Yes, coilovers do need to settle before alignment. They should be driven for a short period, and then an alignment will ensure that the suspension is properly adjusted.
Ensuring that your vehicle’s suspension is correctly adjusted is crucial for ride comfort, handling, and tire longevity. Coilovers are among the most popular modifications for performance-focused car enthusiasts, as they enhance handling by lowering the suspension’s center of gravity and enhancing rigidity.
However, before an alignment is done, it’s important to drive the car for a brief period to ensure that the suspension has settled. When the suspension settles, it means that it has adjusted to the vehicle’s weight and ride height. After that, an alignment will adjust the suspension’s camber, caster and toe to ensure optimal performance.
This article will go over how and why coilovers settle, how to determine when they’re settled enough, and the importance of getting an alignment afterwards.
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Importance Of Coilovers Settling Before Alignment
Coilovers are designed to compress and expand to absorb energy from rough road surfaces, resulting in a comfortable ride. When new coilovers are installed or adjusted, they can take some time to settle into a natural state. This settling process is essential to ensure that the ride height is consistent, and the car’s suspension performs as intended.
Prior to adjusting a car’s alignment, it’s crucial to let the coilovers settle for a specified time to ensure they’re in this natural state, or else the alignment will be incorrect.
Why Coilovers Need To Settle
Coilovers need to settle to ensure that they’re in their natural state, meaning that they aren’t fully compressed or fully expanded. If the coilovers aren’t settled, the car’s alignment will be thrown off, leading to uneven tire wear, difficulty in steering, and poor handling.
When coilovers are adjusted, it’s essential to allow them to settle into their natural state before adjusting the alignment. The process of settling can take a few hundred miles or a few weeks of regular driving, depending on the brand and model.
Effects Of Improper Settling On Alignment
Improper settling of coilovers can have severe consequences on the car’s alignment. If the coilovers are not settled before adjusting the alignment, the car’s suspension will be in an unpredictable state, leading to uneven tire wear. Additionally, improper settling can also cause the car’s weight distribution to be lopsided.
This can lead to poor handling, which can be dangerous. As such, it’s essential to ensure that the coilovers have had adequate time to settle before aligning your vehicle’s wheels.
Coilovers are an essential component of a car’s suspension system, and it’s crucial to allow them to settle before adjusting the car’s alignment. Proper settling ensures the accuracy of the alignment and maximum tire wear while improper settling can cause severe consequences to the vehicle’s handling and safety.
Wait for your coilovers to settle to get the best performance and a smooth driving experience.
How To Settle Coilovers Before Alignment
Coilovers play an essential role in improving a vehicle’s handling performance. They are an excellent upgrade from stock suspensions, as they offer better control over the car’s height, damping, and stiffness. However, before getting your coilovers aligned, it’s essential to let them settle.
In this blog post, we will discuss how to settle coilovers before alignment.
To settle the coilovers, they need to be broken in correctly. It is essential to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for a successful and durable setup.
- Start by installing the new coilovers on the vehicle and adjusting them according to the manufacturer’s recommended ride height and damper settings.
- Take the car for a drive around the block, making sure you go over any bumps or potholes to help the coilovers adjust to your particular setup.
- Allow the car to sit for at least 24-48 hours before attempting to get the alignment done. This timeframe will give the coilovers time to settle and for any changes to take effect.
- If you have recently made any further adjustments to your coilovers, you will need to follow this procedure again before getting the alignment done.
Recommended Time For Settling
The recommended time for the coilovers to settle depends on various factors like weather conditions, driving style, and vehicle load.
- Vehicle weight: the heavier the vehicle, the longer it takes for the coilovers to settle.
- Driving style: aggressive driving can aid the break-in process. It will help the coilovers adjust much faster as they’ll be subjected to more stress.
- Weather conditions: much like with tire pressures, weather conditions can affect the settling process. Keep in mind that high temperatures will cause the suspension components to expand, while low temperatures will cause them to contract.
Tips For Settling Coilovers Faster
If you cannot wait for the recommended time for settling, there are some tips you can try to reduce this wait time and get the alignment done faster:
- Adjust your damper settings: increasing the damper settings will force the coilovers to adjust faster. The increased resistance will provide quicker compression and rebound.
- Drive over rough terrain: driving over bumpy roads and potholes will help loosen up the suspension components and speed up the settling process.
- Spring preloading: by putting more weight on the springs, you will help the coilovers break-in quicker, reducing the settling time.
Frequently Asked Questions Of Do Coilovers Need To Settle Before Alignment
How Long Does It Take For Coilovers To Settle?
It takes around 500-1000km for coilovers to settle. However, it may vary based on the brand, condition of the shocks, and driving conditions. Ensure to check the manufacturer’s recommendation before proceeding with alignment.
What Happens If I Don’T Settle Coilovers Before Alignment?
If you don’t allow coilovers to settle before alignment, you risk inaccurate alignment and suspension settings. This results in poor handling, uneven tire wear, and reduced tire life.
Can I Adjust My Coilovers After Alignment?
Yes, you can adjust coilovers after alignment. However, if you make significant changes, it’s best to realign the suspension to ensure accurate settings for better handling and tire life.
Conclusion
After looking at the various aspects of coilovers and alignment, we can conclude that allowing coilovers to settle before alignment is crucial. It helps ensure stability, accuracy and longevity of the suspension system. The settling process allows the springs to adjust and fully support the vehicle’s weight before undergoing alignment.
Setting the alignment while the coilovers are still settling may result in incorrect alignment angles, premature tire wear, and a rough ride quality. It is essential to note that the settling period varies for each coilover system and it is essential to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations to get optimal results.
By following our guidelines, you will be able to maximize your coilover system’s performance, longevity and safety, providing a smooth, stable, and predictable driving experience. Remember, proper installation, settling, and alignment of coilovers are vital for excellent handling, stability, and overall driving experience.
