Ride Height - Sanity Check...

[uggb123]

I recently checked the ride height on my in-progress MKIV and found that the front had settled as others said it would so I need to raise it about 3/4 inch.

I have also seen other posts where people describe the ease of turning the adjuster on the sleeve to quickly make ride height adjustments and without the need for any tool. That is what is prompting me to make this post because my situation is far from easy and it is so tight that the sleeve moves when I turn the adjuster (and I made sure the set screw was removed).

For my sanity (and hopefully others that may benefit if they come across this post in the future), I am including the below picture which is my driver side front with the orientation of the coil down. As I understand it, to raise the ride height in this orientation, you want to increase the distance shown in green (i.e. shortening the length that the coil can extend) and based on my orientation that would require me to spin the adjuster to left to tighten as shown in yellow.

Is that correct??? I have the opposite orientation on the rear shock with the coil up. How does that affect the adjustment procedure.

Bottom line, does anyone see anything out of sorts with my set up that would explain why it is so tight that I can't move it by hand and when I use tools (i.e. hammer and screwdriver) to coax it, the adjustment sleeve simply spins also meaning I am achieving no adjustment.
Thanks
Glenn

116321

[RJD]

Can't tell from the picture - the wheel is unsupported right? Meaning it's just hanging by it's own weight allowing the shock to extend and no force from the spring pushing up against the collar.

[BEAR-AvHistory]

You want to compress the spring to raise the car. You want to jack up the car so the wheels hang free to take the tension off the collars. Be sure the set screw is out & don't reuse it as it screws up (no pun intended) the plastic threads on the sleeve.

Good easy start point for setting ride high is have the loaded 4" frame tube its wheels touching a pair of stacked 2X4 boards. This will give just under a 4" ride height. If the car is new it will sag in about 500 miles & need a do over. Some give an extra 1/4-3/8" on the initial setting to account for sag.

Lots of different finial settings among the guys am sure some might have comments on the best setting. My goal was a low height with built in speed bump avoidance & wound up at 4" front & 4.5" rear on a 3 link suspension. With a good alignment car has run well & has even wear on the semi gumball tires @ 10,500 miles. Tires especially the rears are due for replacement.

Usually do one major do over, check bolt tightness, oil, fluid check & greasing each winter. Car is driven 365 according to the weather Temperature/rain limitations. Screwed up the clutch so have extra work this winter.

[swwebb]

I used the spanner wrench from Breeze

https://www.breezeautomotive.com/shop/spanner-wrench-for-coil-over-spring-adjustment/

to do the collar adjustment as well as a strap wrench to hold the sleeve. I also used WD-40 to lubricate the sleeve/collar to make it easier to turn.

[GoDadGo]

My goal was a low height with built in speed bump avoidance & wound up at 4" front & 4.5" rear on a 3 link suspension.
With a good alignment car has run well & has even wear on the semi gumball tires @ 10,500 miles.

Double Ditto & Hanging With Da-Bear On Da-Ride-Height With Da-3-Link!

Da-Dad

[BEAR-AvHistory]

Thought I might add this. Could be of interest. 12" tread width, tiles are 12"X12" squares, NITTO 555R 100 treadware drag radials @ 10,500 miles. Tires are gone for wet driving but the launch rivals an F-18 coming off a USN carrier catapult. Will replace with NITTO NT01 DOT compliant Road Course Tires during the winter do over.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=116385&d=1571617200

Tuned COYOTE with some Auto-X, a few track days & a lot of Daily Driving. No donuts, burnouts or other tire killing BS. Tires wear quickly but the grip is outstanding. Based on tire wear tell-tails they are still street legal believe it or not.

[SteveHsr]

Where/how are you measuring ride height? Looks like adjuster already near lower end of threaded sleeve and another 3/4in. barely available. Another issue is getting enough shock extension (droop) to take pressure off adjuster. With full droop and appropriate length spring you should not require much if any use of spinner wrench.

[Boydster]

You're getting lots of good info here. I'll add: Ride height should be measured at the end of the frame tubes. Set it up for 4" front, 4.5" rear. Dont know what engine you have. I have a iron block 427W and I dont need my shocks screwed down that far. Unless you have an iron FE, I'd say you're probably measuring in the wrong spot (that looks like you'd have almost 4" between tire and fender!) or for the wrong amount.

You're thinking is right... compress the spring for more height.

You say your car is in progress, but it has settled to the point of needin another 3/4" height. Usually it requires several hundred miles of driving before having to make a settlement adjustment.

Ideally, the best ride height for your car would be with the front lower control arms level across the car as it sits in a relaxed position.
Make sure both front shocks are set EXACTLY the same.

[rich grsc]

None of the cars I've ever worked on had the springs that tight when lifted off the ground. In fact most times the spring is loose.

[edwardb]

None of the cars I've ever worked on had the springs that tight when lifted off the ground. In fact most times the spring is loose.

Same here. Never had one that wasn't loose when dropped. In my experience the starting point, e.g. with the collars against the springs, the ride height is always quite a bit too high. So they loosen from there.

[Avalanche325]

I have taken rake out of my setup based on autocross experience. You want all the rear grip you can get. Raising the rear takes rear grip away. I recommended 4" all the way around. I would start at 4.5" - 4.75" all around to allow for settling. That is what works for me with a 3-link and VPM sway bars. I know a lot of people set the ride height with rake based on how it looks. So that is a different consideration.

[BEAR-AvHistory]

I have taken rake out of my setup based on autocross experience. You want all the rear grip you can get. Raising the rear takes rear grip away. I recommended 4" all the way around. I would start at 4.5" - 4.75" all around to allow for settling. That is what works for me with a 3-link and VPM sway bars. I know a lot of people set the ride height with rake based on how it looks. So that is a different consideration.

Yeah good info. I ran some AutoX at 3 7/8 square then raised the car to get it over the supermarket speed bumps - car is a daily driver. Noticed launch traction going way at 4.5. Will bring it back down during the annual. Might get more mileage out of the new tires.

[Jeff Kleiner]

...Might get more mileage out of the new tires.

"More mileage" Ha! That's rich! You're a funny guy! Best laugh I've had all week :D

NT-01, around 4,700 miles:

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/72680560_2329492147173480_1283654961862803456_n.jp g?_nc_cat=111&_nc_oc=AQnjApz7mchJZpHtXJ0iEhxzIH6kGX7LBde1NN8leTK iWYwkrWSMpiD4J2jEyGzlra4&_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-1.xx&oh=fa3f09f3e6ddda9e4fef4b960b00057a&oe=5E60435F

I decided to try a set of Toyo R888R this season and when I went to the shop to have these taken off and them mounted the tire buster dude asked how many miles were on them. I said "less than 5,000". He replied "I don't change my oil that often". Gee, thanks for pointing that out...

:)

Jeff

[videodude]

Jeff,

I gotta ask . . . did you just take the tires, or were they on the car? ROFLOL!!

Video

[Avalanche325]

The fronts look like they have a little left in them. Or are they getting slippery?

[Jeff Kleiner]

The fronts look like they have a little left in them. Or are they getting slippery?

They had gotten kind of hard (comparitively---still softer than something like an NT-05 or 555).

Jeff

[mike223]

I decided to try a set of Toyo R888R this season



How did you like the R888Rs versus the NT01s - or is it too early to tell?

[Avalanche325]

Looks like I am in for 4 new ones at the end of the year. I usually have to do fronts one year and rears the next on NT05s. I get about 10k on them.

If they only made the Rival S in our sizes.......
They do make 245, 275 and 315 for 18s......hmmmmm

[uggb123]

Thanks for all of the replies. When I said the car was in-progress, I should have specified the mechanical parts are all done and the in-progress is in reference to body work. The car has about 250 miles on the odometer.

I think the problem is I an overly concerned about speed bumps so was shooting for a ride height of at least 4.5" which is close to where I set it prior to the suspensions settling in and coming back down to a little short of 4". I expect that the adjustment I made just prior to taking the picture will have brought me back up to 4.5" so based on everyone's responses I will back that down just a bit.

I have a 351W engine so nothing like the size or weight of an FE.

Glenn