We didn’t want to compromise ride comfort, yet we wanted the ability to stiffen the
suspension when we are at the track. We also wanted a slightly sleeker look by lowering
the car, but just enough to make it look “right.” Finally, we didn’t want to put extra
stress on the OEM shocks by just installing lowering springs. This left us with really
only one option—coilovers.
After the rear shocks have been installed, re-install both rear wheels
and lower the car. Roll the car a few feet (or drive it) to allow the suspension to settle and
re-measure the ride height.
We found that when the kit was installed without any ride height adjustments made, the car was
almost exactly the same height as when we started. Like we mentioned before, the front of the car
measured 1” higher than the rear. To give the car a much cleaner stance without compromising much
ground clearance, we chose to lower the front of the car 1” to match the rear. We left the rear the
stock height.
To lower the vehicle in the front, jack up the car and remove the wheels again. Use the supplied
adjustment wrenches from
BC Racing and loosen the lower adjustment lock. Do not loosen the upper
adjustment lock because this will change the spring tension. The
BC Racing coilovers
can lower the vehicle and maintain the same spring rate by screwing the
threaded portion of the shock down into the lower shock body. Measure the
amount you wish to lower the car on the threads before adjusting it. Screw
the shock into the lower shock body the desired distance, then retighten the adjustment lock
ring. You will need to loosen the brake line bracket from the shock so that you can turn the shock
assembly as you thread it into the lower shock body. Once the shock is adjusted to the desired point
and tightened, tighten the brake line bracket and re-install the wheel. Do the same for both sides and
re-measure your ride height.
Overall installation is straight forward, and we are delighted with the results. While we haven’t
had a chance to take the car to the track yet, we have driven it on the street. The suspension is easily
adjustable to match the stock ride comfort, but also has plenty of room to stiffen it up for the track.
When we come back to this project, we plan to address the brake and clutch issues as our final step
before we head back to the track. So keep checking back as we continue NICO’s Project G37!
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