Raise car, lower car...? Header clearance.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 12,399
Likes: 247
From: San Jose CA
Raise car, lower car...? Header clearance.
I've had an issue with header clearance since I installed my headers. I decided to order coil spring spacers from VBP. They were supposed to lift the car 1". tsw71 trimmed them down on the bandsaw to 5/8" and that should have been about the lift I got from them. However, when the car came down the lift was actually more like 1.25". IE Sickly stock appearing.
Now I'm trying to decide should I fight with it and get it to the actual raise I wanted, keep it at its current height(28.75" wheel lip), or just slam it back down like it was? I'm tempted to go with the slam and just deal with speed bumps as best I can... maybe someone on the forum can teach me how to make skid plates.
Of course, in the future I'll be going with AFR heads, which apparently have a higher exhaust port. Coupled with less weight on the nose(I lose about 1/8" clearance for every extra hundred pounds in the car, maybe more clearance on the nose), I'm thinking that it'd be fine slammed completely.
What do you guys think I should do?
-Steve
Now I'm trying to decide should I fight with it and get it to the actual raise I wanted, keep it at its current height(28.75" wheel lip), or just slam it back down like it was? I'm tempted to go with the slam and just deal with speed bumps as best I can... maybe someone on the forum can teach me how to make skid plates.
Of course, in the future I'll be going with AFR heads, which apparently have a higher exhaust port. Coupled with less weight on the nose(I lose about 1/8" clearance for every extra hundred pounds in the car, maybe more clearance on the nose), I'm thinking that it'd be fine slammed completely.
What do you guys think I should do?
-Steve
Abby Normal
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 53,463
Likes: 92
From: Press "2" for English
Re: Raise car, lower car...? Header clearance. (Pacin'California)
hey steve, i had to vote for the clearance. as you know, my car is pretty low too. i don't have a problem scraping some stuff, but engine parts? i don't think engine parts need to be making contact with the ground.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 30,183
Likes: 313
From: Lake Norman NC
Re: Raise car, lower car...? Header clearance. (Pacin'California)
my hookers sit really low...i never dragged them once, but also avoided situations where i could have dragged. lower the better.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,286
Likes: 8
From: San Jose California
Re: Raise car, lower car...? Header clearance. (Pacin'California)
Steve,
You are now experiencing one of the reasons why I went to side pipes. I really hate Vettes that sit high like a 4WD. The lower stance really makes the car. They handle better that way too. An advantage of the shorty headers is that they make almost as much power yet give you the same clearance a stock system would.
If you do jack up the front, you better raise the back by the same amount. This is pretty typical of any variation from stock. When you change one thing there is usually a consequence somewhere else. I have learned a lot about consequences!
Chuck
You are now experiencing one of the reasons why I went to side pipes. I really hate Vettes that sit high like a 4WD. The lower stance really makes the car. They handle better that way too. An advantage of the shorty headers is that they make almost as much power yet give you the same clearance a stock system would.
If you do jack up the front, you better raise the back by the same amount. This is pretty typical of any variation from stock. When you change one thing there is usually a consequence somewhere else. I have learned a lot about consequences!
Chuck
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,396
Likes: 7
From: Indiana
Re: Raise car, lower car...? Header clearance. (Pacin'California)
Since I'll likely be getting bloody knuckles and grease in my hair when dropping it back down, I'll have to vote to leave it the hell alone! :D :reddevil :D
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 12,399
Likes: 247
From: San Jose CA
Re: Raise car, lower car...? Header clearance. (tsw71)
Well Tom - it has dropped half an inch.
I went to get an ultrasound today. Will find out from the doctor what's going on with me...
-Steve
PS If I scrape when I go over a speed bump @SCU, I think I'm DEFINITELY going to just slam it back down! :D
I went to get an ultrasound today. Will find out from the doctor what's going on with me...
-Steve
PS If I scrape when I go over a speed bump @SCU, I think I'm DEFINITELY going to just slam it back down! :D
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,179
Likes: 3
From: SF East Bay CA
Re: Raise car, lower car...? Header clearance. (Pacin'California)
Bring it back down: I lowered mine and YES, I am careful on speedbumps, BUT I also got some Sanderson Headers which have a higher collector than before, so now no scrapes unless I race over the bumps.... Good Luck
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,165
Likes: 8
From: Where are the Smoky Mountain Cruisers? Not Correctly Restored Stingray
Re: Raise car, lower car...? Header clearance. (Pacin'California)
My car has VBP 460 coils now. I think the front is about 28 inches. I like the feel of the rebuild front. I have not tried a speed bump yet, but I don't think the speed bumps will be a problem with my hookers as they are sidepipes.
Good luck.
Good luck.
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Racer
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 372
Likes: 1
From: Ellicott City MD
Re: Raise car, lower car...? Header clearance. (Pacin'California)
I used to scrape headers all the time. My problem wasn't clearance, it was soft springs. Once I put stiff springs and good shocks on, I had no more scraping.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 12,399
Likes: 247
From: San Jose CA
Re: Raise car, lower car...? Header clearance. (fireball)
My problem is definitely not soft springs and is definitely clearance. I walked the car over a bump, no scraping. Then let it roll forward ever so slightly.
*ksh*
It scraped, JUST BARELY, in two spots. I think the BEST solution is aluminum heads with higher exhaust ports. Less weight so the car naturally sits higher, lower center of gravity because the weight at a higher point from the bottom of the car ahs been removed, more power, and more clearance! :D
Anyone got $1200 they'd like to donate?
-Steve
*ksh*
It scraped, JUST BARELY, in two spots. I think the BEST solution is aluminum heads with higher exhaust ports. Less weight so the car naturally sits higher, lower center of gravity because the weight at a higher point from the bottom of the car ahs been removed, more power, and more clearance! :D
Anyone got $1200 they'd like to donate?
-Steve
