DSE Coil Over Issue Need Help
 

A friend brought over his 69 SBC car that just had a shop install the DSE coilover conversion Speed Kit 2

Engine is SBC 327 with iron heads. I'm pulling it and installing a 383 with aluminum heads.

SPEED KIT 2
• Tubular Upper Control Arms
• Tubular Lower Control Arms
• Coilover Conversion Kit
• DSE/JRi Aluminum body coilover shocks with 'Detroit Tuned' valving
• Coilover Springs
• Front Anti-Roll bar
• Torrington Bearings

The coilovers are adjusted to stock ride height.

Problem is No Travel at all and it rides rock hard. 2 guys with the hood open pushing up and down on the core support and the front end does not move.

If put a jack under the sub frame and jack the car it lifts probably 7"-8" or more (haven't measured yet) before the tires come off the ground

Is the spring too soft and compressing it to acheive ride height this problem? Assuming DSE 550# spring?

Haven't called DSE yet just wondering if anybody has experienced this problem?

Thanks

I had 650lb coilover springs in my 65 El Camino and they weren't as stiff as that. It could be the sway bar is binding....?

7-8" almost sounds like the full travel of the shock. I am guessing he is riding around on the shock bumpstops or a fully compressed spring as you suggested. Maybe the shop installed a softer spring....

The shock should not be fully compressed at ride height but who knows what the shop did. The fact they delivered it in this shape says they don't know what they are doing....

Don

pictures? whats his ride height? pictures of the coils, pictures of the suspension

He states stock ride height:

"The coilovers are adjusted to stock ride height"

Don

John, can you see any numbers on the coils? Are there any threads are left on the shock body?

They are DSE 550# Coils and the shock body is Black. Has Detroit Speed Logo on one side and reads JRi Shocks on the other side.

I did more careful measurement and jacking up the subframe in the middle it is 4" until the tire comes of the ground. So the spring is compressing 4" more then it is aready compressed when adjusted to stock ride height.

1 3/4" of threads showing below the adjustment nut on the shock body.

I pulled the sway bar end links and the car came down approx anpther 1/2 just pulling down on the bumper on the lift.

The sway bar does not rotate in the bushes by hand. Needs to be levered up and down. This may be normal with the DSE bar or maybe the bushes were never greased.

I can push it up pushing on the bumper about a 1" and it stays up until I pull it back down. Maybe the coilover shocks are binding. IDK but is seems the more I exercise them the better the travel is (with the sway bar loose). But that may just be my imagination.

I'll drive the car with the sway bar not attached and see how the ride is.

All thoughts welcome.

I would remove the coilovers and manually cycle the suspension to see if the bushings etc are binding. Did they forget to grease the bushings?

Don

Sounds to me like the "install" is shall we say --- SUSPECT !!


If the sway/anti-roll bar doesn't even move freely in its bushings when disconnected --- then the shop doesn't know what it's doing.

Yes the "custom shop" that did the work on this car did a lot of things that are "suspect" That's why I have the car now to sort things out for him.