coil-overs: H&R vs BC's / Megans / etc...

[fporro]

I'm confused by some statements made about height adjustment affecting spring pre-loads and shock travel on newer style coil-overs.

Basically, I can set my 4 lugs / 15 years old H&R's/Bils to lowest or highest settings and springs will compress same amount,
shock travel is not affected whatsoever., first picture set to lowest, second to highest., never mind tender spring location for discussion.

So why are this newer types with adjustable shocks not same ?

Asking as added JOM front adjusters to my e30/m3 5 lug swap and already have GC c/c plates, rear shock mounts.
I don't want to cut my m3 struts just to have shocks with adjustable dampening.
I like efficiency so not into Koni style adjustments.

more pics of old set up here ... http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/album.php?albumid=7028

Aloha

[spike68]

When using kits that have only height adjustable capabilities you spring compression and travel theoretically stay the same. The only down side is shock travel. When you readjust the adjusters to make the car sit lower you lose shock travel in the compression direction increasing the chance to bottom out in the shock is not valved enough to handle that, which most are not. Maybe so, but it also may not be designed to handle it as long as true coilover suspensions. Now with those true coilover suspensions as opposed to just adjusting the placement of the spring in reference to the shock, the entire unit including the shock is adjust giving the shock the ability to maintain its placement in a proper position to dampen road bumps in both directions.

In reference to your setup, your shock travel is effected when you adjust the spring.