Spax/ERA - minimum/front shock rod clearance?

[decooney]

Hi Bob,

What is the "minimum" shock rod clearance that should be sticking out of the standard Spax ERA/front coilovers before the lower assembly actually bottoms out inside of the shock body?

How many rod/inches should be sticking out of the front shock - before its considered bottomed out?

I started to drop the front a bit (1") over the factory setup, and noticed a more harsh ride. When you push down on the fender, it was not moving much, if at all - but it could still be free. I see about 2-1/2" to 2-3/4"shock rod sticking out of the top of the shock. The rubber snubber is not getting smashed yet, and not touching the shock body or the hat at all. I know in most cases, this might be OK or appear to have enough shock rod sticking out (like 2"), but when I was working with Carerra Engineers on my last car, it was not fluid or safe to go below a certain point - or internal shock bottoming would occur. My front fenders lips are at 26.25 inches off the ground - for reference with the big letter GoodYear/Eagles on front. I did go ahead and back off on the set screw to wide open, and it did free up the travel a bit.

I just want to be sure NOT to go beyond the recommended internal shock travel range.

Thanks ahead for your response. ERA623.