I put new shocks in my SE a week ago. At first, the front was noticeably higher. Now, a week later, it looks like it's back to the original height. Is this normal? I'm not complaining or anything. I'm glad it went back down. Just wondering.

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-Adam
sqoach@yahoo.com

^^^^^new project^^^^^

86 SC 2.5L 5spd

a week is cool, they should be fine now.

Never heard of such a thing.

This is off subject
but is your tail lights clear???

if so how did you do that

I have the same car you do same color same year but i dont have a wing and i want to do that to my tail lights

thanks

p.s. Glad to hear that you got a bra for your car sorry i couldnt help you out

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Fiero*101
Gold 86 SE 2M6

Yep, normal, about a week or so.

Enjoy!

Best.
Ben.

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Ben Cannon
88 Formula, T-top Metalic Red
88 Formula, Silver
87 Coupe, Metalic Red
"Every Man Dies, not every man really Lives"
-Mel Gibson, "Braveheart"

Thanks for the replies, guys. I was contemplating on whether I should lower the front when I saw that it was higher. Glad I don't need to now.

Fiero*101-The tail lights were like that when I got it. But it's not very hard to do. Do a search on "clear taillights" in the technical and general sections. It's been talked about a few times here recently.

That's a good thing to remember so one doesn't run to the alignment shop too soon after front end work.Nothing like doing it twice.

I never heard of it either. Should be same from start to finish. shocks dont carry the car weight, the springs do. Shocks dont need a 'break in'. In fact your car should set the same with all the shocks removed as it does with them, just drive like total crap.

After the front end has been apart,all the bushings relax,the springs move a little in their seat,all somehow creating a raised effect until right around a week until it gradually goes back to normal.
Guess the shocks didn't have much to do with it,but the process of replacing them did.
The difference is usually about 3/8".

Roger, that's what I thought, shocks don't control body height springs do. In a few other posts I have read of people installing shocks(especially KYB's) and talked about the body sitting higher. Shocks don't have enough upward pressure to lift a body, these cars are fairly heavy, even a gas charged shock could not lift it.

Thanks

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Fiero*101
Gold 86 SE 2M6

According to the literature with my Gabriel shocks and struts, gas-pressurized units can raise ride height. On my car they did raise ride height, and after a year+ they haven't settled.

For your car, I buy the spring-and-bushing hypothesis.

[This message has been edited by MrPBody (edited 10-21-2001).]

Experience begs to differ...
The high pressure gas shocks,like the KYB Gas-Adjust can require as much as 20#(?)to compress,on our cars that's like lifting up on the bumper that amount,since the two shocks are located halfway between the tire and bushing.

[This message has been edited by lowCG (edited 10-23-2001).]

Are we agreeing or disagreeing?

Gas pressurized shocks do carry a very small portion of the car's weight and slightly affect the ride height (not by much), hydraulic shocks do not.

Ideally, yes the springs are what hold up a car and the shocks work only as dampers.

For gas shocks (if there's any gas pressure left) they'll extend to full rebound when removed. If there wasn't any forces acting, the shock would remain at the same length when removed. The forces that make the shock extend must contribute to holding the car up.

I put gas charged shocks on the front of my Fiero last spring and did notice that the ride height was slightly higher than with the old worn out ones. It was about a 1/4", if that. Most people wouldn't be able to tell.

Sqoach, did you have the car up off the ground for a long time when you changed the shocks. Some of the settling could have been with bushings, etc.

[This message has been edited by Tigger (edited 10-23-2001).]

quote Originally posted by Tigger: Gas pressurized shocks do carry a very small portion of the car's weight and slightly affect the ride height (not by much), hydraulic shocks do not. Ideally, yes the springs are what hold up a car and the shocks work only as dampers. For gas shocks (if there's any gas pressure left) they'll extend to full rebound when removed. If there wasn't any forces acting, the shock would remain at the same length when removed. The forces that make the shock extend must contribute to holding the car up. I put gas charged shocks on the front of my Fiero last spring and did notice that the ride height was slightly higher than with the old worn out ones. It was about a 1/4", if that. Most people wouldn't be able to tell. Sqoach, did you have the car up off the ground for a long time when you changed the shocks. Some of the settling could have been with bushings, etc. [This message has been edited by Tigger (edited 10-23-2001).]

It was probably an hour. Hour and a half at the most. I had the front up on jackstands. The back was still on the ground. So maybe the back was a bit lower after lowering the front, and the front was a bit higher. And now both front and back have settled back to the original position? That sound like a possibility?? The old shocks were bad, they were easy to compress, and wouldn't extend back. New ones were much harder to compress, and would extend back out in a few seconds.

Oh I agree,just re-iterating what you'd said MrP.
I do know for certain that the KYBs can effect the ride height,usually a disapointment unless there are lower springs going in at the same time.
I remember I was pretty freaked out the first time I set a fiero down after having the front end all apart and saw how high it was sitting at first.!

Yep, my ride height came up about 1/2".

I learned something new, thanks guys. I thought the front of my 88 came up when I installed KYB's but I had never measured it.