hyrepower
Full Access Member
Yes, less preload will mean the shock will not top out and be more within its design travel range. Nothing would be better than a brand new set of coilers, but this is as good as you are going to get short of that.
New Leveling Option - SDI Upper Mount
- Thread starter SMIKE
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Yes, less preload will mean the shock will not top out and be more within its design travel range. Nothing would be better than a brand new set of coilers, but this is as good as you are going to get short of that.
BoostCreep
FRF Addict
I wouldn’t say MUCH better than the 1.5” RPG collar as far as ride goes, they both work the same way and only 0.25” difference in lift. For what it’s worth, the 1.5” collar doesn’t really impact ride quality at all, not sure why people keep saying that.
hyrepower
Full Access Member
1/4" of preload would result in a significant difference in ride. Enough so that I threw out my SVC collars on my Gen2 and upgraded to King coilovers. Preload collars do create a significantly stiffer ride and also with the added tension on the spring and less shock downtravel, it causes the shock to top out quite easily when needing down travel.
FmaxTurboSi
Full Access Member
loved my kings on my gen2 as well.
BoostCreep
FRF Addict
It’s not 0.25” preload, it’s 0.25” ride height, big difference.
hyrepower
Full Access Member
You are correct, however it is about 1/8" preload, and that is not something that would be unnoticed with regard to ride quality either. Not as significant, but most certainly significant.
BoostCreep
FRF Addict
My whole point is if you can’t tolerate a 1.5” collar, this SDI mount isn’t gonna be any better. In my opinion around 1.5” is fine, the 2.25” and 3” are not. Obviously a Fox or King coilover is significantly a better solution, for significantly more money.
hyrepower
Full Access Member
I really think that 1.5" makes the Gen 3 sit too high in the front, making it sit higher than the rear in a lot of photos I've seen. That and even though it is only about 1/8" less preload, it would ride softer than the bottom perches that lift 1.5".
Ryan C
Full Access Member
This link has a good discussion on the impact of preload on droop. https://accutuneoffroad.com/articles/spring-preload-matters/
In short, in addition to the ride height change, adding preload will cause the spring to extend with relatively more force at the more extreme droop extensions. On my gen 2, I tried 3/4" preload (1.5" ride height) on my Fox Factory set up, and I hated it. In large part, this was because the truck had less down travel, and because of how hard it hit the full end of that down travel. This article helps explain that. I think it is also important for everyone reading this to understand that the collar or SDI spacers create 1.5" of lift (or whatever the number is), not by being 1.5" high, but through a 2:1 ratio (so 1.5" lift is actually a 0.75" spacer - or it should be). I ended up lowering my truck to have 3/8 preload on the Factory coilovers, to achieve 3/4" of added ride height, and was quite happy with that. Another thing to consider is that by moving the truck's static height, you change the point at which the various bypass valves are engaged. Too much and you're out of the engineered range, and the bypass valves aren't doing the right things at the right times. Finally, for live valve trucks, it is important to reset the computer to a new zero static ride height. Otherwise the shocks will be instructed by the computer to do things you don't want, as the computer thinks something else is happening based on the read of shock position.
In short, in addition to the ride height change, adding preload will cause the spring to extend with relatively more force at the more extreme droop extensions. On my gen 2, I tried 3/4" preload (1.5" ride height) on my Fox Factory set up, and I hated it. In large part, this was because the truck had less down travel, and because of how hard it hit the full end of that down travel. This article helps explain that. I think it is also important for everyone reading this to understand that the collar or SDI spacers create 1.5" of lift (or whatever the number is), not by being 1.5" high, but through a 2:1 ratio (so 1.5" lift is actually a 0.75" spacer - or it should be). I ended up lowering my truck to have 3/8 preload on the Factory coilovers, to achieve 3/4" of added ride height, and was quite happy with that. Another thing to consider is that by moving the truck's static height, you change the point at which the various bypass valves are engaged. Too much and you're out of the engineered range, and the bypass valves aren't doing the right things at the right times. Finally, for live valve trucks, it is important to reset the computer to a new zero static ride height. Otherwise the shocks will be instructed by the computer to do things you don't want, as the computer thinks something else is happening based on the read of shock position.
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