chrly924s

I'm almost to getting my 83S back on the road after 3 years in the garage fixing everything the PO didn't get done before she threw up her hands and sold me the car.
I installed new Boges and since the car sat too low, I bought front adjusters from Roger so I could raise the front. I damaged the spoiler on a big ol swolled up possum coming back thru Roane Mtn from SITM 08. Roger said I could use the stock springs. I have the "gold" springs on my car. These are "optional", but the spec book and the WSM doesn't say why.The only dif I can see is the later springs are 10mm shorter. I haven't driven the mandatory 70-100 miles yet to settle the front, but I don't recall the car sitting this high before. I have 29.5" at the front and 24" on the rear at the fender lips. From what I get from 'search' is I want to be at 27 front/24.5" rear. Then I'll check clearance.
My picture shows I have the adjuster collar sitting right down at the bottom of the threaded sleeve. Does this give me a couple of inches more to turn it down after the front is settles? How much will the front settle from driving?

Leon Speed

The front will settle a lot, about an inch at least. Also you should be measuring ride height at the indicated markings, for the front those are on the underside of the lower A-arm bracket. What happened to the shock? It looks dented under the adjustment collar.

chrly924s

After I posted the pic, I went 'WTH!!" and ran out to look. Both shocks have these ridges around the tube. I think they hold that adjuster ring.Its been 2 years since I did them. Can I turn the adjuster on down after it settles? I was going to check clearance on the suspension points like you said when I start do final adjust. Thanks.

Mrmerlin

on the pictures when you installed the shocks you did have a threaded ring that fits to the shock body?
then the adjuster threads onto that ring the ring though should have fit with its inner bevel facing the three raised bumps in the shock body,.
The outer adjuster should be able to be screwed down and in fact you may have to go down about 4 turns to get things close.

chrly924s

YES!!!! The threaded ring is bevel down to the bumps on the shock. The adjuster is even w/the lower beveled part of the ring. So I can go down past the this to correct heighth once the suspension settles. That should be right.
My springs are the gold ones that the WSM says = sport tuning. Are these just a little stiffer?
Thanks

Mrmerlin

the WSM gives the spring rates .
You will have better luck turning the collars with the wheels turned to the right and the car jacked up, i would turn them down about 4 turns before you even start

chrly924s

Thanks. W/the wheels off the ground or resting on ramps.

Mrmerlin

Uhh thats with the weight off the shocks,
so jacked up, the collars are easier to turn,
and just about impossible to turn with the weight on the wheels/suspension

chrly924s

Gottacha-Thanks a bunch!!!

NoVector

I have Eibach springs on the 84 and 93; I think I have about an inch of threads showing at the botton(?) but I think the Eibachs are shorter than stock--but maybe about the same as your gold springs.

Takes a while to get them dialed in--change the front and it also affects the rear... I did have to have a little weight on the rear when I adjusted one of them becuase the threaded piece kept on spinning around the shock.

BTW - Is that a grease fitting on the upper ball-joint on the A-arm?

chrly924s

Looking closer, I think I have yellow springs- car came w/Boge.
The PO replaced the lower aluminum ball joints when one failed. Luckily there was no visable damage, but when I replaced the upper ball joint boots I found that the upper A arm was damaged in the joint. When I replaced the A arm, I rebuilt both upper ball joints and put grease fittings in them.