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The best way to protect your coilover is to apply lubricants and greases – they help prevent salt and debris from penetrating inside the metal and cause rust.
That said, keeping your coilovers safe in winter can be a tricky task. Namely, because there are many risks that the weather brings to the table and puts your coilovers in danger.
It is also recommended to increase your ride height by a few inches, to have lesser contaminants.
I’m running coilovers on my old Civic that I used during my high school time. I did not pay much attention to winter maintenance. I was surprised to see rusty coilover threads when I adjusted my ride height.
It was so bad, I couldn’t even move them. WD-40 definitely saved me plenty of time, and also a lot of muscles… That’s my lesson to have regular preventive maintenance every fall to keep my coilover in check.
In this article, I’m going to discuss how you can protect your coilovers during the winter. This will help you out big time when it comes to preventing rust formation and it will improve the overall longevity of the coilovers.
We’ll also be covering:-
- 5 Move Common Ways to Protect Your Coilovers.
- Best Settings for the Winter
- Things to Keep Check Of
Interested? I bet you do.
5 Way To Protect Coilover In Winter
1. Use Coilover Covers In Winter
Coilover covers wrap around your coilovers and keep them safe during winter from all the contaminants like salt and water. It is definitely a must-have for your car.
It really does offer big protection for a relatively cheap price. A pair of decent coilover covers cost around $40.
IMO, it’s really cheap and easy to apply those covers. It is also a good idea to use some zip ties to get them nice and fixed.
Here’s a coilover covers from Amazon that I used. You can check it out if you want. (Affiliate link)
Protects your coilovers from the road debris and dirt
2. Apply Anti Seize
Anti-seize protects your coilover threads from salt and prevents rust from building up around your coilover threads. With anti seize, you can be sure your coilovers are still adjustable after winter.
Anti-seize is very simple to apply – use a brush to generously apply and rub the threads. Be sure to rub them all the way and make sure all the threads are covered with anti-seize.
Some anti seize comes with a brush that you could use. Otherwise, a good old toothbrush can also do the job.
Here’s the best selling anti-seize from Amazon (Affiliate link). $10 for a whole bottle – that’s not bad at all.
RELATED ARTICLE: How to maintain coilover?
Make sure to cover area on the threads to avoid rust buildups
3. Apply Marine Grease
Marine Grease is an alternative for enhanced protection against rust and corrosion in all sorts of environments. This high-strength grease will withstand almost anything out there.
Get a good quality brand of marine grease and apply a generous amount on your hand. Gently rub the threads until they are covered with grease.
Then cover it up with coilover covers to protect the threads and it will last for a long time. Here is a video showing you how marine grease helps protect coilovers during winter.
Here’s a marine grease from Amazon (Affiliate link).
Marine grease does a great job protecting coilovers during winter.
4. Replace Coilovers With Your Stock Struts
Replace stock struts to avoid rust on your coilovers. Note that if you put back your stock struts on, you will return to the stock ride height and handling characteristics.
Make sure you remember to do alignment for your car. I personally wouldn’t do this, because it will cost a lot of money and time in the process. But if you have the money and patience, this is great for your coilovers.
5. WD-40 Application
WD-40 lubricants also works great for rust protection. Its fluid will get to every tight area – keeping your coilovers moist and free of rust.
For this approach, you may have to apply it monthly, because the WD-40 lubricant characteristics are low and can evaporate easily overtime, leaving your threads exposed to rust.
If you don’t have a one laying around – here’s a WD40 from Amazon.
Why Winter Is Bad For Coilovers & Lowered Cars
Winter can be bad for coilovers mostly because of snow and salt. The snow easily gets filled with road debris – which attracts moisture and quickly causes rust to your coilover threads.
Salt is the biggest factor here – especially if you are driving in a place where there is a lot of salt on the road like the North, or Canada.
Salt creates chemical reactions that can corrode your car. This is especially true for any exposed metal.
When your coilover threads develop rust, you will not be able to adjust with their settings to change the ride height. You will also have big trouble moving these threads. Avoid rust threads at all costs!
Best Settings For Coilovers In Winter
The best setting for the winter is to raise your coilovers higher, an inch or two. This will help in the way that they will avoid getting into contact with snow and salt.
Running with coilovers set on the lowest setting will have the risk of damaging your bumpers or getting you stuck in the snow.
Other than that, you can also lower the rebound and the compression. This will improve the ride quality in these harsh conditions. You probably won’t be racing during the winter.
These settings will come in handy and also help you avoid frustrating problems with the snow.
Guide To Cleaning Coilovers After Winter & Maintenance Tips
When winter is over, you should remove the coilover covers and inspect them. Usually it will be very dirty, you can find a lot of debris if you don’t wash your car regularly in the winter.
If you find some rust on your coilovers, get yourself some rust removal fluid to remove the rust on the threads.
Rustoleum does a great job penetrating all the threads and you can remove rust buildup easily. Make sure to cover every part and get rid of the contaminants.
You could then use pressurized water hose to spray the rust off the coilovers. When there are still some left over, rub the coilovers with warm soapy water before spraying them again with the pressurized water.
Lastly, always apply grease on your coilovers to keep them well protected. Because even in the summer, there are puddles and muddy roads too that can allow dirt and splashes in your coilovers.
To learn more about cleaning your coilovers after winter, we have a full article writing on that.
RELATED ARTICLE: How To Clean Coilover Threads
If you want to learn more about how to maintain your coilovers. Check out the link below to see more tips on the maintenance process of your new coilovers.
RELATED ARTICLE: How To Maintain Coilovers
Final Thoughts
Always remember to apply grease in the fall and prepare your coilovers for the winter. If you do not have a pair of coilover covers, I definitely recommend you getting a pair now. Coilover covers will do the most job protecting your coilovers in the long run.
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