Due to popular demand we have now put together this simple guide to adjusting your Jamex coilovers and also some of the things you have to consider when fitting them.

Fitting the coilover kits is usually a straight forward process for anyone who has experience in vehicle mechanics. You simply remove the existing springs and shocks and reutilise the topmounts when fitting the new suspension to the vehicle. Vehicles with torsion bars can be a bit trickier, but this is mainly due to the existing components being seized due to corrosion through normal use. Special care must be taken when handling springs as a lot of energy is stored in them and if they are released suddenly then the force can cause serious injury or even death. Due to the safety implications if fitting is carried out incorrectly we always strongly advise the vehicle is taken to a professional garage with experience in lowering vehicles. However if you have experience and feel competent enough to do it then it is pretty much straight forward and we will be looking at making a video tutorial for those of you in the near future. We did consider making a step by step written guide, but you can get a much better idea on video and as they say ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ – so video’s even better then, right?

A large number of queries we receive tend to be on the final adjustment rather than the fitting though, so we’ve put together this guide for you in the hope it will make it easier and answer your questions.

Firstly we will look at the three main different types of coilover kits available, as adjustment on the rear differs between them. On all of these kits the fronts are the same and are adjusted in the same way.

Type 1 – Spring/Ride Height Adjuster/Shocks on Rear

These are a very common configuration such as the coilovers on the Golf Mk4, Vauxhall Corsa, Audi A3 and many other popular models of vehicle. They have front all in one coilover units while having a seperate spring/shock assembly on the rear as already standard on the vehicle apart from one exception – the spring is mounted on an adjustable platform which can be wound up and down as on the front, changing the initial ride height of the spring. This allows you to adjust the height of the vehicle on the rear.

Type 2 – Coilover on the rear

These kits have a coilover unit on the rear as on the front, examples of which are the Honda Civic for instance. These are adjusted in the same way all around the vehicle.

Type 3 – Torsion bar on the rear

These are utilised on vehicles such as the Citroen Saxo, Peugeot 306 and any other vehicles which have a torsion bar on the rear.

Instead of a spring/height adjustable assembly you simply adjust the height of the rear torsion bar to the desired level as well as fitting the supplied shocks which are designed to accomodate a lower ride height without being subjected to the same stresses a standard shock absorber would be.

Adjusting your Jamex coilover kit

The height of the vehicle on kits comprising of coilovers all round or the seperate springs/ride height adjusters is adjusted by turning the adjuster plates. Using the tool provided, raising the top adjuster plate (turning anti-clockwise looking down) will result in the end ride height of the vehicle to be raised and vice versa when turning clockwise. Once the required ride height is achieved the bottom adjuster is tightened into place as well and the pressure from the spring also helps keep it set.

On the coilover units the adjuster rings are incorporated onto the body of the shock which is threaded, on the rear seperate setups the shock is independant and the spring sits on a platform which is adjustable in the same way as on the front coilovers.

When raising or lowering the vehicle and making the necessary adjustments you should take measurements from the centre of each wheel to the top of each wheel arch, while ensuring the entire vehicle is on a level surface. It is also advisable to safely release the handbrake and reapply it before measuring to ensure that the vehicle has not settled in an unlevel position from it’s normal stance as this can often happen usually on a slope, but also depending on how it was jacked up when being worked on.

Once you are happy with your results then ensure that everything is tightly secured as it should be and there is no fouling of components, including when turning the steering wheel. On some vehicles such as various models of the Golf Mk4 and Audi A3 for example, you also need to fit adjustable droplinks to stop the anti-roll bar from hitting the driveshafts. It is not often an issue on most cars, but again if in doubt it’s always best to ask first. It does also depend on the size wheels and tyres you have on the vehicle, as well as things like any bodykit you might have fitted. In these cases the vehicle has to be individually assessed so we always advise taking it to an experienced garage who will be able to get a better indication by looking at the setup you have. While we are happy to do this a lot of our customers are not local to us here in Yeovil, so it is not always practical and if you do not know of a garage personally then it’s often helpful to speak to friends/colleagues or to join a local internet forum where you can seek advice from other like minded people that can offer useful advice on where to go. It’s always handy to have other people’s opinions as otherwise you could find yourself seeking advice from a shopping mall retailer without any mechanical experience, whose only concern is selling you the goods without having any knowledge or care if it will actually do the job or not. Unfortunately in cases such as that while you will find them all too helpful when trying to sell you the goods, once you experience the inevitable difficulties later they usally lack the same enthusiasm they had prior to receiving your hard earned money. So do please always either use someone you have personal experience of, or at least someone who consistantly receives good reports from their customers.

It is vital that all adjustments are done when the entire kit has been fitted to the vehicle. Fitting just one unit or even fitting a matching pair on the front or rear will give false results and will not give any indication of the true final ride height without all four corners being fitted. The majority of calls we receive where anyone has had a problem saying there car has not been lowered enough, wherever it be coilovers or springs, has been due to them only fitting part of the kit and basing their final judgement on their observations. In all these cases once the entire kit has been fitted the vehicle has been at the correct height, so it is very important this is done correctly. If in doubt though it is always best to ask and we always happy to answer queries.

Once the kit has been fitted and the final ride height achieved you will need to have the tracking carried out on the whole vehicle. On some vehicles you may also find you need to adjust the camber as well, so make sure you get this done straight away. This is important to do, particularly if you don’t want to have to keep buying new tyres due to uneven wear.

A good garage will include this in the fitting quote, but always ask to make sure. Often it can seem like you are getting a cheaper deal, but that’s only until you find out what’s not included and you have to pay for seperately.

Hopefully this will answer some if not all of your questions with regards to adjusting your Jamex coilover kit, if you feel we have missed anything or simply have a question that is not covered here, please feel free to contact us with your query by clicking here.

Fitting lowering kits and their parts can be potentially dangerous both in itself and also in the consequences when driving if it is done incorrectly. We always recommend that the work is carried out by a professional company or individual with the appropiate skills, tools and legal requirements such as insurance in place.

(C) 2009 Performance 3000 Ltd
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