Leveling First...Cognitos Later...Any Issues?

[Sheriff]

FINALLY installed the Cognitos this weekend. Easy install with the right tools! Also did a final adjustment on my torsion bars to level the left front with the right front. I was about 1/2" off.

Since I had gone about 3 weeks with the old shocks after leveling the front, I had a pretty good feel for how the handling / ride was with my H3. The Cognitos made a significant improvement in ride quality. Much smoother feel across uneven/rough pavement. I was "feeling" a lot through the steering wheel with the old shocks, but much improved with the Cognitos. Also, much less nose dive when hard braking. I didn't do any offroad test yet, but then I haven't done any real offroading in the last 3weeks for a comparison.

Not sure why I saw more of an improved ride than navigator32v? Maybe my original shocks were in worse shape. I did notice a little greasy/oily buildup on both of them. Maybe mine needed changing anyway, but with just 30K miles you wouldn't think so!!

I am very pleased with the quality and fitment of the Cognitos. I firmly believe these shocks are the way to go after leveling the H3. Low cost....LARGE return!!

[navigator32v]

That's good feedback. Did you notice a considerable increase in rigidity when you cranked the t-bars? Also how many turns did you go? i think i was in the 3-3.5 range. Another strange fact--slight rubbing on sway bar now with my 35's at full lock. No rubbing before.

Also I honestly am starting to wonder if the bilstiens made that much of a difference on road at all. By turning the t-bars you are increasing the torsion of the bars which should make it stiffer, a new key does the same thing as the screw just by changing the placement. The shocks increase the travel to keep from feeling "topped out" so you are in the middle of the shock travel not at the end of it. So is the stiffness of my ride normal?

[Sheriff]

Originally Posted by navigator32v

...Did you notice a considerable increase in rigidity when you cranked the t-bars? Also how many turns did you go?....

The only difference I noticed after raising the front was a more noticeable "feel" of the road through the steering wheel. It also felt like I had a little less steering control if I hit rough pavement or significant bumps. The Cognitos totally eliminated those conditions!

I turned the left side 3.5 turns and the right side 4 turns. This gave me ride heights about 3/8" - 1/2" less than the rear heights. I decided to leave it there because it is real hard to notice the difference anymore.

The biggest difference that I see with your set-up and mine is that you have the 35" tires and I still have the stock (265) tires. This could be why you notice a harsher ride than I do!?!

[navigator32v]

That's an interesting thought. I do notice a little more bumpsteer which is a common symptom of lift kits and larger tires. I would think that the tires would be more forgiving and absorbing, but maybe the opposite is true. I am happy with the look regardless, getting my alignment made a big difference in the handling. Having spent the money...I guess it's worth it, I'm not going to change it back. Plus I have an extra set of shocks around with 10,000 miles on them.

One last thought, did you install your shocks or did you have someone else install them? The dealer put mine on and I was thinking about the spacers at the top of the shock. If they were installed improperly (i.e. spacer placement) it would counteract the extended length of the shock, correct? Resulting in similar ride quality to standard.

[Sheriff]

Originally Posted by navigator32v

...One last thought, did you install your shocks or did you have someone else install them? The dealer put mine on and I was thinking about the spacers at the top of the shock. If they were installed improperly (i.e. spacer placement) it would counteract the extended length of the shock, correct? Resulting in similar ride quality to standard.

I did install mine. There is no adjustment at the top and pretty obvious how the rubber bushings/insulator and metal "washers" go. If you want, it should be pretty easy to check. Right at the top of the bellows you should be able to pull it down enough to see if the lower ones are correctly. From the top you should see a stud w/ bolt on top of the metal washer that holds the rubber bushing in place. The bushing and washer will be the mirror image below the shock mounting surface. The diagram below is of the stock set-up, but basically the same. Hope this helps!!

[navigator32v]

Thanks so much, I think everything is right, but it's worth a check.

[dbphotos]

Anyone have a photo or link to diagram of the correct place to adjust keys to get some height out of the stock configuration? I'd like to do it and want to make sure I'm cranking on the correct location.