adjusting bilsteins after 50K miles?

[crazykid1994]

The part the spring is “bolted to”, at the top of the shock, is the shock…it just stretches the shock shaft. It dosnt compress the spring.

Its not like a true coilover, where you can actually compress the springs.

It does compress the spring same as a coilover. Just in a different manner. The strut does not magically get longer when you raise the lower spring mount. The spring is compressed more when you raise the lower spring mount.

 

[olyelr]

It does compress the spring same as a coilover. Just in a different manner. The strut does not magically get longer when you raise the lower spring mount. The spring is compressed more when you raise the lower spring mount.

Nope. It is indeed magic lol.

Tell me this…how could it possibly compress the spring? The bottom perch is connected to the bottom of side of a shock absorber. The upper spring perch is attached to the upper portion of a the same shock absorber. The only thing between the two…is a shock absorber. The only thing raising the bottom perch mount does is extend the mounting length of the sock absorber.

 

[olyelr]

Of course…this is referring to the spring when compressed at ride height…not necessarily when the the unit is out and fully extended with no weight on it.

 

[crazykid1994]

Nope. It is indeed magic lol.

Tell me this…how could it possibly compress the spring? The bottom perch is connected to the bottom of side of a shock absorber. The upper spring perch is attached to the upper portion of a the same shock absorber. The only thing between the two…is a shock absorber. The only thing raising the bottom perch mount does is extend the mounting length of the sock absorber.

The lower spring mount being raised or lowered does not adjust the actual strut mounting length. The length of the strut cannot change no matter how much you change the lower spring mount as the spring mount is located on the body of the strut. You may want to crawl under your truck and take a look. Otherwise I’ll take a picture and draw on it for you how it works.

 

[olyelr]

The lower spring mount being raised or lowered does not adjust the actual strut mounting length. The length of the strut cannot change no matter how much you change the lower spring mount as the spring mount is located on the body of the strut. You may want to crawl under your truck and take a look. Otherwise I’ll take a picture and draw on it for you how it works.

Of course the upper spring mount wont move. It pushes down the lower a-arm.

At ride height, with the lower spring perch moved to the upper position, all it does is push the bottom mount of the shock down further. It dosnt compress the spring more. Thats what im saying.

 

[crazykid1994]

Of course the upper spring mount wont move. It pushes down the lower a-arm.

At ride height, with the lower spring perch moved to the upper position, all it does is push the bottom mount of the shock down further. It dosnt compress the spring more. Thats what im saying.

At ride height yes. Preload only adjust where the vehicle sits at ride height by relocating the spring mounting points. And does not change the spring characteristics. The spring still compresses to the same length under the weight of the vehicle. I think we may have been misunderstanding what each other was saying.

 

[olyelr]

At ride height yes. Preload only adjust where the vehicle sits at ride height by relocating the spring mounting points. And does not change the spring characteristics. The spring still compresses to the same length under the weight of the vehicle. I think we may have been misunderstanding what each other was saying.

Yes. At ride height.

 

[olyelr]

I guess what im trying to say is, at ride height, with the weight of the truck sitting there on the ground holding itself up, the spring is not compressed anymore at any of the settings…it just moves the bottom mount of the shock down (when raising the lower spring perch), hence lifting the vehicle.

 

[minotto]

Perhaps the best solutionfor me would be to remove the spacer from the rear spring and set the front bilsteins to 1.4" getting a very good leveling and the shock would not be too extended, I think the ride quality will improve a lot compared to my current situation .

I will lose about 3cm of lift all the way around but the truck will drive smoother.

I can't find any other way to make a decent lift of at least 2-3" without compromising the ride too much...

If I install a complete 4" kit I will have to update the wheels to the 35" size but in Italy this is not possible, it is different than in the USA. Here you have to ask for authorization to mount larger tires and it is almost always denied.

 

[olyelr]

Perhaps the best solutionfor me would be to remove the spacer from the rear spring and set the front bilsteins to 1.4" getting a very good leveling and the shock would not be too extended, I think the ride quality will improve a lot compared to my current situation .

I will lose about 3cm of lift all the way around but the truck will drive smoother.

I can't find any other way to make a decent lift of at least 2-3" without compromising the ride too much...

If I install a complete 4" kit I will have to update the wheels to the 35" size but in Italy this is not possible, it is different than in the USA. Here you have to ask for authorization to mount larger tires and it is almost always denied.

Wuhhhhhhh?! You have to ask to put larger tires on your own truck?! Who do you ask lol