25 replies to this topic

[M111]

Help! (Please )

I've recently purchased a full set of Nitron Street Series to fit to my S1.

My other half has had an operation and is at home convalescing and I am having to look after her. I can find a couple of hours (no more!) and a local garage to help me get the old shocks off, the new ones on and hopefully 'levelled'. I will have to wait for the Geo once my OH is better. The car is not going to get used in-between times.

To help get things set-up so that on-the-day-fitting is as simple as possible, can anyone give me any guidance on where I can pre-set the spring collars and bump/rebound adjuster to get the car off the ramp quickly and with reasonable driveability.

In case you missed it, it is a (standard 118bhp K) Series 1, it is still on its original OEM set-up, and the current ride height seems to be 140mm. I will take advice on new heights but if you do, translating that into a setting that I can do at home Wednesday night before dropping the boxes off at the garage on Thursday will be a massive help.

And one last thing, as a damage limitation thought, is there much chance that there could be a problem (e.g. siezed bolts?). I have new bolts to go on, but I am thinking, if there is any likelihood of a problem? If so, I need to think of a plan that allows me to get back to the OH on time.

Thanks in anticipation that someone in the community can and will help

Gary

[lummo]

I wouldn't worry too much about the bump/rebound - there's no so much range of adjustment that the car would be undrivable wherever they're set, and it's easy enough to adjust once they're on the car. Maybe just go for the middle to start with, and adjust from there? (If it helps, I have mine set about 3/4 soft for driving around on our pothole-riddled roads).

As for the ride height, I left mine as standard due to the slope of my drive and various speed-humps I tend to encounter. Even then, I still had the car belly-out the other day. Can't help with the collar settings to acheive this though, I let the garage (TGA in Wolverhampton) do all that for me.

[M111]

Thanks for your help Lummo. Dr H.gave me some advice on Seloc too, which, with yours above, gives me a bit more confidence.

Many thanks.

[kayj_prod]

When I removed my original dampers, the bolts were nasty on one side of the car due to corrosion, but nothing your garage won't be able to handle.  I guess it'll just depend on when/if yours were last off.
I'm on 124mm at the front and 128mm IIRC.  Most speed bumps are OK, though I try to take them at an angle.  Had a slight issue a short while ago turning around in the road when I hadn't take account of a particularly extreme camber!  Fortunately, I have the number plate set low so it scraped first.

[lummo]

kayj_prod, on 05 September 2012 - 08:11 PM, said:

Fortunately, I have the number plate set low so it scraped first.

Yep, I do that too.

[M111]

Numpty here again!

I've had the Nitrons fiited to the car a couple of weeks ago but there was no attempt to set any particular ride height at that time. I did my research and saw people setting ride heights of 110-130. Today I went out to tinker.

Having read the Nitron manual it says that by compressing the spring you INCREASE ride height and by loosening you LOWER ride height. Please tell me that is correct.

I loosened the collar and there was only a couple to three turns before the spring was loose enough to rattle! This gives me a ride height of about 140mm!

The boxes have gone now, but they definately said for an Elise S1 - otherwise I would be thinging I've bought the wrong coilovers!

Am i doing this right? I jacked the car and took the wheels off to access the adjustment collar. When they say that adjustments are to be done with the coilovers on the car, the only way I can see to adjust them is with the wheel off. I did think that with the wheels on and the car on the ground there is the weight of the car pre-loading the springs, but I have also read that loose springs through droop are an MOT failure. So by that then, I an thinking that if the car is jacked up everything must be in tension, which mine would not be.

I've looked to YouTube for help, but the only videos are for different types of coilover.

I used to consider myself technically competent, but I am guessing I must be showing signs of my age!!

Help much appreciated at the moment!

Gary

[Dr H]

Sounds like you are doing it right. I recently fitted a set of 46mm Nitrons and although they were for an S2 the springs were the wrong length and at 110mm front ride height they rattled. They ended up changing them for different ones.

Where did you buy them? Try calling them, if not call Nitron direct - they were very very helpful when I had my issue.

Edited by Dr H, 22 September 2012 - 09:23 PM.

[Gary ZBJ]

not sure if it is the same for the s1, but is it only the fronts that are loose when the car is jacked up?

on mine (s2), the fronts are loose when jacked up, but in over a year of use (10k+ miles) they have not moved.

Gugliemli's installed / set mine up, so they must be as expected as Steve had fitted them to other cars before, and they marked the collar / spring with a dot of paint and you can see from that the collar has not moved.
Gary

[fentuz]

Dr H, on 22 September 2012 - 09:23 PM, said:

Sounds like you are doing it right. I recently fitted a set of 46mm Nitrons and although they were for an S2 the springs were the wrong length and at 110mm front ride height they rattled. They ended up changing them for different ones.

Where did you buy them? Try calling them, if not call Nitron direct - they were very very helpful when I had my issue.

Did they not come with little "helpers" which compress completely under the car weight?

[chudwick]

Hi,

I don't mean to jump in however on a slightly different issue, I need to remove one of the front NSS fitted to my S2 in order for Nitron to examine and service it if necessary as a recent mot found "a light misting of oil" on the shock body. Would this be something I could attempt being a moderate diyer? I have not attempted any such work previously. Any help would be greatly received. Cheers Rich

[Martin R]

A very easy job. Loosen wheel bolts a bit, jack up and support with axle stand. Remove wheel. Remove bolts top and bottom and pull out the damper.

[chudwick]

Martin R, on 04 October 2012 - 08:33 PM, said:

A very easy job. Loosen wheel bolts a bit, jack up and support with axle stand. Remove wheel. Remove bolts top and bottom and pull out the damper.

Martin, It really is as simple as it sounds? Also as easy to replace once serviced?

[Dr H]

Yeah it's as easy as Martin says and the exact reverse procedure for re-fitting.

[chudwick]

Dr H, on 04 October 2012 - 08:55 PM, said:

Yeah it's as easy as Martin says and the exact reverse procedure for re-fitting.

Fantastic, I will try and get it off first thing in the morning and then drive it over to Nitron (Oxford) and hopefully have it turned around and refitted by tomorrow night. A good plan and all that. Thanks all for your help

[Martin R]

If they are height adjustable measure the threads as well to get about the same ride height     They will dismantle them at Nitron no doubt.