adjusting ride height

[edwardb]

But with the chassis on jack stands I can only take up the slack by hand, then I need to compress the spring a little. That's what I can't do.

Really? Interesting. I've never had one that needed to be adjusted against the spring when the suspension is hanging. The recommended practice is to start with the adjusters barely snug against the springs, again with the suspension hanging. Then put it on the ground, roll back and forth a bit to settle the suspension, and check ride height. At that point, ride height for me has always been high. Typically an inch or more. Then the adjustment starts, a turn or two at a time, again with the suspension loose, and always turning the front and rear pair exactly the same amount. At that point, the springs start to get pretty loose when the suspension is hanging. That's why the instructions to use tie wraps on the shock hat to keep the springs seated in the hat. This process seems to work pretty well. I've been cautioned to not turn individual adjusters unless using corner scales. Always in front and rear pairs.

Do you have something other than the stock springs or coilovers? Maybe that's the difference.