× 1-800-946-2642 Home My Account Social / Forum Articles Contact My Cart
Shop Now
Select Your Car Type Sale Items Clearance Items New Items
   Forum Width:     Forum Type: 

 Posted: Nov 16, 2018 11:31AM
Total posts: 371
Last post: Apr 20, 2023
Member since:Sep 6, 2015
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
Thanks guys, as I said just learning the British way

 Posted: Nov 16, 2018 04:57AM
Total posts: 1007
Last post: Jul 19, 2022
Member since:Jul 24, 2014
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
Happy birthday!

 Posted: Nov 15, 2018 09:20PM
Total posts: 1716
Last post: Oct 18, 2020
Member since:Oct 18, 2011
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Moffet
Quote:
Originally Posted by kolsen
Well the logic of a jam nut under the adjusting nut makes sense, until you get under and look at it.  The bottom nut has about 1/16" before it gets to the threads that go up to the upper nut.  Under the lower nut is a round rubber that protects what ever's in there.  

I will have to check with Jeremy at Jet Motors, he might have some experience with this suspension.

Well he says the bottom one is for adjusting and the top is the jam nut so the top must jam against something on the other side of the blue cup that supports the coil spring.

When you have a British car and a German car and an American car it gets confusing for an old guy who just turned 75!
........................

There are variations on adjustable trumpets. In your case, the lower nut is likely a machined part of the threaded shaft (not really a nut) and the upper nut is indeed a jam nut.
It really would help to have a picture...  Dan is right in that there are variations.  

However, they all work pretty much the same.  Look at the "fitting HiLos .." article on this site. Early (Rippspeed) HiLos don't have the lower "bolt head" and instead use an internal allen keyed section to turn the threaded section up and down..  They still have the locknut at the top.

The bottom nut turns the thread (think of it as a large bolt) in and out (up and down) of the alloy trumpet (that the spring more than likely sits on..).  The (Upper) jam nut then winds up against the bottom of the alloy trumpet ("...the blue cup...??) locking the threaded section in place....

Cheers, Ian

 Posted: Nov 15, 2018 04:54PM
Total posts: 9528
Last post: Mar 27, 2024
Member since:Aug 14, 2002
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
CA
Image Gallery
Quote:
Originally Posted by kolsen
Well the logic of a jam nut under the adjusting nut makes sense, until you get under and look at it.  The bottom nut has about 1/16" before it gets to the threads that go up to the upper nut.  Under the lower nut is a round rubber that protects what ever's in there.  

I will have to check with Jeremy at Jet Motors, he might have some experience with this suspension.

Well he says the bottom one is for adjusting and the top is the jam nut so the top must jam against something on the other side of the blue cup that supports the coil spring.

When you have a British car and a German car and an American car it gets confusing for an old guy who just turned 75!
The rubber thingy at the bottom is the dust cover for the knuckle joint. See attached pic. The big end is a plastic cup that sits down in the upper suspension arm. The small, shiny end is the shaft that goes up into the bottom of the trumpet, or in your case the Hi-Lo strut. The second photo is of the replacement cup for a knuckle joint. These wear out, resulting in the suspension drooping.

There are variations on adjustable trumpets. In your case, the lower nut is likely a machined part of the threaded shaft (not really a nut) and the upper nut is indeed a jam nut.

.

"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."

 Posted: Nov 15, 2018 04:35PM
Total posts: 371
Last post: Apr 20, 2023
Member since:Sep 6, 2015
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
Well the logic of a jam nut under the adjusting nut makes sense, until you get under and look at it.  The bottom nut has about 1/16" before it gets to the threads that go up to the upper nut.  Under the lower nut is a round rubber that protects what ever's in there.  

I will have to check with Jeremy at Jet Motors, he might have some experience with this suspension.

Well he says the bottom one is for adjusting and the top is the jam nut so the top must jam against something on the other side of the blue cup that supports the coil spring.

When you have a British car and a German car and an American car it gets confusing for an old guy who just turned 75!

 Posted: Nov 12, 2018 08:31AM
Total posts: 62
Last post: May 21, 2019
Member since:Jul 28, 2016
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
Quote:
Originally Posted by RedRiley
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rosebud
Quote:
Originally Posted by kolsen
...So what I see is a red coil sitting in a blue cup with a big nut on the bottom. 

...since I don't see this type installation available at our hosts catalogue...
Sounds to me like kolsen is simply describing hi-lows w/ springs. If that's the case, simply loosen the locknut (the top one) and turn the adjusting nut (the bottom one) up or down until the desired ride-height is achieved. Here are some links: [parts] [tech info] [installation video]

Doesn't surprise me that he can't find any reference to hi-lows on this site. A search for "hi-low," "hi/low" and "hilow" returns nothing. Search for "HILOWS" returns 3 items plus articles & video. What a lame search function this site has. 
That's because they are called Hi-Lo or Hi/Lo. No W. 
It is more than that. Product search and navigation is pretty badly broken on the site right now. I was just about to start a thread on this...

-------------------------------------------------------------
Scott | 1963 Austin Cooper | 2003 MINI Cooper S | 2018 MINI Cooper 4-door
 Posted: Nov 12, 2018 07:17AM
Total posts: 9528
Last post: Mar 27, 2024
Member since:Aug 14, 2002
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
CA
Quote:
Originally Posted by kolsen
Interesting.  The two big nuts were, one on the very bottom against the suspension arm and the other right under that blue cup the spring sits in.  I took the top one and screwed it up one turn.  Looks like it raised the frame up a little, I'll know for sure when I get it off the lift and move it around a little.
It sounds like you found the problem. The uppermost nut should adjust the height and the lower one should be tightened against it to lock it in place. It appears the lock nut was not secure and wandered all the way to the bottom. leaving eh upper one to unwind itself.

.

"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."

 Posted: Nov 11, 2018 01:27PM
Total posts: 2100
Last post: Oct 22, 2023
Member since:May 1, 2007
Cars in Garage: 1
Photos: 220
WorkBench Posts: 0
US
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rosebud
Quote:
Originally Posted by kolsen
...So what I see is a red coil sitting in a blue cup with a big nut on the bottom. 

...since I don't see this type installation available at our hosts catalogue...
Sounds to me like kolsen is simply describing hi-lows w/ springs. If that's the case, simply loosen the locknut (the top one) and turn the adjusting nut (the bottom one) up or down until the desired ride-height is achieved. Here are some links: [parts] [tech info] [installation video]

Doesn't surprise me that he can't find any reference to hi-lows on this site. A search for "hi-low," "hi/low" and "hilow" returns nothing. Search for "HILOWS" returns 3 items plus articles & video. What a lame search function this site has. 
That's because they are called Hi-Lo or Hi/Lo. No W. 

 Posted: Nov 11, 2018 10:29AM
Total posts: 371
Last post: Apr 20, 2023
Member since:Sep 6, 2015
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
Interesting.  The two big nuts were, one on the very bottom against the suspension arm and the other right under that blue cup the spring sits in.  I took the top one and screwed it up one turn.  Looks like it raised the frame up a little, I'll know for sure when I get it off the lift and move it around a little.

 Posted: Nov 11, 2018 05:01AM
Total posts: 9528
Last post: Mar 27, 2024
Member since:Aug 14, 2002
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
CA
The symptoms also point to a worn knuckle joint. A cheap and not too difficult repair.

.

"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."

 Posted: Nov 10, 2018 07:53PM
Total posts: 1368
Last post: Jul 20, 2023
Member since:Jul 15, 2008
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 117
WorkBench Posts: 1
US
Quote:
Originally Posted by kolsen
...So what I see is a red coil sitting in a blue cup with a big nut on the bottom. 

...since I don't see this type installation available at our hosts catalogue...
Sounds to me like kolsen is simply describing hi-lows w/ springs. If that's the case, simply loosen the locknut (the top one) and turn the adjusting nut (the bottom one) up or down until the desired ride-height is achieved. Here are some links: [parts] [tech info] [installation video]

Doesn't surprise me that he can't find any reference to hi-lows on this site. A search for "hi-low," "hi/low" and "hilow" returns nothing. Search for "HILOWS" returns 3 items plus articles & video. What a lame search function this site has. 

 

Michael, Santa Barbara, CA

. . . the sled, not the flower

      Poser MotorSports

 Posted: Nov 10, 2018 06:38PM
Total posts: 1716
Last post: Oct 18, 2020
Member since:Oct 18, 2011
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
Maybe... on early cars there is a triangular cut out in the front of the strut tower that allows you a view of the suspension cone (or spring).  If there’s no booster in the way the right hand one allows a view of the top(ish) of the suspension.  On the left the radiator pretty much gets in the way...

IF your car has the window ..and IF you can see into it you might be able to see whether the spring is sitting straight????

Cheers, Ian

 Posted: Nov 10, 2018 08:58AM
Total posts: 371
Last post: Apr 20, 2023
Member since:Sep 6, 2015
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
I can't hardly get a mirror in to look.  Can you see it from the top?

 Posted: Nov 10, 2018 07:51AM
Total posts: 3749
Last post: Mar 26, 2024
Member since:Jun 23, 2000
Cars in Garage: 1
Photos: 201
WorkBench Posts: 0
US
Check that the coil is seated properly and that it has not cracked anywhere.
Terry

 Posted: Nov 10, 2018 03:27AM
Total posts: 1716
Last post: Oct 18, 2020
Member since:Oct 18, 2011
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
Uuumm yes, coils are not stock.

One might presume that the spring sits in the subframe like the stock rubber suspension so there’s nothing at the top.  Any adjustment will be at the bottom of the coil.

Cheers, Ian

 Posted: Nov 9, 2018 05:27PM
Total posts: 371
Last post: Apr 20, 2023
Member since:Sep 6, 2015
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
Noticed the other day that the left front suspension was lower than the right front.  Measured it and yes maybe 1/2 to 3/4".  So I put her up on my lift and pulled the left front wheel.  Nothing in there is accessible.  Well not very.  So what I see is a red coil sitting in a blue cup with a big nut on the bottom.  

My guess is I can adjust that spring up with that big nut and get the body at the same height.  I'm up on my lift so I'm looking at it from the bottom and the side, using a mirror to try and see what's in there.  What is at the top of the spring and is there a way to get to it?

Then my question, since I don't see this type installation available at our hosts catalogue, except maybe the spring, is this some after market setup.  It does have SPAX gas single adjustable shocks all the way around.

Thanks
KO