View Full Version : setting ride height
ruampy
08-31-2016, 10:35 AM
Anybody have advice on setting my Roadster ride height. Lots of different numbers thrown around. What works best?
Jsf74
08-31-2016, 11:20 AM
Honestly id set both around 5.5 and drive a few miles. You will be AMAZED at how much everything comes down.
ruampy
08-31-2016, 11:45 AM
Thanks, 5.5 sounds a little high from what I read but I think that's what I'll start with. Will my alignment change much once it settles. I have about 5 miles on the car. I hate to go back to the alignment shop.
AC Bill
08-31-2016, 01:26 PM
Hopefully, you know what the height was set at when you had the alignment done. Once the settling has taken place, just adjust the coil springs to get it back to that same height, and your alignment will be bang on again.
If you don't know the exact height when the alignment was done, after driving it for another 50+ miles, (some say as much as 100), adjust the height to your liking, and take it back for a final alignment.
4" or 4-1/2" are pretty common choices for ride height on the roadster.
Jsf74
08-31-2016, 08:35 PM
I started at 5.5 and within about 20 miles im exactly at 4.5"
DavidW
09-01-2016, 06:37 AM
Good to know, 4.5" is low and after the car settles it could be lower......ooops now I'll have to raise it.
Mike N
09-01-2016, 08:28 AM
As you adjust the ride height pay close attention to keeping the spring seats on each side of the same axle equally adjusted. If you don't your corner weights could end up being way off resulting in a some very strange handling. Think of it as a 4 legged stool with one leg shorter than the rest.
ThickCobra
09-01-2016, 08:41 AM
Thanks, 5.5 sounds a little high from what I read but I think that's what I'll start with. Will my alignment change much once it settles. I have about 5 miles on the car. I hate to go back to the alignment shop.
Did you do a preliminary alignment yourself in go-cart phase? And, if you did, could you share your process?
Gumball
09-01-2016, 09:09 AM
Another thought is to factor in the overall diameter of your wheel / tire combination. I'm using 15" wheels with Avon CR6ZZ tires and they are a bit taller than the recommended size. That means two things - first, they fill out the wheel wells really nicely and, second, they result in slightly higher ride height because of the added sidewall dimension. My frame rails are 5" and 5 1/4" above level ground, yet the car doesn't look to be sitting high......
http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/Graduation/IMG_20150614_172553889_zpsshrcoy8g.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/Graduation/IMG_20150614_172553889_zpsshrcoy8g.jpg.html)
Here's a thought for those of you with a solid axel rear and interested in handling. The lower control arms can be a source of roll steer -- the car steers into or out of the corner with body roll. If you set the lower control arms level (parallel with the ground) you will have virtually no roll steer from the rear end. However, if you set ride height at some arbitrary number you may end up with the lower control arms angled up or down in front. As Gumball noted above, ride height is affected by tire diameter among other things. Since the control arms travel in an arc the wheelbase changes with bump & rebound. If both lowers are level both sides change equally. If the front pivot point is higher or lower you will experience a change in wheelbase from side to side causing the rear axel to skew.