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So I did about a 2.25" drop with Tenzo R adjustables. Ride isn't bouncy, just stiff. And when I go over a bump or pothole my fronts and rear go BAM! Full on sounds like it is bottoming out. But my cars frame isn't hitting the ground. Is it my front and rear struts that are bottoming out? If thats the case can i get shorter struts that have more free space to compress?

 
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you are hitting the bumpstops and bottoming out. To solve that get new shocks or raise the car up.

 
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Yeah I thought that might be it, but I cut my bumpstops in half. I was assuming that would take care of it. And my car looks too clean to raise it. Each tire is just barely tucked -looks pretty sick. So what do ya think, Koni yellow front and rear?

 
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maybe. Tenzo R's are the most reputable sleeved coilover company. Konis should help though.

 
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Higher spring rates will help lower the amount of bottoming out you do. but then you'll have a rougher ride. (bump stops are there for a reason... to stop you from destroying your shocks. If you bottom out a shock, either OEM or other wise you WILL destroy it.)


edit:
Robbclark is right, shocks will help a bit, but it wont solve the problem (You'll bottom out less often, but you will still bottom out ocationally, with the possibility of destroying the shocks) .

Bottoming out is caused by 1, being too low and 2, not having a high enough spring rate.

so to stop you from bottoming out either 1, raise the car up or 2, get higher rated springs.



Note: for performance/handling, there is such a thing as too low.

 
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listen to the man zzyzx has a point!!

 
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simple fix! get rid of thoes grabge *** sleeved coilovers! and buy some real coilovers, or get some low *** springs like nuespeed race. like rob said the koni's will help but not that much..

 
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It is entirly possible to get just as good of a ride and handling out of a coilover/shock combo as you can out of a Full Coilover. Think about it. what is a Full coilover but just an shock with an adjustible pearch for the spring..... and what is a coilover?? a spring with an adjustible pearch that goes over a shock..


The issue here Isn't the coilover design, but the coilovers spring rate. which can be fixed by changing springs.

 
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Thats what I figured. And I didn't get some crappy $80 lowering springs. These are them: Tenzo R . Granted they aren't $800 true coilovers but hey. So I should be pretty good with some sweet koni's then.

 
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I had the same problem. the tenzo instructions were not even clear on what spring goes where. i had to call tenzo to see which spring went where. The other problem was that i had cut the bumpstops... you dont really need to cut them. i installed a fresh new set of bump stops and that bang'n stopped. Give that a try. I finally got smart and got Progress Springs for it. 2.25 drop. Rides great. Matrix racing has GoldLine springs for about 99.00.

 
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I cut my bumpstops too. So did you get bigger bumpstops or what? I would think that having a bigger stop would actually increase the ammount of times I nail them bottoming out.

 
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wich is toatly true...but i doubt tenzo makes a stiffer spring rate..im sure u can get stiffer ones from ground control. and put them on the tenzo's..still think lowering springs is a better way to go then sleeved coilovers w/ better shocks. or ofcorse full coilover

 
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There are also such things as dead springs near the top of the perch that touch, not all springs do this, but some do and it is perfectly normal. Just look at the top and if the springs are touching especially if these springs are progressive (i dunno if they are) Then just put some wire loom or rubber around those springs and the noise will be gone

 
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My ride doesn't bounce really at all. But yeah, i feel EVERY thing in the road.

 
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wrong problem there cheif....... he's talking about bottoming out, not the knock u get when u turn...