front struts

[aearch]

silly question.
will the front struts "reset" or drop
after you drive for a while
reason i ask is after refurbishing them
the front seems to sit very high
about 3-1/2" above the tire
but before they were lower
you cant reassemble wrong- can you?
the strut cylinder nut is tight and there is no
oil pressure in side.
looking at mikes car
it seems mine used to look like that

 

[Honolulu]

"it depends" on what you did when you put them back together. It's always possible to do something wrong, but with the relatively short list of bits that go into a strut we'll set that possibility aside for now.

Bilsteins, I have read here, actually do "settle" (or is it "droop"?) after installation. I though oil in the strut housing was intended for heat transfer, but Billies didn't need it...? Someone else will chime in.

Happy New Year!

 

[WISE9UY]

When I installed Bilstein sport on my E36 M3, they raised the height of the car slightly, so if you are using a high pressure shock perhaps that has influenced the ride height. Also, if you have installed new strut bearings, those could have sagged also on the originals. This was something I got to know from another brand of car so just put that out there.

 

[aearch]

right most likey the strut bearing sag

 

[OCCoupe]

Hi Alan I received your message. The person that did my adjustable struts said that mine was part of the last run and that he would not do them again. Too much work, not enough return. I reached out to a forum member that had a set made at the same time as mine and he said he plans on installing his.

The struts and springs will settle. If you are running stock springs then they won't settle much. You might want to consider Carl Nelson's springs or H&Bs.

 

[Markos]

In theory the shock shouldn't raise the height of the car. The springs set the height and the shocks control the dampening. Bilsteins have a reputation for raising the ride height. My CSI has bilsteins in the rear and the car is totally raked. There isn't much weight back there and if huh get a shock that is too stiff it's possible to raise the ride height.

Springs definitely settle and eventually sag i've time. If you are comparing a saggy suspension to a new suspension, the ride height may look high but it could be normal.

Do you have new springs?