setting up Gaz suspension

[ToledoZombie]

I remember seeing a post on here about settings for ride and height adjustable gaz suspension but cannot find it.
Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Someone previously gave some good starting point settings to work from.

[Carledo]

I remember seeing a post on here about settings for ride and height adjustable gaz suspension but cannot find it.
Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Someone previously gave some good starting point settings to work from.

That would probably have been me!

Build the coilovers up with the spring cups low enough you don't need to compress the spring to fit them, then wind them up to the point the spring is firmly trapped twixt cup amd top mount. Initially fit them like this, it'll be bit low but it's a starting point.

I found that I needed to adjust them repeatedly as the springs bedded in, my inital setting of "about right for what I wanted" lasted about a week and was over an inch too low at a fortnight in service. So I wound them up again. They slowly settled a bit more so by 6 months I had to do another adjustment upwards. I followed this around a month later with a final settle up, doing it properly with weight scale plates and fine measurement of ride height. I even put a cwt sack of spuds in the drivers seat to simulate my presence! Since then i've left well alone and it seems to work.

Shock absorber settings are harder to quantify as there seem to be different numbers of "clicks" available and different stiffnesses over the range of the clicks. Mine had 40 clicks from full soft to full hard and the setting that worked best on my 2 door car was around 8 clicks from full hard at the front and 8 clicks from full soft at the rear.

However i've had other Gaz where that front setting made the car horribly bouncy and crashy over the bumps (these cars usually had harder than stock springs and/or lowered springs) Some to the point where, to save my spine I had the fronts as low as 5 clicks from full soft. So you may just have to experiment here.

A final caution, its no good counting threads and expecting the car to sit even if both sides have the same thread count it just doesn't work that way!

HTH Steve

[Bunji]

I'm shortly about to fit front GAZ to my 4 door Tolly with standard springs. So very good timing on the instructions, cheers Steve!

[cliftyhanger]

Beware, the Gaz shocks I have had the dubious "pleasure" of encountering (4 sets, all on small chassis Triumphs) have been solid at 5 clicks. However the owners assumed "halfway" was fine but created a car that was dreadful to drive.
Check the resistance by hand. Should be firm but not too firm. Compare to the original shocks and maybe a tad firmer. They got things about right originally

[ToledoZombie]

Really appreciate the advice and the how to guide.
I really should have read step one!
Fitted all today using the guide settings, but fitted the fronts slightly under tension. The car sat 50mm higher at the front, rears are pretty much spot on. I've started to wind the front down but wow what a task when they have tension behind them. I've dropped the adjustment by 30mm on the strut to see where it sits now. My arms are so tired after trying to move them that I'll be taking a break this evening and having another look tomorrow..

[Carledo]

Really appreciate the advice and the how to guide.
I really should have read step one!
Fitted all today using the guide settings, but fitted the fronts slightly under tension. The car sat 50mm higher at the front, rears are pretty much spot on. I've started to wind the front down but wow what a task when they have tension behind them. I've dropped the adjustment by 30mm on the strut to see where it sits now. My arms are so tired after trying to move them that I'll be taking a break this evening and having another look tomorrow..

Have you got the engine and (preferably) all other usual weight on board? No point in even trying without!

Winching the adjustable platforms up "on the car" is indeed an unenviable task. But there's no cheat i've been able to find, just grin and keep cranking! I do have the correct C spanners which helps a bit! But even those supplied by Gaz themselves I had to modify to make them grip better and save cuts and bruises!

The voice of experience also says it's best to work work with springs of STD ride height, shortened springs can leave you with a non existent "sweet spot" where you can't get the car high enough by winding up before it starts to drop again.

Steve

[Bunji]

Steve, how did you modify the Gaz spanner?

[Carledo]

Steve, how did you modify the Gaz spanner?

I carefully reshaped the hook on the end with an anglegrinder and then dressed with a square file so it exactly engaged with the slot. So much better than as supplied, originally the stupid thing slipped more than it gripped and my knuckles suffered, you have to put in quite a lot of effort consistently. It's like any other tool, a good one will work for years and not spill your blood, a cheap, nasty poor one is guaranteed to make you curse and bleed!

Steve

PS, You should see me on the Snap-on van, swinging every identical hammer to find the best balanced one! A hammer is a precision instrument in the hands of a skilled man (or woman I guess)

[ToledoZombie]

Engine is in and I've used new standard springs,
The shocks had 20 clicks adjustment so fronts set at 8 from hard, bit more winding down this morning should hopefully get it to some sort of normal height.

[cliftyhanger]

The shocks had 20 clocks adjustment so fronts set at 8 from hard, bit more winding down this morning should hopefully get it to some sort of normal height.

Did you check the shocks resistance by hand? As above, the ones I encountered barely moved with my entire weight pressing down on then at 5 clicks from soft.
However, other people seem to have different experiences with the settings, but fooliosh to assume anything.

[ToledoZombie]

They do seem maybe a little too firm, but now I've set the height I'll do a road test and readjust the settings

[Bunji]

They do seem maybe a little too firm, but now I've set the height I'll do a road test and readjust the settings

What height did you end up with compared to standard? Any chance you could post some photos?

[ToledoZombie]

I will try and get pictures but as of this morning, after a day or two of things settling, its certainly too low at the back now with no visible gap between tyre and arch. front seems quite firm and not much movement when pushing down on it so may need to go softer.

[Bunji]

Did you receive the right size spring seat for your fronts?

My measurement of my front spring ID (while on car) is 2.75in, but the Gaz spring seats I've been sent are closer to 3.25 inch.

[Bumpa]

Maybe Steve (Carledo) can help with this. I have Gaz adjustable dampers on my 1850. Since fitting them with standard springs a year or two ago, the fronts have settled a bit making it a bit low at the front. I have tried to raise the spring perch but there is so much pressure from the spring that I have got nowhere trying to raise them. Is there some special technique? Where can I get a C-spanner that would be a perfect fit?