I finally got around to installing new springs last night.
I took the 600's I had in the back and threw them on the front. Then put new 850's on the back. Quite a difference from the old 400/600 setup. Very stiff and very responsive. Pretty harsh on rough road but otherwise handles great. Still a fair tradeoff in my mind.
Now the reason for the thread... When I was installing the rear springs I noticed the back right shock has a small bit of fluid comming out the top where the stiffness adjustment thing is. None of other 3 shocks have done this.
Furthermore, when pressing down on the shaft to put the shock and spring assembly back together, the back left shock, the good one, would bounce right back up after about 5 seconds. The back right one, the potentially bad one, took a few minutes for the shaft to come back up.
What's strange is the car drives fine.
Is it blown? Slightly blown? How can I tell...?
Will it slowly leak and eventually become useless?
Will it magically stop leaking (other than going dry)?
Is a little fluid comming out the top normal?
Can the shock be repaired? Redone? Reworked? Re-something?
I doubt it, but will I have to replace and revalve a new shock to replace it?
I'd at least rebuild them in pairs, but for the sake of simplicity, I'd send in all 4 to have the rebuilt and revalved to SPSS3 specs. Send them to Koni directly, www.koni-na.com Since it's the start of the season, the wait time will be long, probably 8 weeks.
hey paul is it possible to run spring rates like that with illumina's ?
No. You have to have your shocks revalved to handle spring rates that high.
Koni are the easiest and most affordable to have done. Some people revalve other types like Tein. I don't know if it's common or even possible to revalve Tokico.
That's what I have on my car, and I would have liked them to be a little stiffer (the Koni's...well, and the springs. lol).
I'm gonna be driving street only so I'm not concerned so much with track-worthy performance. I just want a good drop with a stiff flex so I don't bottom er'. I also don't want to go through a set of shocks early..
Well...even though the Neuspeed Race springs fall well under the 600lbs limit on the factory yellows, the ride is still more bouncy than I'd like (and that's with the shocks on full hard). I have about a 2" drop, and because of the camber kit up front I do bottom out from time to time.
__________________
Chris @ DeatschWerks (Fuel Nerd)
1991 CRX SiR
1991 Civic Wagon RT4WD
Well...even though the Neuspeed Race springs fall well under the 600lbs limit on the factory yellows, the ride is still more bouncy than I'd like (and that's with the shocks on full hard). I have about a 2" drop, and because of the camber kit up front I do bottom out from time to time.
crap..I really can't afford to bottom out.. anything else you would recommend for springs with a similar drop that would keep my stiffer? (dirty..)
A set of coilovers?
Really using Race, or even sport springs is going to cause you to bump, bottom-out, and scrape on stuff. If you keep your bumpstops, or at least modify them a little bit bottoming out shouldn't be as harsh.
Paul - is the rebound adjustment the same on both shocks? The blown shock should extend quickly, a properly working one would go up more slowly, assuming both have the rebound set pretty stiff.
Remember, adding rebound damping decreases the rate at which the spring extends, its adding resistance to the spring extending. If the shock is blown, it wont slow the spring at all, and will allow the spring to extend very quickly. If one shock is weeping oil and another is allowing the spring to extend that fast, I agree that you should have them revalved.
Paul - is the rebound adjustment the same on both shocks? The blown shock should extend quickly, a properly working one would go up more slowly, assuming both have the rebound set pretty stiff.
Remember, adding rebound damping decreases the rate at which the spring extends, its adding resistance to the spring extending. If the shock is blown, it wont slow the spring at all, and will allow the spring to extend very quickly. If one shock is weeping oil and another is allowing the spring to extend that fast, I agree that you should have them revalved.
Yes, both rears set to nearly full stiff. A revalve of all 4 will be added to my "To Do" list. I just need a 2nd vehicle first.
But fear not, I plan on buying my dad's '95 Ford Escort wagon with 45k miles for a grand and be set. That thing has so much damn body roll.
If it were me, I would just revalve the one leaking shock. I was told by Koni that they were SPSS1 when I was trying to sell them. But there really isnt THAT much difference between SPSS1 and SPSS3. If any thing, maybe just do the rears. I really dont see the need to revalve all 4 shocks.
I've had a little bit of fluid come out the top of my Konis several times right after I adjust them and take them out on the track. I would worry about it unless they feel blown.
__________________ David Rierson
Marcucci Motorsports
98 Prelude #53 NASA Honda Challenge
03 Acura RSX
04 Nissan Armada
06 Kawasaki KLX250S
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
Linear Mode
