I just had a shop install the Skunk2 Pro-C coilovers, T1R front sway bar, and J's front strut bar. Even at the "softest" of the 12 settings, the ride is brutally stiff! Hit a blemish on a corner and I'm in the next lane. I'm not even near riding it hard and the car is bone jarring. I wanted, and expected the ride to be a bit stiffer, but this is ridiculous. What could they have done wrong, and how would I be able to spot it.
Before installing I asked Skunk2 if they could be installed w/o lowering the ride and they said yes, as did the installer. Then the shop told me they had to lower it an inch because of the Skunk2's longer tie rods, but when I picked it up I commented that it didn't look any lower and the shop said they raised it as much as possible? I mention this aspect because there was something else that struck me as odd: the amount of threads showing between the adjustment knob and the upper lock nut (adjacent to the hood hinges). There is more than an inch of threaded shaft visible, and in the limited # of pics I've seen of assembled units this gap is between 1/8 and 1/4 ". Could they have been mistakenly using the spring perches to adjust the height and compressed them too much? I'm thinking this would account for the shaft being so high thru the upper bushing and the ride consequentially stiffer.
I do still have to have it aligned, but that can't explain losing a tooth filling if I drive over a matchstick.
One other thing the shop mentioned was that the sway bar was a real bitch to install (Just throwing that out there; not sure of its relevance).
Any insight is greatly appreciated.

 

Maybe the springs are way too compressed!?

 

what are the spring rates. is it to low you may be riding on bump stops.

 

Installation questions aside . . . you're now running on springs that are more than twice as stiff as stock. There's going to be a downside to that.

Show us some pictures of exactly what you're talking about (spring perch locations, etc.) and someone might be able to help you out . . .

 

The only way I see them screwing up is if they didnt install the top mount correctly. Even thou I thought the Skunk2 Pro-C coilovers came pre-loaded with everything ready to install.

 

the skunks can not be preloaded as the bottom of the strut does not move like tein or other japanese set ups. again how low is the car? the skunks should ride nice and furm the truts are valve matched to the springs.

 

you can be low as **** with no thread left and still have a decent ride, I am stating that from experience. I had this same problem when I didn't know anything about my skunk2 proC during installation. The shop compressed your springs too much, I guess it is called preloading your springs. It is suppose to be hand tightened to a point where the springs are secure. Just take off your wheel and move the perches that are compressing the spring down a bit to take off any load on the spring and just secure it by hand. That should fix the bouncing/stiff problem. If that doesn't work then I have no idea why they are that stiff.

 

My friend, I have spent two years, but it feels like a lifetime trying to get my Fit NYC-proof.

To put it plainly, the S2-Pro-C's are not for us. I have put three different spring rates in the front and it is just TOO HARSH. The 8k and 6k spring from Skunk, and a custom coil spring I spent a few hundred dollars on.
The valving in the strut body is just not made for slow speed dampening over bumps and sunken-in pavement flaws.

Switch to a regular spring package (fullsize/full-length) that isn't too high in spring rate and T1R struts and shocks that came out within the past year. It is much more doable. I was recently in the midwest and the roads were like glass compared to what we go thru. Another thing, I had my rear sway bar removed and it helped also. I don't know how or why, but with where we drive, the sway bar has the effect of increasing the spring rate on the rears.
Somebody will surely argue the dynamics and technicalities of that, but until you drive in NYC and do it, you don't know.

I have used another set of coilovers before the Skunk 2's, also the Tokico strut/shock, the Monroe air shock on the rears, and a few different coil springs. What i'm recommending is what will be as good as it gets without cracking your car in half.
Best regards!

 

Marco, are you coming to the BBQ in Queens tomorrow 8/9?

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/new-...-9-2009-a.html

 

I'll try and get some pics this afternoon at the NYC BBQ and post later this evening. Thanks for all the comments so far.

 

This look funky, or what?

OEM sway bar and tie rod

This just looks too high

 

Is the sway bar resting on the control arm?
Look like it from the pics and the paint been rub off of it.

 

That's totally normal - you don't see those threads with the stock suspension because there's a rubber cap there.

 

This is NOT normal . . . looks to me that you need some shorter end-links to keep your sway from hitting. Were the new end-links supplied by Skunk2 or T1R?

Anyone know of some adjustable end-links available for us? I just ran into a similar problem with Endura-tech's - the ones they supplied were too short, and my stock sway rubbed badly on the axles.

 

Adjusted for stock ride height, that much thread showing is typical. You might get a little more ride comfort by moving the spring collar's down to remove preload . . . but not by much considering they're linear springs. The only thing you'd be avoiding by doing that is coil bind, which I doubt is a problem.

Focus on your sway bar problem first. Depending on how much/often it's rubbing, that'll clear up a lot of your ride comfort issues.

Can I ask, why the desire to remain at stock ride height? Lowered an inch all around, you might be surprised at how easy it is to drive. The stiffer suspension really makes up for a lot of the reduced ground clearance.

 

Did some digging around here - answered my own question: looks like a company called Powergrid makes some for us . . . $155, though.

 

extremely not true. the swaybars have nothing to do with straight line handling.

also, the roads here are worse. grow a pair

 

yeah I think its too much compression on the springs. I noticed when I lowered my car a lot more when I had the proC that my ride actually got a lot softer and more comfortable because I took a lot of the compression off the springs.

 

Another thing is I would apply some anti-seize to lube the thread where the collars/perches sits on. We had a lot of problem with the old TEIN before and me & my bro lube the thread all the times now when we install coilovers.

 

OK, first off thanks to everyone at the Meet for their input on my problem, as well as the posts here so far.

The consensus seems to be building that:

1. The upper spring perches are set too high, over compressing the spring, reducing shaft travel, and stiffening the ride (Although just how much is still in question).
2. The amount of threads showing under the adjustment knob is NOT abnormal.
3. The amount of space below the upper spring perch and jamb nut while not being too excessive for a standard height ride, is way too high for my front end which has in fact been lowered a great deal. I can barely get a finger and a half above the tire. At the rears I can get four fingers in easily!
4. The tie rod end links are over stressed as evidenced by the distortion in the ball joint(?) assemblies.

Now to answer a few questions:

• The tie rod end links were furnished by Skunk2 with the Coil over sets, not by T1R.
• The white on the sway bar is actually Shin-Etsu greese the installer applied due to the paper thin clearance with the control arm.
• My reasoning behind keeping the height standard was an effort to mitigate the poor road conditions here. I am under the impression that higher = more clearance= less 'bottoming-out.'
• Here is what the ride height looks like:

I cannot as yet resign myself to ditching the Skunk2's, but the car is absolutely unsafe to drive as is. My heart was in my throat the whole ride to and from the meet (about 20 miles) and I had to keep it under 40 most of the way.
One other thing: we tried to rock/bounce the front fender corners, and they didn't budge...I mean not at all!
Well, I'll be bringing it back to the installer tomorrow to try and have him remedy the problem. It's not lost on me that they definetly are losing money on this job, but maybe with the suggested shorter tie ends things will go smoother.
I just pray I can keep the Skunk2's, I mean there are people out there running them on their DD's because I asked before sinking all this money into them. Somebody please reassure me on this.
Thanks everyone, keep the suggestions coming.