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coiler spring perch adjust tightened but collar can still turn

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#1
n1gzd

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Hi,

I have Penskes with the newer black coilover spring perch adjust (my old coilovers were red).

When I installed these I was careful not to over tighten and strip.

 

However, I am having an issue with my left rear. It is tightened all the way so that it is snug (not stripped, adjust bolt is tight). However I can still turn the collar with my hand (and the collar threads are not also turning). I can see that the design of these is different than others that I have seen. The collar ends meet each other exactly where it wraps around the threaded cylinder. In other words if the tolerances in the manufacturing were not perfect then when you tightened it the collar would not be tight if the ends meet a very teeny teeny bit too soon before it is tight.  I have seen some other brands that have a 1/4 inch gap so this problem could never happen.

 

I do not have time to replace it now and want to do some kind of temporary hack. I see two choices.  1) loosen it all the way so that the gap opens up and try to gently file one of the ends so that it is fractionally shorter then tighten it again (perhaps there is a burr caught in the gap) 2) piece of duct tape (obviously temporary).

 

Has anyone else seen this problem?

 

Rebecca



#2
Steve Scheifler

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I’ve seen this with roughly 30% of those collars, but since I don’t want them tight it doesn’t bother me. Over many years of use we very rarely have seen any version of the collars rotate on their own. We mark the perch in quarters in white and one vertical reference mark on the collar for quick accurate changes, then use an alternate color to mark the perch aligned with the collar reference line. In other words, we know if something moved, and they don’t. That said, others have had different results and there is nothing wrong with a bit of tape. A narrow painters tape will not leave residue on the threads and probably tear as an indicator of movement.
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#3
n1gzd

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thanks very much. I am glad to hear that I am not the only one noticing this issue. I have marked then. Thanks.

Rebecca



#4
Tom Hampton

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I don't have the penskes, yet.  But, In 10 years, I've never seen the coilovers adjust themselves.  I also mark my colars similar to Steve. 


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#5
n1gzd

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I had no issues with my original colors that came with my previous Bilsteins. Those were the pink ones. 

Rebecca



#6
Ron Alan

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Hi,

I have Penskes with the newer black coilover spring perch adjust (my old coilovers were red).

When I installed these I was careful not to over tighten and strip.

 

However, I am having an issue with my left rear. It is tightened all the way so that it is snug (not stripped, adjust bolt is tight). However I can still turn the collar with my hand (and the collar threads are not also turning). I can see that the design of these is different than others that I have seen. The collar ends meet each other exactly where it wraps around the threaded cylinder. In other words if the tolerances in the manufacturing were not perfect then when you tightened it the collar would not be tight if the ends meet a very teeny teeny bit too soon before it is tight.  I have seen some other brands that have a 1/4 inch gap so this problem could never happen.

 

I do not have time to replace it now and want to do some kind of temporary hack. I see two choices.  1) loosen it all the way so that the gap opens up and try to gently file one of the ends so that it is fractionally shorter then tighten it again (perhaps there is a burr caught in the gap) 2) piece of duct tape (obviously temporary).

 

Has anyone else seen this problem?

 

Rebecca

Very confused by this post.

 

Are complete new suspension packages coming with a new coilover design? Not Eibach? Or is the wording in this post just misleading and you are actually talking about over-tightening the small allen screws in the spring perch?


Ron

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#7
Steve Scheifler

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Years before the Penskes, Bilstein/Eibach kits were being shipped with a split-collar design rather than the set screw. And for years I believe some SM shops/suppliers used and sold slightly different collars as part of the SM packages which they created to reduce costs. So there are several versions and colors out there but no functional difference.
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#8
callumhay

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Am I correct in thinking that the issue is that although the set screw is tight, the collar still moves on the threaded cylinder?

You can pull out the set screw and go to Ace hardware and find several that will be longer and have different end designs. It sounds to me like the threads in the collar hole might be the issue if the screw feels tight but is not actually engaging the cylinder. I replaced mine with slightly longer set screws with screwdriver slots instead of hex attachments....which makes it way easier to find and loosen them. On your car you might find a pointed end or flat end screw might engage the cylinder better, or it may be that the issue is in the threads of the collar. After the end of the season, you might need it off the car to really see if that's the case and u could re tap or make a bigger hole for a new screw in the collar

I hope I'm understanding what you are asking

As you know it's only an issue with them moving is if the car wheels are off the ground and someone starts spinning the collar ...as in a well meaning buddy who goes in and says " why are these loose?" . The way I see it though if the collars come with set screws, they are there to be used and it's frustrating if u can't get it to work as intended. If it were me it would bug me until I fixed it.

Hope that helps

Cal

#9
Steve Scheifler

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Cal, she has the later design. It does not have a radial set screw which goes through the collar and bottoms against the collar threads (damaging it when the rubber tip inevitably comes off from repeated use). The collar is of the half-split design, still all one piece but broken so you have a nearly closed C. The allen set screw is actually a socket head bolt which bridges that gap, closing it like a clamp around the collar, but the gap is so tiny on these that the diameter not reduced or distorted enough to clamp the collar before the two halves bottom, right out of the box.
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#10
callumhay

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Hey Steve, thanks for the clarification on that.

I guess what I said only pertains to the Bilstein hold outs of which there are few!

#11
Steve Scheifler

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Well, by way of further clarification, many of the Bilstein kits shipped with the split perches as well. Yours are probably a few years old.
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#12
n1gzd

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Well I can report that although at least one of mine can't be tightened enough none of them moved in three days of racing with plenty of stress so I will stop worrying about it and just check the line now and then (double dipping in two classes on a track that is pretty hard on the car).

thanks for the info.

Rebecca






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