Ride Height
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 178
Likes: 3
From: Pensacola FL
Ride Height
The front of my 96CE seems to sit lower than stock. Looks good, but it scrubs pulling in and out of a normal driveway. I would say it looks about 2 inches too low...
Question: Will the spring develop a sag over time? Does anyone have the stock ride height measurements?
Thanks,
Paul
Question: Will the spring develop a sag over time? Does anyone have the stock ride height measurements?
Thanks,
Paul
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 3,660
Likes: 22
The spring is probably cracked or broken inside the mount. They get soft after 25 yrs of hard service but they usually do not sag...not a lot. If you see a 2" drop with the tires up inside the well....th spring is broken/cracked.
This is VERY common due to the failure rate being 100% if the spring is exposed to degreasers or certain acidic aluminum cleaners and/or engine wash/degreasers that are caustic. Contact causes the composite spring to instantly delaminate and break...
Ask me how I know.....
My current rear spring is coated in "plactic-dip" spray rubber sealer to protect it from the cleaning chemicals I use to clean the underside.
This is VERY common due to the failure rate being 100% if the spring is exposed to degreasers or certain acidic aluminum cleaners and/or engine wash/degreasers that are caustic. Contact causes the composite spring to instantly delaminate and break...
Ask me how I know.....
My current rear spring is coated in "plactic-dip" spray rubber sealer to protect it from the cleaning chemicals I use to clean the underside.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 25,331
Likes: 2,722
Nonsense -
I wouldn't assume any failed parts initially. Probably and likely just don't apply.
TRIM height is covered very well in the FSM and actually varies for the years. It needs to be measured either at the FSM points or it can be measured at many other points on the chassis so long as it's on a level floor and the same points are used right, left, front and rear. You DO NOT use the painted SMC panels for any trim height comparisons.
Last edited by WVZR-1; Sep 26, 2014 at 06:22 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 3,065
Likes: 39
Nonsense -
I wouldn't assume any failed parts initially. Probably and likely just don't apply.
TRIM height is covered very well in the FSM and actually varies for the years. It needs to be measured either at the FSM points or it can be measured at many other points on the chassis so long as it's on a level floor and the same points are used right, left, front and rear. You DO NOT use the painted SMC panels for any trim height comparisons.
I wouldn't assume any failed parts initially. Probably and likely just don't apply.
TRIM height is covered very well in the FSM and actually varies for the years. It needs to be measured either at the FSM points or it can be measured at many other points on the chassis so long as it's on a level floor and the same points are used right, left, front and rear. You DO NOT use the painted SMC panels for any trim height comparisons.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 11,592
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From: Compound in the Grove, Ga.
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St. Jude Donor '16
Both my 93 & 91 stock with 275x40x17 tires are 27&1/4 at the center of the front wheel well. Hope this helps.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
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That's NOT trim height. Trim height confirmation assures that the front end geometry as well as the rear suspension and drive-line geometry is correct OR close. There is a difference.
I believe I've seen you mention you've access to electronic service information, maybe ALLDATA. Try frame and use search terms such as DATUM LINE and TRAM DIMENSIONS.
Last edited by WVZR-1; Sep 27, 2014 at 03:56 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 3,660
Likes: 22
Nonsense -
I wouldn't assume any failed parts initially. Probably and likely just don't apply.
TRIM height is covered very well in the FSM and actually varies for the years. It needs to be measured either at the FSM points or it can be measured at many other points on the chassis so long as it's on a level floor and the same points are used right, left, front and rear. You DO NOT use the painted SMC panels for any trim height comparisons.
I wouldn't assume any failed parts initially. Probably and likely just don't apply.
TRIM height is covered very well in the FSM and actually varies for the years. It needs to be measured either at the FSM points or it can be measured at many other points on the chassis so long as it's on a level floor and the same points are used right, left, front and rear. You DO NOT use the painted SMC panels for any trim height comparisons.
Pray tell, what else would cause his front wheels to be buried UP inside his front wells 2" as he describes? Certainly aren't that many shims in the mount to be removed...and a spring that's got THAT much flex at rest IS considered broken/worn out....whats left?
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Race Director
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 11,592
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From: Compound in the Grove, Ga.
2026 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2025 C4 of the Year Winner - Unmodified
2024 C4 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2020 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2019 C4 of Year Finalist (performance mods)
2018 C4 of Year Finalist
2015 C4 of the Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '16
In the future I will be sure to stay far away from any thread that you HAVE POSTED IN...........
Last edited by FASTAZU; Sep 27, 2014 at 08:33 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 25,331
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I fully understand that what I listed is NOT trim height, I never stated or implied that it was! I only listed it as to supply some information about the height that most C4's sit at. I did not have my FSM in front of me nor did I want to type all that information up as obviously you did not ether at the time you posted.
In the future I will be sure to stay far away from any thread that you HAVE POSTED IN...........
In the future I will be sure to stay far away from any thread that you HAVE POSTED IN...........
I'll post back with the trim heights from FSM section 3-21. I removed the under-body dimensions because that's a little deep for some.
These are TRIM HEIGHT measurements from '96 FSM
[ATTACH]
[/ATTACH]
Last edited by WVZR-1; Sep 27, 2014 at 09:20 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 25,331
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Again NONSENSE -
The front may very well have been lowered using the procedure of removing the molded spring pads and gluing on replacement wedges that lower the front.
When I deleted the underbody dimensions that require a TRAM GAGE I deleted the entire post and this response to "Leesvet". I believe it's important not to just "assume" but to correctly diagnose the possibilities and a lowering procedure by a PO sure seems likely in may cases.
Last edited by WVZR-1; Sep 27, 2014 at 10:12 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
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Don't interpret what you measured as a problem, do the rest of the measurements. If there's a wide discrepancy right/left in the trim measurements you might want to go deeper and check the underbody dimensions that require DATUM line references.
If you have a FSM check section 3 for trim and section 10 for underbody. ALLDATA might help you.
Last edited by WVZR-1; Sep 27, 2014 at 11:15 AM.