272 replies to this topic

[LY25MAX]

Got home from work but couldnt wait till tomorrow to fit them- really easy to do. Set the ride height as low as they would go- as in until the spring was about to come loose. Haven't been for much of a drive, only about 10mins. Feels far less crashy over pot holes etc, definately firmer, but a little skippy. Just waiting to get the geo done at horizon to sort that out. Overall, quite impressed, just think they may have saved us another tenner or so had they not included soo many spax stickers!

[SteveM]

didn't get mine today , but then again i'm going to get Plans to fit and setup them up so I don't mind waiting. I'll be interested to read some initial feedback after this weekend

[benw]

Got home from work but couldnt wait till tomorrow to fit them- really easy to do. Set the ride height as low as they would go- as in until the spring was about to come loose. Haven't been for much of a drive, only about 10mins. Feels far less crashy over pot holes etc, definately firmer, but a little skippy. Just waiting to get the geo done at horizon to sort that out.

Overall, quite impressed, just think they may have saved us another tenner or so had they not included soo many spax stickers!

Great isn't it. I was thinking of sticking them all on the bonnet to protect the paintwork!

EDIT: Winding up by an inch has produced a ride height of about 350mm so you'll need to go higher or lower depending on what you want the final ride height to be.

350mm from where to where?

Centre of hub to wheelarch

[craglett]

Well i'm having some trouble trying to get the shocks into the mountings on the car because the rubber is slightly wider than the gap. What did you do to get them in? Especially the fronts at the top where there are two spacers.

[craglett]

Ignore my last post, I managed to get them in by applying a small amount of grease. I have only done one side so far as I ran out of light. Having taken up the slack on the spring and then put the wheels back on it doesn't seem to have been lowered much. I think I managed about 10mm back and just a tad more on the front. I am assuming that if I want it lower I am going to have to take the risk of the spring dislodging. Is this a risk worth taking?

[benw]

You'll only ever get 20mm lower than standard becase the kit isn't designed to go lower than 340mm. Must admit I thought it didn't look a lot diffferent to standard at first. I wouldn't reccomend letting the spring become loose. You don't want anything jumping out of place if the shock fully entends when you go over a hump op pothole or something. The top of the fronts are a b1tch aren't they!! I had the same problem. Grease and muchos wiggling (As you already found) is the only way. I also used a rubber mallat to gently tap them home (Emphasis on 'gently'!!)

[MrDemon]

Or you get get some else to fit the top bolt LY25MAX how many clicks on the damper have you set from softest ?

[craglett]

Or you get get some else to fit the top bolt

Yes OK MrDemon, it seems you are fishing for a compliment here so here it is......

I hereby give public credit to MrDemon for getting the bolt to go through the top mounting point at the front after I spent a long time swearing at it.

I have the other side to do today so get your ass round here again.

Let it be known though that I did get the spacers in there myself with the help of some lube

[Richiemouse]

Mine still haven't arrived But then again by the time I do get them hopefully you lot will have devised the best fitting methods and initial settings

[djegiant]

Im using 16clicks front and 14clicks rear! My car had geo at horizon and to set the optimum ride height, the front R/H platforms are wound fully down!!! (10mm between adjuster knob and bottom lockring iirc!) Rears are set so the springs are just loose!!!!! Spax need to get there arses into gear if you ask me! These settings are for my car, they may be different on yours!!! Car needs to be set slightly lower at the front and not level as has been suggested! Just get ya butts down to Horizon!

[craglett]

Im using 16clicks front and 14clicks rear!

My car had geo at horizon and to set the optimum ride height, the front R/H platforms are wound fully down!!! (10mm between adjuster knob and bottom lockring iirc!)

Rears are set so the springs are just loose!!!!!

Spax need to get there arses into gear if you ask me!


These settings are for my car, they may be different on yours!!!

Car needs to be set slightly lower at the front and not level as has been suggested!

Just get ya butts down to Horizon!

Was going to ring them once I had them fitted. I was wondering if they would set the ride heights for me or not and now I know, thanks djegiant.

I think I will give your settings a try as the recommended settings from spax are way too soft.

What did it cost you at Horizon? (not sure if you have answered this elsewhere already, still setting up suspension so no time to read loads of posts).

[LY25MAX]

Well, after 2 days of adjusting im really happy with the purchase I originally set the height so the springs were just about loose, but not loose enough for them to go anywhere. I then decided I wasnt really bothered about height and would rather know they were fitted perfectly. The springs are now tight and it has still lowered it some- looks It has a more purposefull stance. Its handy being able to reach the adjuster knobs with the wheels on, makes life so much easier. I'll be honest, Ive adjusted it that much I cant really remember how many clicks they're on Just that the fronts are 3 clicks softer than the rears. I think its either 6/9 or 7/10. Any harder and it felt skippy, softer also didnt feel quite right. The amount of increased front end grip is the best thing about it, just point and shoot and the car does it without argueing. The whole feel of the car has improved, you feel even more in contact with the road than as standard. The back end seems a lot more progressive, although i've not really trie to push it with the amount of salt on the roads. Will ring horizon on Monday to book my geo, things can only get better. Just want to say thanks to Craig for sorting all of this out. *pics to come when I get back to work.

[LY25MAX]

Just to add, the 6/9 7/10 are form softest, only I didnt want to go from softest incase I wound to far so I counted backwards from 28.

[craglett]

I have tried 12 on the rear and 14 on the front at the mo. Going to get the geo and ride heoght done first and then play about with damping I think. I did try 16 rear and 14 front but it felt a bit weird.

[djegiant]

Ohlins guru at Horizon said fronts should always be marginally stiffer (2clicks on mine!). Ride height is pretty much the 1st thing they do iirc! Think they set the front 15mm lower than the rear! This gives more front end grip and more progressive oversteer! Cost about £105 inc vat and a couple of shims iirc! Geo is probably my best mod so far , and to think- I wasn't going to bother because I thought it was a load of tosh! Horizon get a big from me! PS- I always adjust my damping from softest as it is the industry recognised method, motorcycles, cars, quads- speak to any shock expert and they will tell you to start soft and work up! Ime winding the adjuster to softest has never caused any damage! Why would there be a scale of adjustment if to go to one extreme would cause damage?????????

[craglett]

The screw just goes rock solid when you hit fully soft, I can't imagine what damage you would be able to do.

[Richiemouse]

My shocks have been delivered.....to someone else Right village, right house number, wrong road! Luckily the nice people just called me and the other half will pick them up later. Unfortunately this means I now have to own up to buying them in the first place

[craglett]

What a bummer they arrived on a Monday morning! Unless of course that is you have time before the weekend to fit them. At least they arrived, albeit via someone elses house. Good luck with the fitting and I hope they do what you want them to. Personally I wanted to lower my car quite a bit at the front and thought they would have lowered the car a bit more than they have. I am going to book the car into Horizon and see if they can sort it out whilst doing the geo for me.

[Richiemouse]

Lowering isn't a priority for me, it's having some adjustability for track driving, that's if I ever manage to get it out on track again, last year seemed to speed past with no track days and no Ring trips

[JohnyB]

I am going to book the car into Horizon and see if they can sort it out whilst doing the geo for me.

will you tell us (in mm) how much did they wind the shocks up/down and what ride hight you have ? (i canot go to any of those (horizon, plans, TMS etc.. ) - i'm left here on my own nobody knows sh*t about vx or how to set it up.