07/12/2025
Does your car ride poorly? Maybe too bouncy or does it seem like there is no wheel travel and it hops over bumps? It might have something to do with how your coilovers were installed. Many of the ride issues that people report are due to the full tap coilovers being installed incorrectly. The dampers may be over-extended, either fully compressed or at full droop, even though the car isn't too low and/or the tires are not rubbing. Your spring rates are probably fine, but your dampers might not be getting utilized properly.
There is a very good chance that they were not installed with the stroke of the damper taken into consideration. The same goes for the ride height in relation to the damper's range of motion and to include any tire rubbing. Unfortunately, unless they are completely uninstalled, set-up properly, and then re-installed, this is not something that TurtleDash Performance can remedy with an alignment.
Why is it that they may not have been installed properly? Perhaps because it takes a lot more time and effort to do it correctly. Or perhaps the person that installed them just was not aware of the proper way to install them. Most people are not aware of what it take to correctly install full tap coilovers. Even many people that have been into cars for decades are not aware of this. But if you want the most out of your suspension, and your car, then installing them the right way matters. It is quite a bit more work, but it's worth the effort.
If you wonder what it does take to install full tap coilovers properly, this video does a good job going over the basic objectives. Removing the springs, setting the damper so there is no rubbing at full compression, then setting the height with the spring perch. Do note that the spring sets the ride height, so the length of the spring matters. And at no point does 'preload' come into play other than keeping just enough tension on the spring to keep it from being loose at full droop.
If you have any questions regarding the setup of your car, or in general, to get more out of your suspension and tires, just Message us at TurtleDash Performance. The same goes if you need any help installing your suspension. We are here to help you and your car. Cheers!
Today I set up the new Fortune Auto 510 coil-overs on the BMW 128i with a step by step tutorial of how to install everything correctly including bump stop li...
