BMR Watts Link WL005 (Impressions, weight, video vs PHB) TBA

[CobraRed]

Also, I would like to know what kind of travel you have, and what your spring rates are.

You stated that the car is dropped 1.6" - how much travel do you have past that point, in compression?

Are you using the OEM style, or Eibach/FRPP bump stops? If so, how tall are they?

I just don't see how this is happening. On our car, dropped 1.50" - we have a ton of room between the axle mount and the chassis.

There's a whole thread of every mod I've done.
ST XTA coilovers, KW doesn't publish and wont tell me over the phone the rear spring rates because the rears are progressive.
The standard coil-over bump stops, oem ones removed.

Not sure why the bump stops are even a concern, I've had them on for a month with daily duty and have only have bottoming out "wham!" incidents since putting the Watts on yesterday.

 

[BMR Tech]

Okay.

Well, I am concerned about this.

We are cutting new plates today, and I have already managed to sneak even more clearance into the program - just to be safe.

If you are going to modify it, I will still send you a new bracket.

I just have to figure out why yours is hitting and ours is not.

 

[CobraRed]

Okay.

Well, I am concerned about this.

We are cutting new plates today, and I have already managed to sneak even more clearance into the program - just to be safe.

If you are going to modify it, I will still send you a new bracket.

I just have to figure out why yours is hitting and ours is not.

You dont need to send me a new bracket because I have the original and since the new one didn't have a return label, I still have it. I can modify that.
But I will say, I'm not going to take a sliver off and re-install it and keep doing that untill there's no problem. I'm going to leave 1/8-3/16" or meat max above the top hole and lop the rest off.

 

[BMR Tech]

Gotcha.

 

[CobraRed]

Wasn't as hard as I thought, having the red kit really marks the body of the car.

Data! High res so I'm putting links.

Clipping the bracket:
http://i.imgur.com/l94Ezzr.jpg

Showing the body contact spot:
http://i.imgur.com/DLNEzRB.jpg

Based on the contact point, cutting the top like this would increase clearance a lot.

You wouldn't even need to machine the tube, just when it's being cut to length (before being welded on obviously) there's an extra set-up, clamping the angle you need to do to cut it again.

 

[BMR Tech]

I will post a screenshot of the change that was already implemented.

In the meantime, our car is back up in the air trying to see what is going on. 3 trips to the track, and some major off roading - and nothing. Something is up.

Thank you for your very detailed feedback. Next time I fly out that way, we need to meet up so I can buy ya a round, or 5.

 

[CobraRed]

I will post a screenshot of the change that was already implemented.

In the meantime, our car is back up in the air trying to see what is going on. 3 trips to the track, and some major off roading - and nothing. Something is up.

Thank you for your very detailed feedback. Next time I fly out that way, we need to meet up so I can buy ya a round, or 5.

Haha, I'm in FL all the time for work (mainly Orlando) I'm coming for my beer!

 

[BMR Tech]

Haha, I'm in FL all the time for work (mainly Orlando) I'm coming for my beer!

Really??

Please let me know when you are in town again. We are off I4, about an hour and 20 from Orlando.

Anyhow, back to the Watts! I am "on it". This is throwing me for a loop. I sent emails to a few people using them already, to see if they can look for witness marks. I mean, it is very obvious inside the car when it happens - but maybe some do not notice. Not sure.

 

[CobraRed]

Really??

Please let me know when you are in town again. We are off I4, about an hour and 20 from Orlando.

Anyhow, back to the Watts! I am "on it". This is throwing me for a loop. I sent emails to a few people using them already, to see if they can look for witness marks. I mean, it is very obvious inside the car when it happens - but maybe some do not notice. Not sure.

I wouldn't actually say that it's a super obvious sound unless you've been purposely focused on setting up your suspension with absolutely no clanks and rattles or rubbing.
I knew what the sound was because i'm set up where the suspension never bottoms out or rubs - something people with much over 1.5" of drop may be used to.

 

[2013DIBGT]

Wasn't as hard as I thought, having the red kit really marks the body of the car.

Data! High res so I'm putting links.

Clipping the bracket:
http://i.imgur.com/l94Ezzr.jpg

Showing the body contact spot:
http://i.imgur.com/DLNEzRB.jpg

Based on the contact point, cutting the top like this would increase clearance a lot.

You wouldn't even need to machine the tube, just when it's being cut to length (before being welded on obviously) there's an extra set-up, clamping the angle you need to do to cut it again.

I'm having a hell of a time visualizing in my head how this part is hitting something on the underbody of the car. It would certainly be pretty scary to think your axle is travelng enough in the upward direction to cause this piece to hit something.

Not trying to throw any mud here but if your rear axle is traveling upwards enough to contact the underbody of the car then the rear spring rate and rear dampers must be like marshmallows or basically none existent.

I've got a very different setup but as a gauge I've got about 2.5" of shock rod visable while sitting at stagnant ride height and even at the most extreme of bumps have never hit the bump stops (which are cut to half their original height).

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the issue here, but are you saying that your axle is traveling upwards enough to cause the BMR bracket to hit the underbody of the car?

 

[CobraRed]

No, the axle isn't hitting anything, the new watts bracket which clamps off it and extends several inches above it is.

There's links on that post to images, look at those.

I highly doubt KW coilovers/shocks are marsh mellows after 1.5 months of use. I have them set at 5/18 clicks, but avoiding a tight rear end is the point. Before the watts install there were no issues.

 

[Wes06]

man, thisll be fun if i get it with air-ride, lol

 

[05Torch]

I'll be able to tell you how it is, mines going in today!

 

[2013DIBGT]

No, the axle isn't hitting anything, the new watts bracket which clamps off it and extends several inches above it is.

Yeah the bracket hitting is what I'm talking about, not the axle. Last time I checked this bracket attaches to the axle which in turn travels upward when the vehicle encounters bumps in the road...correct?

There's links on that post to images, look at those.

Lol... You mean the blurry ones that are at 40x magnification and show nothing useful? Yeah let me go back and take another look at them.

I highly doubt KW coilovers/shocks are marsh mellows after 1.5 months of use. I have them set at 5/18 clicks, but avoiding a tight rear end is the point. Before the watts install there were no issues.

I would agree that this rather "large/busy" Watts link is at least partially responsible for the contact you are experiencing but at the same time your rear Spring Rate/Shocks and current ride height are to blame for the rest of the issue.

The fix seems pretty obvious to me:

1. Raise the car
2. Increase the damping out back by way of more spring or more turns of the knob on the shock
3. Use a smaller axle mounted Watts Link that uses fewer parts

I'm sure you'll get it figured out.

 

[Wes06]

nothing useful? it shows the point on the bracket thats making contact, and in the second image it shows the point on the body its contacting, just like BMR requested.

 

[CobraRed]

Yeah the bracket hitting is what I'm talking about, not the axle. Last time I checked this bracket attaches to the axle which in turn travels upward when the vehicle encounters bumps in the road...correct?



Lol... You mean the blurry ones that are at 40x magnification and show nothing useful? Yeah let me go back and take another look at them.



I would agree that this rather "large/busy" Watts link is at least partially responsible for the contact you are experiencing but at the same time your rear Spring Rate/Shocks and current ride height are to blame for the rest of the issue.

The fix seems pretty obvious to me:

1. Raise the car
2. Increase the damping out back by way of more spring or more turns of the knob on the shock
3. Use a smaller axle mounted Watts Link that uses fewer parts

I'm sure you'll get it figured out.

Thanks for stopping by

 

[Norm Peterson]

No offense, but I really do think that a third picture taken from a little further back would have taken a lot of the guesswork out of what we're looking at - and more importantly how the interference might have happened. Keep in mind that while you and Kelly know exactly what you're looking at, and from what angle, the rest of us don't. I know what you're trying to show, but beyond generally upward I can't tell what the direction you're looking in (or even if the pictures were taken from ahead of or behind the axle unless I go crawl under my own car and try to find the same hose or whatever from the same viewpoint).


Norm

 

[CobraRed]

When Kelly asked for the pictures he made it sound time sensitive, so these were taken with me in business casual laying down in a parking lot with my arm stuck up there on a lowered car. I wasn't expecting anyone to frame them and mount the on the wall.
But point taken, and since other people are also interested ill take a short video before it gets 100 degrees out.

 

[CobraRed]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iec0GlsAlI&feature=youtu.be

 

[Wes06]

I thought it showed pretty well where the location's were, and I dont have a watt's link, but have been under the car at a few points and know where the spring well's are