Hello, just bought my first Mazda and I love it so far. it's an '04 Mazda 6 and it's in great shape.

However I keep bottoming out on the freeway when there are big bumps and I need to know how to raise my car a few inches. The previous owner installed aftermarket suspension and I have no idea how to raise the car. All four struts/springs look like the attached pictures. Also attached are pictures of the car

Thanks in advance!

 

You have coil over suspension with adjustable dampening. Hopefully the previous owner has left the " C Spanners " in the car for you.

On coil overs there will be two locknuts that wind up or down to compress the spring to alter the ride height.

https://www.google.com.au/#q=adjusting+coilovers

 

Thanks for the reply. I've been watching lots of how-to videos for how to adjust the coilovers. They can tell you all about ride height, but I'm not concerned about that. This thread is how I can prevent bottoming out.

Doesn't twisiting the nuts to push the spring up just raise the car? They don't really make it harder to bottom-out, right? Doesn't it just make the car sit higher, but with the same amount of tension in the springs, same amount of distance downward the car must travel downward before it bottoms out.

What I want is more play in the springs, or say, more up/down travel in the suspension before the car bottoms-out, so it can handle the bumps on the freeway between Utah and California without bottoming-out so violently that I think the car will break apart.

How exactly can I accomplish that?

Thanks in advance.

 

When you say " bottoming Out" are you referring to low ground clearance & the vehicle hitting the ground? or that the ride is very hard & rough?

On the top of the front shocks is the "dampener" adjuster. Turn both dials fully to the + and go for a drive, then turn them fully to the - and go for a drive & see which way has the most comfortable setting.

 

Sorry. By bottoming out, I mean that the suspension is getting compressed all the way, and I've got coil-binding. Meaning the suspension can't compress any further- not that the car itself hits the ground. But that could be happening too, and I just don't know the difference.

I just adjusted the dampeners all the way to - and noticed a slightly bouncier ride. All the way to + was a slightly stiffer ride, but I was still bottoming out way too easily. Some guy at an off-road shop said that it sounds like my springs have lost their strength, and I need new ones, but can keep the same struts. What do you think?

 

Any lowered car will feel harsh & very bumpy.

If your not happy with it, I suggest taking it to a suspension shop & ask for a free test drive.