Suspension height - how to add more ....
08-06-2006, 11:25 PM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Suspension height - how to add more ....
I've tried to achieve the ROW sport height settings within the specified range of both allowable settling and front to rear ratio after installation of Bilstein HD/H&R springs .... and fall short as the LF adjuster is at the max height: the fun caused by that episode was posted here .
ROW sport is 144mm /127mm front to rear ( -10mm for settling): I'm currently at 131mm/120mm - equal side to side. The problem is that the LF is max at 131 .... and to match the 120mm rear, it should increase ~6mm to 137mm.
The simple answer would be to pull the rear apart and lower it the required amount .... but for our roads, I'd prefer to keep it at least as high as it is now: preferably, full ROW sport setting at 127mm would be even better; however, the front height limitation remains issue #1.
First question: Is this an acceptable f/r balance? If so, I can leave it alone and get on with a final alignment.
Second question: Are there any simple tricks to get a few mm extra height from a front coil over? ie., like a spacer that can be slipped under the lower spring perch between it and the adjuster .... or one between the spring and lower perch plate?? I looked at the top strut assembly as it bolts to the chassis ( four M8 studs) .... thinking that with a more shallow locknut, a 5-6mm aluminium spacer could be inserted between the strut top plate and the underside of the inner fender. Has anyone contemplated or actually done any of these tricks and made them work?
Third ( and last
) question: Are the standard alignment specs the best way to go for the ROW sport height for street driving - or are there some preferred settings?
The archive searches have suggested that not getting the car low enough has been a problem for some ... but the reverse of this is a new one for me.
ROW sport is 144mm /127mm front to rear ( -10mm for settling): I'm currently at 131mm/120mm - equal side to side. The problem is that the LF is max at 131 .... and to match the 120mm rear, it should increase ~6mm to 137mm.
The simple answer would be to pull the rear apart and lower it the required amount .... but for our roads, I'd prefer to keep it at least as high as it is now: preferably, full ROW sport setting at 127mm would be even better; however, the front height limitation remains issue #1.
First question: Is this an acceptable f/r balance? If so, I can leave it alone and get on with a final alignment.
Second question: Are there any simple tricks to get a few mm extra height from a front coil over? ie., like a spacer that can be slipped under the lower spring perch between it and the adjuster .... or one between the spring and lower perch plate?? I looked at the top strut assembly as it bolts to the chassis ( four M8 studs) .... thinking that with a more shallow locknut, a 5-6mm aluminium spacer could be inserted between the strut top plate and the underside of the inner fender. Has anyone contemplated or actually done any of these tricks and made them work?
Third ( and last
) question: Are the standard alignment specs the best way to go for the ROW sport height for street driving - or are there some preferred settings? The archive searches have suggested that not getting the car low enough has been a problem for some ... but the reverse of this is a new one for me.
08-07-2006, 05:50 PM
#2
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Garth -
First of all, as I understand it, you are currently at 131mm (front)/ 120mm (rear). However, your LF is maxed at this 131mm setting. Therefore, you are not able to raise the LF (and thus the RF) anymore.
As you correctly inferred, the proper "profile" for the RS ride height and ROW Sport ride height is to have the fronts 17mm higher than the rears. Therefore, if the fronts are fixed at 131mm, then the rears should be 114mm (or 6mm lower).
In order to "fix" this, you would either have to 1) disassemble the rears and lower them 6mm, 2) change the front shocks to permit more adjustment, or 3) change all four springs and redo. You would be doing all of this for 6mm, essentially.
However, if you look carefully at the ride height specs, you will see that all of the noted measurements are plus/minus 10mm. Therefore, technically, you are already in the acceptable range, although your F/R profile is not ~exact~.
Considering you are a street driver (even if you were a partial track driver), I don't think the 6mm is significant enough to justify what you will have to do (choices 1-3 above). Therefore, if it were me, I would move on to an alignment. I would also try a corner balance, for grins, to see if it is possible to balance the car (it might not be since that can't raise the front and lowering the rears is a pain).
As far as the alignment goes, street alignments can be all over the board. It is simply a tradeoff between performance vs. tire wear and twitchy highway driving vs. cornering. In my case, I went with an RS alignment with increased camber front and rear (1.5 and 1.8, respectively, IIRC).
Good luck.
First of all, as I understand it, you are currently at 131mm (front)/ 120mm (rear). However, your LF is maxed at this 131mm setting. Therefore, you are not able to raise the LF (and thus the RF) anymore.
As you correctly inferred, the proper "profile" for the RS ride height and ROW Sport ride height is to have the fronts 17mm higher than the rears. Therefore, if the fronts are fixed at 131mm, then the rears should be 114mm (or 6mm lower).
In order to "fix" this, you would either have to 1) disassemble the rears and lower them 6mm, 2) change the front shocks to permit more adjustment, or 3) change all four springs and redo. You would be doing all of this for 6mm, essentially.
However, if you look carefully at the ride height specs, you will see that all of the noted measurements are plus/minus 10mm. Therefore, technically, you are already in the acceptable range, although your F/R profile is not ~exact~.
Considering you are a street driver (even if you were a partial track driver), I don't think the 6mm is significant enough to justify what you will have to do (choices 1-3 above). Therefore, if it were me, I would move on to an alignment. I would also try a corner balance, for grins, to see if it is possible to balance the car (it might not be since that can't raise the front and lowering the rears is a pain).
As far as the alignment goes, street alignments can be all over the board. It is simply a tradeoff between performance vs. tire wear and twitchy highway driving vs. cornering. In my case, I went with an RS alignment with increased camber front and rear (1.5 and 1.8, respectively, IIRC).
Good luck.
