust coilovers preload

The spring preload is “0” when assembled. You should preload it as you need. We always recommend preload range is 7-10mm. The preload set is 10mm for most of MaXpeedingRods coilovers. Too much preload will break springs.

MaXpeedingRods Blog | An Automotive Blog from MaXpeedingRods - How to Adjust Coilovers: Height, Preload, Dampening

if you want more preload,
step 1, wind the lock ring ① up to the preload you need and now measure the distance between the spring seat and spring lock ring (distance between ① & ②) and record. You need to make sure the distance is the same in right and left side coilover.
Step 2, wind the lock ring② up until it connects with the spring seat and tighten the ① & ②.

If you want less preload,
step 1, loose the lock ring ② and then wind lock ring ① down to the preload you need. measure the distance and keep the left and right side same. please make sure the springs must be fixed on the struts. loose springs will cause noise problem.
step 2, tighten the lock ring ① & ②.

The better step is that we set the preload first and next go for height adjustment. Once the preload is settled, we should not adjust it again in the process of height adjustment.

How to adjust coilovers dampening

We set the damper of the MaXpeedingRods coilovers to the hardest condition at 24 clicks. When you get the coilover, the damper is in the softest position. It’s easy to do damper setting as long as you follow the rules that turn counterclockwise for softness, and turn clockwise for hardness. 

how to adjust coilovers dampening
  1. Turn the button clockwise(Direction H) to strengthen the damper force.
  2. Turn the button counter-clockwise(Direction S) to weaken the damper force.
  3. 24 levels of damping force must adjust the shock of the left and right side at the same time, otherwise drivers feel uncomfortable

Suggestion:

  • Level 0-8 suggest daily street use.
  • Level 9-16 suggest mountain anfractuosity use.
  • Level 17-24 suggest occasional race tracks use.

Ride feelings vary from person to person, we suggest that you do a road test and find the most suitable setting for yourself.


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49 COMMENTS

  4. Hi,
    Does anybody know what’s making the clacking sound on my front coilovers, it sounds like there’s something loose but all is tight. these are brand new out of box can anyone help
    Thanks

    • Yo fellas an fens, just slapped on my mono-ss and I hear kocking on my rear passenger side and on the rear driver side it swerves to the right pretty intense kinda feels sketch but double checked all bolts all tight I even put the rubber on the coil from the sticks to see if it’s stop anything but actually feels worst any ideas shits getting annoying this’ll be the 11th time this week tryna figure it out on my 98 e36

  5. Can not set the preload, run out of threads before spring is seated securely. The compression and rebound feel good. Is it possible to reduce the length of rebound in the shock arm?

  7. Hello.
    My front coiloverd have 24 adjustment settings, as they should have. But the ones in the back have only 17. Does this mean the damper is broken? What can I do about it?
    Thanks in advance

  8. Hello.
    My front coilovers have 24 adjustment settings, but the ones in the back only have 17. Is this normal or is something broken?
    Subaru Impreza GC8

  9. Hello…. so I bought these coilovers for my 95 accord and the description said that they are adjustable but the top don’t look like the ones in the video…. it looks like an all thread in the center of the nut with the 2 sides shaved for a wrench….. are these truly adjustable

    • Thank you for reaching out! We offer two types of coilovers: adjustable and non-adjustable. It’s possible that you might have purchased the wrong type. To assist you better, could you please check the product details or provide us with your model number or order number? This way, we can check the exact product you purchased and help you accordingly. Feel free to let us know, and we’ll be glad to help!

  10. Level 0-8 suggest for occasional race tracks use.
    Level 9-16 suggest for mountain anfractuosity use.
    Level 17-24 suggest for daily street use.

    Is this the opposite? Shouldn’t level 17 – 24 be for occasional race use and 0 – 8 be for street use?

  12. I need help i got this coil overs install professionally on my 06 mazdaspeed6 i told the mechanic to not adjust the height as i wanted to lower it myself to my liking now the car is really raised in the back and when i do lowered it, it bounces like crazy does anybody know what i should do i really need help as this is my daily driven i want it lower and more stiff

    • Hi Evan! I apologize for the inconvenience you’re facing with the damper adjustment. Customer satisfaction is always our top priority, we have a professional customer service and aftersale team.Please contact them, and we will arrange to replace the faulty damper adjustment for you. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and we’ll do our best to resolve the issue promptly.
      Email: SupportUS@Maxpeedingrods.com
      hotline:(1) 213-459-3517

  14. I purchased these for my 2004 is300, however they’re at max stiffness and yet it still feels like I’m on the moons gravitational pool. Any road irregularities the car just bounces for a few hundred feet. Annoying to the say the least.

    Is this because unlike other brands the preload is *NOT* set currently to my cars application?

    • Sorry for the inconvenience! Our coilover come with a default preload setting that works for many car models, but it can be adjusted to suit individual driving preferences. You can customize the preload to achieve a more comfortable ride.Considering your situation, Plz try to set your preload at 7-10mm. In case you still experience the bounce，you may consider changing a spring with higher K rate. Thank you for your feedback.

  15. I have a set for my 1993 3000gt. Everything seems tight but the car wanders all over the road after installing these coilovers. Is there something I should check. Bumps make the car pull hard to one direction or the other.

    • Hi Joe！Please kindly check your preload and check the coilover kit you bought is damper adjustable or not，if yes，you could adjust it to be stiffer.

    • Hello!Thank you for choosing our products. To assist you better, may I inquire which specific model of coilover you have purchased from us? Having this information will allow us to provide you with the best possible support:)

  17. Hi
    I bought your product on Amazon and I took my car to change it, they said “they can do the installation and adjustments” but actually they don’t, I don’t know where I can go to fix this, I live in New Jersey.
    My car jumps every smaller hit on the road and doesn’t feel comfortable drive like that.
    I really appreciate your help.
    Thanks.

    • Hi dear customer, very sorry for your bad experience. If what you’re referring to as non-adjustable is the damper, please take a look at the solution in the image. It might be helpful for you. If the issue still isn’t resolved, please contact our customer service, we’ll do our best to resolve the issue promptly.
      Email: SupportUS@Maxpeedingrods.com
      hotline:(1) 213-459-3517.
      soulution

      • Hi
        I bought your product on Amazon, I don’t know where I can go to fix this, I live in Calgary Alberta Canada.
        My car jumps every smaller hit on the road and doesn’t feel comfortable drive like that.
        I really appreciate your help.
        Thanks.

        • Hi Glen,

          We’re sorry for your bad experience and we are more than willing to help you to solve this problem. Customer satisfaction is always our priority. To assit you beeter, we need to know your order number. We have a very professional customer service team. Please contact them with your order number, they’ll solve the problem for you as quickly as possible. the Call Center: (1) 231-459-3517 (PST) 8:00 am-4:00 pm Mon. to Fri. Or PM our only official page to report the issues: https://www.facebook.com/MaXpeedingRods

  18. I almost forgot, the product name on Amazon is under:
    “maXpeedingrods Coilovers for Mazda 3 BK 2004-2009 BL 2009-2013 for Mazdaspeed 3, 24 Damping Level Setting Spring Shock Absorber Suspension Coil Struts Lowering Kit Height Adjustable”

    Thank you!

    • Hi dear customer, very sorry for your bad experience. Please try to reinstall the adjuster according to this video：http://video.mxrst.com/video/CO-Install-video-updates/Change-damper-adjuster.mp4
      If the issue still isn’t resolved, please contact our customer service, we’ll do our best to resolve the issue promptly.
      Email: SupportUS@Maxpeedingrods.com
      hotline:(1) 213-459-3517.

  20. Is there a way to adjust the rear coilovers on a 2004 e46 to make it have a softer ride. Or a softer spring I can buy? It’s clunks so bad in the rear I have no give to my suspension in the back

    • Hi Taylor,

      Thanks for your inquiry. May I ask if you purchased our damper adjustable coilovers? If you have adjustable dampers, you can turn the knob on the top counterclockwise to make it softer. If you still have questions or need further assistance, please visit our Facebook page and provide your order number in DM. We’ll be happy to help you.
      https://www.facebook.com/MaXpeedingRods

      Thank you! Have a great day.

  21. I just bought these for my 09 Porsche Cayenne. The book that came with them says to adjust damping to 17 for daily road use. it rides like hell now and feels like the shock bottoms out when I hit a large dip in the road. it bounces way too much do I need to lower the damping or raise it? I need to know as I will have to remove them to do this you cannot access the damping knob while they are installed on the vehicle. also do I need to change preload to solve the clunking in the rear right now its set to 10mm

    • Thank you for reaching out. It seems like there may be some issues with the installation or setup of your coilovers. We recommend removing them to inspect the damping components and other parts to ensure everything is properly installed and adjusted. If you need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact our customer support team:supportus@maxpeedingrods.com. They’ll be happy to provide you with expert guidance tailored to your specific situation.

  22. I have a set of coilover struts for a 2007 Infinity GS35x. My mechanic replaced the front and rear struts with your Premium struts found on Amazon. The rear height seems to be very high and bounces like crazy, but has a very hard bounce. (maXpeedingrods 24 Ways Adjustable Coilovers Struts Coil Spring Suspension Shock Kit for infinity G35x 2003-2008 AWD) Full front and back kit.

    i would like to lower the height and soften the ride. The front seem to be fine as he was able to match what was there before but was unable to measure the rear when he took the original struts off. I really want to make these work as they look amazing and I know it is just a matter of making the right adjustments. Can I do this by removing the tire and making the adjustment while on the car or do I have to remove them to make the adjustments?

  23. Got these for my 2010 Astra, the fronts are set to the highest setting yet the car is still way too low and the wheels scrape on the inside arches.. is there a way to fix this or have I got dud coil-overs

  24. Hello where can I find specs and measurements like how many mm height adjustment, what is the stroke, what is max and min shock length, what isthe spring rate. And how is this different for the T6, T7, B2, B3 series. Thanks.

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