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  #1  
Old 03-06-2018, 01:23 AM
irox irox is online now
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Location: CA
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amr engineering coil overs

Hi,

somebody ask what I thought of the AMR Engineering coil overs, these:
https://amrengineering.com/product/1...ing-coilovers/

I install them about 2 years ago, I forget my mileage at the time, but I've probably put somewhere around 30K on them.

Installation:
I took lots of pictures of the installation, with plans to create a kind of how to to help others. But my phone with all the pictures on it died and so did the "how-to" plan.... Installation was pretty straight forward, they are drop-ins and didn't require any modifications. Probably the biggest pain was removing the rear interior (again) to get to the tops of the rear shocks - same/similar to installing new rear speakers...

Installation Tips:
  • After removing, layout your stock shocks next to the AMR ones and adjust the AMR ones to be close to the stock ones for length (you can adjust them lower later if that's desired).
  • Make sure both left and right side are set up identically (count threads, etc.).
  • For the ABS sensor mount, don't use FSM torque specifications or you will bend them. Get them tight using instinct/touch/feeling. (Possibly this was due to paint on the threads or something.)
  • Adjusting the length of the rears is kind of a pain. Suggest not re-installing the cars interior until you are happy with the ride height.
  • You must !!!REMOVE THE RIDE RESPONSE ADJUSTERS!!! or you will put two little dents in your hood/bonnet right above the shocks.
  • Consider using locktight on everything after you've got it setup the way you want to keep it.

Driving:
The shocks I was replacing where in a really bad state and the car was unpleasant to ride and unsafe to push on windy roads that should be fun in an SVX. The AMR coil overs really brought my car back and made it fun to drive again.

These are not stock feeling, these feel more like something from a more modern performance car, these have much more road connection that the stock shocks. Pot holes kind be a bit unpleasant sometimes.

These weigh a lot less than the stock shocks, but I wasn't able to perceive any performance improvements from the weigh saving (not that I tried to measure it in any way).

Passage of time:
I've been driving this car daily with the AMR coil overs for about 2 years/30K miles. I have the front 10mm below stock, and the rears at stock height. This setup is only because the rears are much more of a pain to adjust (the fronts adjust in place, the rears require either detaching the lower part, or the upper part). Other than occasionally scuffing the front bumper entering parking lots and driveway, this set up has worked well, and I've been too lazy to remove the rear deck. I was also too lazy (well I was waiting to adjust the rears) to get the wheels aligned, which as expected resulted in uneven wear on the front tires.

It's been pretty reliable until a couple of weeks ago when I start to notice an occasional shimmy. I investigated and found a bent passenger side sway bar link. I've suspect the sway bar mount points on the struct where adjusted too low (lots of pressure on the sway bar), but I never got around to trying different settings.

I replaced the the bent sway bar link last weekend. I also adjusted the sway bar linkage mount on the struct to match my estimation of the bend distance (how much shorter the bent one was compared to the straight one). I also found the driver side sway bar linkage mount had come loose. It also looks like it twisted slightly due to the upward force of the sway bar. The screws clamping the sway bar linkage mount where twisted, but it seems they had worked loose before the twist happened, so there wasn't too much thread damage.

After I got everything back the way I wanted and the new sway bar link installed, I was tightening the lug nuts when I notice the driver side wheel was rather loose. I know the car had damage on that side before I got it, I've already replaced the ball joint, so I suspect the wheel bear is really shot. I also know I need to replace the CV joint on that side, but don't think that should result in a loose wheel. It's possible that vibrations from this failing wheel bearing cause the sway bar linkage mount screws to come loose. It's also possible the other problems contributed to the wheel bearing failure.

Future / do it again questions?

Would I buy them again? Well, I've got a second SVX in much better condition (only 47K on Pearl vs 148K miles on my Black DD). I'm considering swapping the AMR coil overs on to the low mileage car after I drive it for a bit. I'm also considering other options. I want to drive the low mileage car a bit first before I make the decision to go with the AMR coil overs, verse going for a more stock ride. Also, taking both cars to bits at the same time is going to be a pain.

I've also got to decide if I've fixing the wheel bearing on the Black SVX, or just going to focus on getting the Pearl one on the road and make the higher mileage one a parts car.
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Old 03-06-2018, 01:40 AM
irox irox is online now
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Re: amr engineering coil overs

Some photos I took last weekend.
#1 - misaligned sway bar link mount with crooked screws.
#2 - bent sway bar link next to straight one
#3 - my final height setting for the sway bar link mount (10 turns/thread from the bottom)

Car handles better, other than one of the wheels is still loose....
Attached Images
File Type: jpg IMG_20180304_131038sm.jpg (349.7 KB, 216 views)
File Type: jpg IMG_20180304_131122sm.jpg (344.3 KB, 255 views)
File Type: jpg IMG_20180304_151140sm.jpg (202.6 KB, 218 views)
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  #3  
Old 03-06-2018, 07:35 AM
SVX_MY_BABY's Avatar
SVX_MY_BABY SVX_MY_BABY is offline
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Re: amr engineering coil overs

Quote:
Originally Posted by irox View Post
Some photos I took last weekend.
#1 - misaligned sway bar link mount with crooked screws.
#2 - bent sway bar link next to straight one

Car handles better, other than one of the wheels is still loose....
Ouch Ouch Ouch
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ART Cryogenic/Slotted Rotors, Stainless Steel Brake Lines, PWR Radiator, Tranny cooler, Stebro, Earthworm's Poly Differential/front & rear swaybar bushings, Koni Inserts and Mychailo SVX Sport Springs all 4 corners, Indigo Blue paint. Liquid Silver Wheels.
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Old 03-06-2018, 08:23 AM
Blacky Blacky is offline
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Re: amr engineering coil overs

I would keep the low mileage Pearly stock. If or when the suspension starts to wear out, then consider the change over to AMR.
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  #5  
Old 03-06-2018, 04:21 PM
irox irox is online now
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Join Date: Jun 2016
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Re: amr engineering coil overs

Re: Loose wheel
I drove to work the next day and quickly regretted it.


Re: Low mileage Pearl
Yeah, that's what I'm thinking, but I don't want (erm, well my family doesn't) to keep/maintain two SVX for too long.....
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