Hi everyone,
Finally installing the GAZ adjustable height rear shocks I bought while redoing my IRS with real Metalstik bushes and changing the rotor shims.
Does anyone have info on what length they used for the spring position / ride quality & height ? Also what stiffness settings did you use, results ?
Spring length installed on a regular shock is 9" but the GAZ seem to be limited to about 8 7/8" max. If my thinking is correct, compressing / shortening the spring might actually raise the rear while making it stiffer ?
Any info about the number of clicks on the adjuster would be also appreciated !

Will post pictures latter, need to get some sleep so I can go to my paying job !
Cheers,
Brian

 

The lower the spring perch the lower the ride height. The higher the higher the ride height. Start on 8 clicks up from full soft.
The spring will compress to the same length whatever the spring perch position as the weight on it is not chnaged. It is just that the higher the perch is wound up the shock body, the higher the spring will push up the cage/diff/body from the ground. Therefore as this all gets higher the rear CoG will also be higher and the angle on the driveshaft at resting height will be greater.
This will make you feel the rear on corners is rolling over rather than pushing sideways outwards, and even an inch or so is quite noticeable. I would start with the perches almost at their lowest, and if the stance looks too low, then wind them up. Worked very well for me.

 

Hi Brian , just got our ser3 xj6 home from the garage with new "sports suspension" and dampers from Gaz. Dialed to 10 clicks from soft to hard and it is way too hard. Ride is skittish. Will turn back to 5 and adjust from there . I've seen adjustment around 3-5 mentioned on forums.

 

Variable spring position is a new one on me. It is normal for dampers like Gaz to have variable damping, not spring height. Setting dampers to the hardest setting will obviously make the ride very hard.

 

Gaz and other shock makers make platform adjustable shocks as well as just bump and rebound adjustable ones. For instance:
https://mossmotors.com/gp8-2110-gaz-...e-spring-perch

These are very useful if you wish to adjust the rear ride height.

 

I have Gaz fitted front and rear. I have the damp rate at 3 all round - the XJ ride is not there anymore but it rides like a sports car which I like. The front could go to 4 but will be a bit hard.

On the rear, the suspension rides fine on smooth roads, but on undulating conditions it does squat down a bit so intending to wind the springs up one knotch and the dampers by two and see how I go.

Adjusting the dampers is easy just turn the adjuster knobs, but my experience is by one knotch at a time and see. Adjusting the springs is a bit harder and probably best done with the wheel removed and using the specialist tool that comes with the springs. Remember, tighter control means loosing a bit of the legendary XJ ride but gives a far sportier drive while ride is still acceptable.

Garry

 

Garry
I am pretty sure that raising the platform on an adjustable platform shock will not affect the ride directly. It WILL raise the ride height of the chassis relative to the axle, but will not make the springs harder, as the spring length, wheels on the ground, is only affected by the weight of the car on the springs, not by their position relative to the shock absorber bottom eye.
Of course a heightened ride will affect the feel of the car and its handling.