Exactly how I adjusted mine.

I have the Ruf PSS-9, which is probably just a private label regular Bilstien PSS-9, but I am not certain. Ruf includes an upgraded adjustable rear sway bar with their system (but no front sway bar as they designed the rear to work with the OEM front to achieve their target handling). The Ruf rear bar is supposed to dial in a little more oversteer. I have it set on the second hole from the end (Ruf recommended setting). The car was lowered a bit during the initial PSS-9 installation.

I experimented with the settings with the goal being sporty, yet comfortable street use and found 4 too soft, 1 way too stiff and 2 a little too stiff. I settled on 3 front, 3 rear and it's perfect for me. All the OEM bobbing of the front end is gone and the car handles very well. Also, the car is much more compliant over rough roads and things like railroad tracks, etc.

After modifying my car with a chip and exhaust, at WOT at night the headlights would shoot into the sky. After the PSS-9's were installed, the headlights barely budged at WOT. Huge difference.

Mike - I noticed you said you had the pogo effect with settings of 3/3 and for me they totally eliminated the pogo effect when set at 3/3...

 

Okay - I followed the instructions to adjust the front, but I must be missing something. When I turn the wheels all the way one way or the other, I can get a flashlight underneath and see the bottom of the suspension. However, I don't see any adjustment ***** like the ones for the rear. There are what look like they could be *****, but there is a blue rubberized covering over them, and I can't really get a twist on them (at least not a good one - it sort of feels like the rubber covering is moving but not anything else). I definitely don't see anything with numbers like the rear.

So, just like I had to ask my very first girlfriend - am I feeling/grabbing/twisting the right thing, and is the rubber covering necessary?

 

That's a dirt cover for the *****. Remove it, you have to see the numbers or know which direction you are turning to make the settings. Once you program them in your head, you can do it blindfolded.

 

Thats good to know. I was always gonna check mine as I don't know where they are set.

 

Alright - after working the dirt covers loose and popping them off, I adjusted both fronts to a 5 (rears are at 7). I don't know what they were originally set at, since I twisted them a bit getting the covers off. After a quick test ride they feel pretty good - I'll check back after more driving to see how they feel. The hardest part was getting the dirt covers back on without having it change the setting. Nice to know ho weasy these adjutments were - and that I don't need a lift at all.

Thanks again for the heads up!

Todd

 

Glad to hear that it all worked out. I never tried adjusting the fronts when the wheels were on the ground, 'cause I always do it when I am resetting the alignment for track/street. So I'm already under the car anyhow.

My car never had those dust covers. Guess the PO discarded them.

Jon

 

Bit of a thread revival-
Do you need the special spanner for the front or rear adjustments? I have used PSS9 installed and am getting a bit of front end bob but the rear feels great. So would like to dial in he fronts a bit stiffer.

Great thread-

 

The spanner wrench is only for height adjustment.

 

Yup spanner is only for locknuts for height adjustments. You have adjustment ***** on the tops of the rears and the bottom of the fronts.

 

Fast FWD---It appears that you have switched the rear helper springs to the front..based on the photo. Your front only has 4 coils on the helper and the spring pearch is the wider rear unit. Compare the other photo from BigBadBen.

I have thought of doing this since the front has 6 coils it is "taller" than the rear 4 coils. There are plenty of threads on the rear shock tube so it could handle the taller helper. The front with the 4 coil as you have it would allow for more adjustably. I have read that both helpers have the same spring rate of 150 lbs so there should be no issue with load.

I wondered if there was something wrong with my set. I have the fronts all the way down and I only got .5" drop. Whereas the back threaded lock rings have 3" to go down. If they are swapped the front could gain and 1" of travel down and the rears would be in the middle of their adjustment range up or down--and yes I have read every thread here on PSS9/10 lowering limitations.

Did you install your Bilsteins intentionally this way?

 

Front mono ***** on the lower control arms. The helper spring is super weak you can bottom them out in your hands. the rubber bushing will have enough resistance to keep the helper spring compressed.

 

The photo that you see is the way that the PSS9's came when I bought the car. I don't know if they were switched or not. You may notice that the springs are all the way down at the end of the adjustment, so that was as low as the car would go, and it really wasn't as low as I wanted it to be.

I just got done replacing the original springs with stiffer ones (225/515) lb/in originally, now (450/670) front/rear. (Also had the shocks revalved.) I had to buy springs 1 inch shorter than the originals for the front in order to drop the ride height where I wanted it. I used the same helper springs that were already there. As Tim points out, they are bound when the car is loaded. They just keep the main spring seated on the perch.

I bought the springs from Swift. IIRC, the fronts are 70-158-080 and the rears were 70-200-120. The numbers mean (ID -in mm)-(length in mm)-(rate in kg/mm).

I won't really know how well this worked until I get on track, and that's not until Mid-Ohio in April. :-(

Hope that helps.

Jon

 

They also help keep the springs in the perches if you're running closer to stock ride height or swap out to a shorter stiffer main spring.