Setting the ride height
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,070
Likes: 9
From: MARRIOTTSVILLE MD
Setting the ride height
I have been playing with my ride height and it does not seem to be changing as much as Iam adjusting. Then a thought hit me would'nt it be a good idea to disconnect the sway bars during the ride height adjustment ? I would think that suspension and frame differences might put tension on the sway bar even when the ride height is correct. Then after the adjustments are made replace one sway bar link on each bar with an adjustable link if necessary so that the bar is not under tension on a level surface. Does this sound reasonable or am I just being too **** ?
INTHERED
INTHERED
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
Likes: 33
From: Not on either liberal coast.
If your car has been suspended with the tires/wheels off during the adjustments, it'll take a little while for it to settle lower.
Think about it, the maximum oem bolt/bushing lowering height isn't that much different that the distance you're adjusting the front/rear bolts.
Take measurements and use the opportunity to drive it on some curves to allow the suspension to respond to the adjustments. Then take more measurements to confirm equal adjustments.
Think about it, the maximum oem bolt/bushing lowering height isn't that much different that the distance you're adjusting the front/rear bolts.
Take measurements and use the opportunity to drive it on some curves to allow the suspension to respond to the adjustments. Then take more measurements to confirm equal adjustments.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 382
Likes: 5
From: Virginia
take it out and drive it, like said above it will settle when you load the springs/ suspension again.
when you jack the car up and then lower it, the force caught up in jacking (esp if doing one side at a time) stays untill a force (i.e. the weight of the car) settles out the suspension geometry.
I bet if you measured it, it would have a narrower distance between the tires after jacking it up and lowering it again than before you jacked it up or after you drive around the block.
I have even just pushed on the fender of the wheel and that helps it settle. It's just the suspension geometry after you jack it up. Look at how far the wheel travles out of the wheel well. There are some serious changes taking place there and things like the springs, shocks, and A arms witrh BINDING rubber bushings get memories that need force to put them back tro normal or in your case lower than normal.
when you jack the car up and then lower it, the force caught up in jacking (esp if doing one side at a time) stays untill a force (i.e. the weight of the car) settles out the suspension geometry.
I bet if you measured it, it would have a narrower distance between the tires after jacking it up and lowering it again than before you jacked it up or after you drive around the block.
I have even just pushed on the fender of the wheel and that helps it settle. It's just the suspension geometry after you jack it up. Look at how far the wheel travles out of the wheel well. There are some serious changes taking place there and things like the springs, shocks, and A arms witrh BINDING rubber bushings get memories that need force to put them back tro normal or in your case lower than normal.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 219
Likes: 0
From: Bellevue Wa
FWIW I adjusted my 97's height all the way down, the adjustment nuts moved ~3/8 of an inch. After driving from Seattle to Portland, doing an autocross, running four sessions on the track, and driving home I could see no difference in the ride height versus the reference pictures I took beforehand. The car was resting on the bushings, it just didn't LOOK any lower.
And since the sway bar can pivot (I know this from putting Z06 springs and bars on the car) just what do adjustable endlinks do anyway? All they would do is change the angle of the bar relative to the A frames which makes no difference. It seems like if you tweaked one alot that would do something, like pre-load one wheel at the expense of the other?
Putting the Z06 suspension on sure changed the height, I scraped the rear carrier on a steeply crowned driveway.
And since the sway bar can pivot (I know this from putting Z06 springs and bars on the car) just what do adjustable endlinks do anyway? All they would do is change the angle of the bar relative to the A frames which makes no difference. It seems like if you tweaked one alot that would do something, like pre-load one wheel at the expense of the other?
Putting the Z06 suspension on sure changed the height, I scraped the rear carrier on a steeply crowned driveway.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 260
Likes: 1
From: Chesterfield MI
sway bars should not affect ride height. they will pivot up down if both wheels drop/raise. Sway bars work when the inside wheel on the corner compresses by lowering the pressure on the opposing wheel allowing the car to corner lower which will lower the car's center of gravity in the corner.
if you were to remove the spring and raise one wheel the other would raise as well from the connection. It won't with spring tension on it, but you get the idea.
if you were to remove the spring and raise one wheel the other would raise as well from the connection. It won't with spring tension on it, but you get the idea.
