Hey all,

I've read that on the front suspension of a coupe the trumpets need to be shortened, but does anyone know if it's necessary to make hi-los shorter than their lowest setting?

I ask because it looks as though this has been done to the hi-los I'm removing and replacing…

Thanks in advance

J

I've got both types of Hilo on mine - old and new type. If wound all the way down they would be well into the bumpstops. What has probably happened is the susp has been changed and it has looked high, and hasn't been given a few days to settle - so, a bit of butchery then found it settled, and wound it back up again.

depends on the make of hilo, when i first got a Coupe, i fitted some no name ones and had to machine a bit off to get the car as low as i wanted, it was very very low, Speed bumps had to be avoided

I currently run The original style Hilo, and do not have any material removed from these, i do run a little higher these days it gives better geometry, and more forgiving on those pesky sleeping policemen

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Thanks for your responses.

I think the problem is that I've fitted smootharide cones to try to make the front suspension a bit softer, it seemed like a better way of doing it than the traditional hole drilling, but apparently they're taller and take ages to settle properly.

I'll just run it with the front a bit high for a while and then see what happens.

Anyone else have any experience of using these springs?

Also, when you're advised to shorten the strut, what length are you meant to take it down to?

Thanks again

And by the way, I think you were exactly right Pantera, as the hi-los been trimmed down and then wound back up around an inch.

Cheers

Some hi-lo's have a wider flange where it sits on the cone to stiffen the suspension up, (i know Adjustarides do) it may be worth checking yours against a trumpet. The ratio on the trumpets is 3/1, so 1/4" off the trumpet drops the car 3/4"

If anyone is looking for hilos I have 2 pairs of RIPSPEED ones, they came off mine and are not being used now, I have stripped and rebuilt all 4. I believe these ones are quite rare and some of the earlier good ones made. One set is the original allen key through the top sort and the other is the more traditional double nut. I have the special allen ket for them as well. The older set has a heavier wider squarer base and the newer ones have more of a curved base profile. If i remember right the squarer ones were on the front of mine and the other ones on the rear.

Andy, the ripspeed ones that are adjusted with an allen key... do these need to be taken fully off the car to adjust them, or does the allen key go through the hole in the subframe that you use to compress the rubber donuts?

thanks for the ratio tim, i did have a bash at working it out myself, but it's nice to be told

Cheers

Yes you should be able to adjust them through the hole in the subframe, personally i like to jack the car up before adjusting them just so there is not quite as much load on them when adjusting.

proud owner of some ripspeed originals

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Note the ratio isn't constant - it starts at around 3:1 when at standard height, but if you're lowering it a lot - as we do on the front of coupes, it gets nearer 4:1.