I think I may have adjusted the preload on my buddyclubs when I first installed them, and I bought them used so Im not sure if its set correctly. how to I measure what the preload is set to and is there a default preload I want to have it at?

Thanks
Mike

 

What's preload?

 

I think thats the setting on how high or low the spring sits itself....correct me if Im wrong. you set it by adjusting the top perches on the coilover. might not be called preload but I though it was.

 

[QUOTE=chillout18,Apr 9 2008, 01:45 PM] I think I may have adjusted the preload on my buddyclubs when I first installed them, and I bought them used so Im not sure if its set correctly.

 

i thought u just adjust it so that the perch is touching the spring. that way it is always loaded.

 

If the perch is JUST touching the spring when the suspension is completely unloaded, that's zero preload. (assuming the spring is at its natural free length at that point)

 

i remember with my old teins i never had preload. I had helper springs to make sure that the springs never really left the perch.

 

There are rule of thumbs for motorcycles which don't help one bit for cars unfortunately. I'm looking for the same answer.
I have tein src's and it looks like with the car at rest the shock is about 65-75% compressed. Now this will probably be different due to spring rate. A very soft spring could have a few inches of preload where as a very stiff spring will have a negative amount of preload (a spring that flops around when the suspension fully extended.
My guess is that in a steady state turn at maximum grip you don't want to be on the bump stop and the opposite end would be not enough droop.

Hopefully there is some sort of rule of thumb for cars.

 

Perfectly fine to be on the bump stop in a steady state turn.

The key is to be ON the bumpstop before you get there and it has to stay there for the entire duration of the turn.

Open wheel guys did it all the time before the third spring came into the picture for those cars.

One common mistake I see people make is determining the preload when the suspension isn't at full droop. Preload MUST be set when the suspension is at full droop. Measure the free length of the spring with no load, then measure length of the spring after you've set your "preload". The difference in length times your spring rate is your preload.

 

can you give an example. I have 16k springs with 2k helpers and a compression of 60mm.