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Installed Moben Novitech package and Hotchkis sways

10K views 94 replies 16 participants last post by  jerrycecco 
#1 ·
Installed this past Friday. Took the afternoon off from work, got started around 12 noon and finished around 12 midnight... working alone and first time I have done anything suspension related on any car. Probably could get everything done in 6 hours now. Biggest headache was not knowing what I was doing and the Moben system not coming with any instructions of any kind... at all. So while it was all together by about 8 hours in it took another 4 hours of wheels on, wheels off, unbolt, adjust, etc etc to figure out how to work the height adjustments properly... Especailly since when I first lowered the car down with them installed the car looked to have the ground clearance of a roomba vacuum : P

Unfortunately I did not have the Z06 Endlinks yet (UPS delayed because of "inclement weather" ugh...) so will have to do those this weekend, but I had a chance to drive the car a bit and am very happy with the difference in handling and responsiveness.

Putting together the passenger front side knuckle / ball joint I wasn't paying enough attention and damaged the part of the ball joint that goes into the knuckle... and that's going to probably need replacing but other than that everything went well.

I do get more road noise but that's to be expected. I also ended up with 4 "extra" rubber grommet type things that I have no idea where they go... Anyone else have this system and can shed some light on that? (only 4 grommets in the set so you'll know what I mean). For adjustment there seem to be 6 revolutions with 6 clicks per revolution, and I dialed them up to full hard then back out 2 revolutions (12 clicks).

Anyways, once the snow clears around here and I get myself an alignment this week and get the Z06 endlinks on I'll go bang the car around a bit and give a better review, but I like the setup so far.

Attached is a pic of the car the day I bought it and then on this past Saturday with the suspension done. I used the height specs from the KW coilover thread to measure ride height, dropped 1.25" front and rear but have not remeasured since Friday night.

Only other things I've done is cleared the fogs and gotten smoked corner lenses.

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#3 ·
These are the compression adjustable... or as I understand it it is one adjustment that adjusts both compression and rebound at the same time (small dials on the top same as I had on my Tokico 5 ways I had on my RX7). $899 for the system and $400 for the sways leaves me more room for other stuff later, and I'm never going to race the car so I don't need anything fancier than this (I think).

I forgot my camera on Friday and was kicking myself for that but the shop is an hour from home and 2 hours more of driving was no good : P So took it there Saturday and got a bunch of shots of how the car sits. When I do the Z06 links I'll take some shots with wheels off if I can remember ...

Where are you located?
 
#5 ·
Yep everything fits alright. Definitely need to get the Z06 Endlinks, though. The stock links are under a LOT of stress it seems and make me cringe every time I go over a bump thinking I am gonna snap one.

Then again this is the first suspension I have done, ever, so I have no idea what is a proper fit and what is not. When I get the new links on I am gonna take it to a local shop I know of to get it aligned and have them check all my work / readjust as necessary. It'll cost a bit but at least I'll have peace of mind driving outta there : )
 
#7 ·
Perfect height in those bottom two pictures. Now the only mod you need is a front plate delete!
 
#8 ·
I wish... but I got pulled over enough in my last car for not using my front plate that I decided it wasn't worth the hassle of not having it on...


:rant2: "So what did you think you were given two plates for? In case you lose one?"

:worship: "No officer... "
 
#11 ·
Glad you got them in time to install them on your day off. I had to switch you over to overnight on the order to get them in time. Again sorry for the delay but the car looks AMAZING!!!

You didn't mention anything about the ride quality, or did I miss it?

You actually got a set that were a custom spring rate for another customer because of a mix-up so we got the other customer (Wade if you see this) another custom set as well.

Hope the rate is perfect and you like it!
 
#12 ·
Glad you got them in time to install them on your day off. I had to switch you over to overnight on the order to get them in time. Again sorry for the delay but the car looks AMAZING!!!

You didn't mention anything about the ride quality, or did I miss it?

You actually got a set that were a custom spring rate for another customer because of a mix-up so we got the other customer (Wade if you see this) another custom set as well.

Hope the rate is perfect and you like it!
 
#13 ·
Yes thanks Adam I appreciate everything coming on time : ) I'm sure you guys will get more business from me in the future. Eyeing those wheels you have posted...

Did I get a firmer or softer spring rate? Obviously I can't tell since I've nothing to compare it to other than stock but they seem to ride decently.

I drove the car up to Portland Maine and back (3 hour round trip) with the new setup and the ride quality is just fine. I didn't bang the car around too much though because I did not have the Z06 endlinks yet.

Adam do you know what the 4 rubber grommet things are that come with the kit? small circles that just fit over the rear upper strut mount bolts (if that is even where they go)... but I couldn't seem to get them to work in that way so I just have them set aside for now.

Also are there any resources available... instructions on how to set ride height especially, for these? The box came with all the parts but no instructions at all, and Moben's website does not have anything for me to download.
 
#14 ·
I haven't got a set of coilovers yet that came with instructions. You want to adjust height in the front with the lower mount. You don't want to change the spring height too much on the coilovers in front. Try to do all adjustments with the lower mounts in the front. On the rear you obviously can only adjust with the spring perch.

The best way to set your height is to drive around with them pretty close to where you want. Then after a couple days measure from the center of your rim to the fender lip and write it down on a piece of paper. If you want to go 1/2 lower in the rear, move the spring a half inch lower on the rear. If you want an inch lower in the front, twist the coilover INTO the lower mount an inch. That is how I adjust them.

Also, have someone measure how far down the car goes down when you get in and adjust accordingly on the drivers side. That way the car is even with your weight in it.
 
#17 ·
icucmeuc,
First thank you for being one of the first V's to install the Moden coilover system.
I too have talked with Adam and I'm VERY interested in this system.
I'd like to hear EVERYTHING about this system.
I've been researching coilovers for the V for a VERY long time.
Adam says these Moden system should be great to for street and open track events.
Please post as much as you can both good and bad

I live in the Dallas, TX area -- if you have any plans to drive your V down here let me know -- dinner is on me.....
.....dinner invite is open to any V owners with coilovers....

jerrycecco@tx.rr.com
 
#18 ·
I finally got the Z06 links installed Sunday. Found what was making the front suspension a bit clunky... one of the stock links had not been fully tightened. I blame that on a 12 hour day getting this all put together :p

Drove the car a bit and banged it around.... handling is very much improved and much more predictable (to me) based on what I was used to with my 1990 rx7 turbo with eibachs and tokicos. Yes the cadillac drives differently but to me it is much more predictable, doesn't seem to float around so much, and feels like it is gripping the road much better.

Stock suspension I was never able to get the dashboard gforce meter (dunno how accurate that is...) over .90 but with the new suspension and just a bit of playing around in the parking lot and on a few on / offramps I am familiar with both left and right read .94 Not sure if that will go higher...

Ride quality is great (subjective analysis... I drive around in a loaded down ford ranger all day for work so I'm used to a truck ride, not a luxury sports car) but I have to approach double bumps and large dips or ramps slower... can't plow into them. This may be my inexperience adjusting the system and I have not had it to a shop yet to check my work.

Also I get road noise from the rear. Tops of the stock rear shocks are rubber insulated and the Mobens are bare metal so I am thinking this may be eliminated with a rubber gasket of some sort between the top of the shock and the body of the car...

Minor annoyances, though. No squeaks, clunks, rattles... nothing.

For $899 I am very happy with the purchase. I'm kinda glad the KWs were sold out... I don't need more than the Moben system for my driving and over $900 saved can go towards quite a few other things.

Adam I'm still curious what custom spring rate I got, harder or softer than the standard kit?
 
#20 ·
Sure thing. Where are you located? I'm loaded up busy the next couple weeks (and looks like we're getting lousy weather all week anyways) but should have some free time after that. I'd like to be sure I have done all this correctly too.

I'm concerned the front springs are too weak ... after driving it tonight with a couple people in the car (right after my last post) there is not much range of travel for them and bumps would really bang the front... like the spring was fully compressing or something. There's the possibility I did something wrong in adjusting them also (actually this is more likely). Visually looking with the car on the ground the spring looks almost fully compressed already on both sides.
 
#21 ·
I had issues with used QA1 adjustable shocks(paired with Ground Control coilovers) that I bought and between trying them out as is with different springs and then after rebuilds with more springs, I've got more experience with coilovers than I'd ever care to admit.

I'm no mechanical wiz, but I may be able to help out a bit.
 
#22 ·
Your spring rate is harder than the factory, but softer than what the Moben's come with directly from them. They were changed out for better handling (Less oversteer, more grip in the rear) I'm sure that is what you feel when you drive the car hard;) Yet you still have enough room to make the car oversteer while being in control. Correct me if I am wrong?
 
#24 ·
All I know is whatever you sent me... seems to work well. I really wish this weather would ease up so I could get some time on them hard and until then I'm just going by my limited driving I have done on them.

I *think* I know why my fronts seem wrong to me. I believe I have adjusted them incorrectly as when I adjusted for height I first adjusted them by adjusting the spring perches to the top of the canister then I adjusted that canister up.... so they are precompressed too far. Double undulating bumps toss the car up then slam it down again and end up fully compressing the springs. (guessing... obviously don't have my head under there to see how it is happening when driving.)

I'll fix it as soon as I can get the car back down to the shop but right now it's all torn apart here at home rewiring for the new stereo while the weather is bad. On that note I am very pleased with the crutchfield dash kit they sell... same fit and finish as the factory rubber coated plastic, and everything has lined up perfectly.
 
#26 ·
OK so I'm back at the shop today to "fix" these. I'm confused...

Took the wheels off, lowered the spring mount thinking I had perhaps tightened them up too much and pre loaded the springs. It could be argued I had them up a quarter inch too high -maybe- but they were not outta whack too much.

But with the car on the ground these springs are compressed almost fully in the front but the rears are not compressed much at all. Fronts are compressed to the point that another half inch of compression will fully compress them which is what I am assuming the slamming is when I hit bumpy areas.

I'm guessing that they came in the box with the front springs over the rear shocks and the rear springs over the front shocks? Because I installed them as they were shipped. God help me if I take this all apart and swap them and find the very same problem.... Amazed that the car handled as it did if these were wrong, though lol

Am I an idiot? Is this something I should have noticed right inside the box? Cuz the springs themselves actually look almost identical.
 
#27 ·
OK so I'm back at the shop today to "fix" these. I'm confused...

Took the wheels off, lowered the spring mount thinking I had perhaps tightened them up too much and pre loaded the springs. It could be argued I had them up a quarter inch too high -maybe- but they were not outta whack too much.

But with the car on the ground these springs are compressed almost fully in the front but the rears are not compressed much at all. Fronts are compressed to the point that another half inch of compression will fully compress them which is what I am assuming the slamming is when I hit bumpy areas.

I'm guessing that they came in the box with the front springs over the rear shocks and the rear springs over the front shocks? Because I installed them as they were shipped. God help me if I take this all apart and swap them and find the very same problem.... Amazed that the car handled as it did if these were wrong, though lol

Am I an idiot? Is this something I should have noticed right inside the box? Cuz the springs themselves actually look almost identical.
Having installed a Hotchkis sway bar upside down myself once, I cannot find fault in your case.
 
#28 ·
Jesus...

Must have been that they shipped on the wrong shocks. I just assumed...

Here's the driver side F and R.... I'll let you guess which is the correct front and which is the correct rear.

It's times like this I wish I drank, so I had some sort of excuse.... glad they are easy to swap :wtf:
 

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#30 ·
Jesus...

Must have been that they shipped on the wrong shocks. I just assumed...
:wtf: is right! That's pretty brutal. Definitely not your fault that you assumed the manufacturer shipped the springs on the right dampers!

Do the springs have any sort of markings on them? Normally coil-overs springs have their specs printed on them (diameter, height, and rate) in some sort of part number. I'm curious what the actual specs are on the springs.
 
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