Fitting Meister Shocks

Gaz mr-s · June 21, 2019, 11:58

I'll be fitting the shocks soon, & be looking for a ride drop of 20-25mm to start with. No more, as I have a TS bumper to go on afterwards. It's going to be easier to adjust the shocks to an approximate setting off the car, so can someone give me a guideline for the thread measurement as a starting point?

JB21 · June 21, 2019, 12:46

I always wind new coilovers half way down off the car and adjust accordingly on. Some manufacturers actually send them out pre set with a slight drop and pre-loaded, not sure if Meister do mind.

A good tip for setting the OE corner weighting settings is to get the car on OE suspension on as flat ground as possible and measure from the dead centre of the wheel up in a straight line to the wheel arch. You'll notice all 4 corners will be slightly different, this is normal. Just take those measurements and covert the difference to the car with the coilovers fitted once you have your preferred ride height sorted by eye.

Simple example say the OE NSF was 20cm, OSF 20.5cm, NSR 21.5cm, OSR 21.1cm you know that there's a 0.5cm difference in the front axel and 0.4cm difference in the rear axel so just add these differences to the new ride height.

Most common mistake when setting coilover ride height is to get them all exactly the same height, this isn't optimal for the cars balance.

Call the midlife! · June 21, 2019, 13:13

Can't really advise you on starting threads as it's all weight related but if you're doing it purely by arch gap make sure you're at your normal weight loading on the car.
If you normally drive with a frunk full of tools and spare fluids like a lot of us do, leave them in.
Consider putting some ballast in the driver's seat as well, you know, to replicate your 8.5 stone...

Topdownman · June 21, 2019, 13:30

I remember posting a photo on a previous meisterR thread with a picture of my starting settings a few years ago probably now.

Good luck finding that though!

It is easy enough to adjust them when they are all new though and the chances of not having to adjust them at all is pretty slim so I wouldnt worry too much as once you have your standard measurements you should be able to get your desired settings with one adjustment of each corner.

If I had to try and guess the settings I used I would say 25mm and 57mm!

neogeo13 · June 21, 2019, 20:16

Just fitted Meister r on mine. Out of the box with no hight adjustment is low enough for me, it is the perfect height for going over speed humps and a mot ramp(front lip just made it without touching). I have tte front spats sideskirts and rear spat. I've corner balance it. without any adsjustmet, it has the weight distribution of f43-r57 without me inside. I did mine at f42-r58 no spare tyre at the front.
I did read that most meister r coilovers are preset from factory.
I have 15 click front 20 click rear from hard. still need to adjust the front as it boucey for road.

If you are getting it corner balance, leave everything alone and get the person doing the corner balance to adjust the height. They need to take off the wheels to adjust the shocks.

Gaz mr-s · June 21, 2019, 21:00

Thanks for the replies chaps.

JoeCool · June 21, 2019, 23:04

I think i've got 20mm of thread between the bottom collar and bottom of the top locking ring on the fronts. I think the rears ar 56mm as per top downmans guidelines from his images...

I'll pop out with callipers tomorrow and measure them for you with a decent but never rubbing or bottoming out drop.

I have lowered the fronts a bit to give it some poise and help front end bite on turn in.

Gaz mr-s · June 22, 2019, 08:04

Ok Joe thanks. Do you know how much you reduced your wheelarch height by?

m1tch · June 26, 2019, 07:10

I just fitted mine over the weekend, out the box they sit at the same height as the Tein springs I had on the car, damper setting was set to 23 out of 32 settings - I have just set mine to 16 all round and they seem to match up with the Teins in terms of road compliance etc.

james_ly · June 27, 2019, 13:51

Quote from: Gaz mr-s on June 22, 2019, 08:04Ok Joe thanks. Do you know how much you reduced your wheelarch height by?

I didn't measure mine but out of the box it looks to be around 20-30mm drop. So goes from super-high, to OEM sporty look (but not slammed).

m1tch · July 1, 2019, 12:19

On stock out the box settings the Meister R sat at the same as the Tein springs so around 30mm drop.

onion86 · July 1, 2019, 20:42

Quote from: m1tch on July 1, 2019, 12:19On stock out the box settings the Meister R sat at the same as the Tein springs so around 30mm drop.

That's good to know, in which case I will leave mine at the out-of-box settings when I finally get round to installing them!

m1tch · July 8, 2019, 07:16

Quote from: onion86 on July 1, 2019, 20:42
Quote from: m1tch on July 1, 2019, 12:19On stock out the box settings the Meister R sat at the same as the Tein springs so around 30mm drop.
That's good to know, in which case I will leave mine at the out-of-box settings when I finally get round to installing them!

Yeah, go with the out the box settings first, maybe soften up the damper settings initially, also worth getting yourself a set of Whiteline rear camber bolts as you might need them when you go to get the car aligned etc.

BahnStormer · September 12, 2019, 10:42

Where did you find MeisterR's?!? I've been tracking the site for the last 2 months and contacted my usual supplier and he's said he hasn't been able to get stock for ages.

I contacted MeisterR and they said "it's a low priority application" and "no stock expected for at least 12 weeks", which makes me worry about needing any replacement parts at any stage!

james_ly · September 12, 2019, 11:39

Sounds like there is a lucrative market for second hand good condition Meisters

Nvy · September 12, 2019, 12:20

Quote from: BahnStormer on September 12, 2019, 10:42Where did you find MeisterR's?!? I've been tracking the site for the last 2 months and contacted my usual supplier and he's said he hasn't been able to get stock for ages.

I contacted MeisterR and they said "it's a low priority application" and "no stock expected for at least 12 weeks", which makes me worry about needing any replacement parts at any stage!

I have low mileage coils, they are still on the car but can sell them to you once removed. I drove 500-600 miles on them

Ill order Koni's soon.

BahnStormer · September 12, 2019, 21:38

I'm tempted by something like adjustable Koni's and progressive springs.... not after any significant lowering or daringly adjustable height... just a slight lowering and adjustable geometry.

It's either that or stumping up £1500 on a set of Tein - the 4kg / 6kg coilovers are appealing.

shnazzle · September 12, 2019, 22:09

Quote from: BahnStormer on September 12, 2019, 21:38I'm tempted by something like adjustable Koni's and progressive springs.... not after any significant lowering or daringly adjustable height... just a slight lowering and adjustable geometry.

It's either that or stumping up £1500 on a set of Tein - the 4kg / 6kg coilovers are appealing.

Tein coilies are generally known to be the least road-compliant, but definitely higher-end.

I'm really tempted for thrb Koni setup as well.
I haven't adjusted the height of my BC coilovers since I fitted them. So, height adjustability is a bit useless. Although I guess you can choose what you set it to from the get go

BahnStormer · September 18, 2019, 15:32

Quote from: shnazzle on September 12, 2019, 22:09Tein coilies are generally known to be the least road-compliant, but definitely higher-end.

Wow - it it must be mostly tyres then.... it was terrifying how much more ROCK hard my old sable was (with BC Coillies 4kg/6kg) compared to @jvanzyl 's setup with Tein.... admittedly mine was probably already running into some of that spring compression as it was a lot heavier (FL, AC, TTE) and braced.... but I'm guessing the main difference would have been Toyo's vs Yoko's!!

jvanzyl · September 18, 2019, 16:30

Quote from: BahnStormer on September 18, 2019, 15:32
Quote from: shnazzle on September 12, 2019, 22:09Tein coilies are generally known to be the least road-compliant, but definitely higher-end.

Wow - it it must be mostly tyres then.... it was terrifying how much more ROCK hard my old sable was (with BC Coillies 4kg/6kg) compared to @jvanzyl 's setup with Tein.... admittedly mine was probably already running into some of that spring compression as it was a lot heavier (FL, AC, TTE) and braced.... but I'm guessing the main difference would have been Toyo's vs Yoko's!!

Don't forget I'm fully polybushed as well...

shnazzle · September 18, 2019, 18:15

The damping is much better on Teins.
It's a bit odd to describe. BCs will feel bumper and harsher.

BahnStormer · September 19, 2019, 22:24

Quote from: shnazzle on September 18, 2019, 18:15BCs will feel bumper and harsher.

The BC's are gone... I'm going Koni Sport + H&R... the bundle I found was those two and I couldn't justify the £150 extra to get the Eibach/Tein springs...

Gaz2405 · September 20, 2019, 12:46

Fitted mine with 16 clicks from hard on rear and 20 from hard on the front. Far too harsh for the roads round me.

I've wound mine all the way to soft an seem perfect for the roads round me (Holmfirth) whilst still having more support than the old shocks and Tien springs.

Will harden them up come track days no doubt.