Is the car supposed to be perfectly level front to back? When I took some measurements before I lowered the car the heights were a bit different front to back. Left to right were the same. I don't have the numbers with me right now but I remember them to be different. I measured the distance from the highest point on the fender lip at each wheel to the ground. After lowering the car to the max with the stock bolts, front and back heights are different (just like they were different before lowering). Is this normal?

Thanks,

 

Yes, its normal for the front and rear heights to the fender lips to be different. If I remember right, mine were almost an inch different, with the rear being higher. This is part of the styling of the car. When I lowered my car, I made sure I lowered by the same amount front and rear to keep the same difference.

- Mark

 

Rapid Transit, my question is simple. I recently purchased a 98 Coupe that the suspension had been lower to the max. As I only drive for pleasure, I raised the suspension. What I need to know is what were your measurements before you lowered your car. Thanks.

bowtie911
87 Coupe auto
98 Coupe auto
86 El Camino auto
65 Olds 442 4-spd.
65 Olds 442 :flag

 

ride ht. with 1/2 tank of gas, from ground to center of fender opening
front---27-1/8
rear----27-1/2 to 27-3/4

 

My lowered Vette:

Front: 26 1/4
Back: 27 1/4

 

Quacker, thanks for the info. I apparently have my car set at where it should be. Just lucky I guess, but it looked right and felt right. Thanks again.

bowtie911
87 Coupe auto silver beige/medium brown
98 Coupe auto nassau blue
86 El Camino auto silver/ grey
65 Olds. 442 4 spd. white

 

bowtie911,
I'm at work right now and dont' have the measurements with me. I'll post them tonight (Saturday).

Take care,

 

Most common is to measure the ride height from the ground thru the center of the wheel to the fender edge. most cars are in the 25-27inch range. This is not a good way to measure the ride height because the body glassfiber work are not perfect. The recommendation I got from DRM is to measure from the frame (in front of the jacking point close to the wheel up front. To the rear of the jacking point in the rear close to the wheel) to the ground because the frame is be best reference. Which ride height you want is up to you. The difference between front and rear using the frame measuring method should be 1/4 inch. Make sure the car are on a leveled surface before trying to set the ride height.

:cheers:


[Modified by seanr, 7:58 PM 8/17/2002]

 

seanr,
You're saying that the difference between the front and rear should be 1/4". I take it that you mean up to 1/4" and not more, so anything less is OK, is this correct? Also which end should be higher, or does it not matter since 1/4" is not much.

Thanks,

 

I can't tell which difference between front/rear are the best for you. DRM recommended 1/4 inch to get the best balance in the car for roadracing.

:cheers:

 

I hope I can present a new concept to you guys. If your just looking for looks...set the ride height where ever you want it and make it even all the way around.

If your looking for maximum performance from your suspension then measuring your ride height or relying on factory settings is a bad idea. Upon lowering your vehicle, adding sway bars, springs, coilovers or bushings....you should have your vette aligned and balanced at a shop that knows what they are doing. The key as SeanR stated is "Balance". For racing or the performance minded driver you need to worry less about ride height and more about weight distribution to the 4 corners or "Balance".

You can balance your suspension with scales. Good performance shops will have four scales to go under each tire to measure the weight distribution to all 4 corners. The Corvette has such great weight distribution that there is no reason you shouldn't be able to go as low as you want that still have 25% weight in each corner. If you are a drag racer you can even add weight to the rear for better weight transfer. I'm not, so I went for a quater in each corner.

I purchased my Coilovers from a member who had them for a very short time and didnt like them. When I installed them just as he had had them on his car...

The ride height was perfectly even and perfectly off balance. On the scales it read:

Front L: 640 lbs
Front R: 983 lbs
Back L: 730 lbs
Back R: 868 lbs

No wonder he didn't like the coilovers his car was all out of balance, even though the ride height was even.

I hopped in the driver seat and Ted May at Valaya racing balaced my suspension to be axactly 25% in each corner with me in the seat. Now the ride height was perfectly equal but it was perfectly balanced with me in the drivers seat.

If you dont do this then imagin if you have 200lb more on your front left wheel, then ad your body weight, then make a hard left turn at 70mph you how have 1100lbs in one corner and 600 on the opposing wheel....bad news for racers.

Cliff Note Version: Get the ride heigth where you want...then take your vette to a race shop and have it balanced and aligned in the ball park of where you wanted the car to sit.


[Modified by RCswish, 3:39 PM 8/17/2002]

 

RCswish,
That's what I'm after, performance balance, not appearance balance. I'll need to look for a shop that "knows what they're doing".

Thanks,

 

Bowtie911,
Here are the specs from my car pre- and post-lowering (stock bolts):

RF 27 13/16 27
LF 27 15/16 27

RR 28 10/16 28 1/2
LR 28 10/16 28 1/4

Not a big difference.

 

RCswish,

I think the balance between the left and right side of the car are the most important. The balance between the front and rear will be a compromize because sometimes the fuel tank is full and sometimes it's almost empty. With a full tank of fuel you might want to start out with 23/23 in front and 27/27 in the rear. The only way to get the front/rear balance correct is to go to the race track with portable scales and start experimenting.

:cheers:



[Modified by seanr, 1:04 AM 8/18/2002]

 

The theory of the balanced setup, with equal weight at each corner, seems to make sense.. I think I'll try that...

At the moment, with my new 02 pretty much as low as I can stand, I am at....

Front 25-5/8, both sides equal
Rear 26-1/2, both sides equal
.

I think I'll try to find a shop with some of those scales.....

 

where do you work?can i get a job there it sounds like fun :jester

 

Just for kicks here is how low my vette sits.


This is her 2 weeks ago with a fresh wash and OZ wheels



This is her with air ducts and black Z06 Wheels

 

Are your after lowering heights after ~100 miles or initial ??
I lowered this AM and my fronts are way up there still, partially due to tire height, I hope.
Thanks

 

Mine TOO :reddevil :D :cheers:

 

You can't ever change the weight of the front, back, left or right by changing ride height. Those are determined by where the mass is relative to the tires, and will not change unless you move components (like put the battery in the back).

All you can change is the corner balance. If you make one wheel lower (ride height higher at that corner), you put more weight on it, but at the same time take the same amount of weight off the wheels next to it, and add weight to the wheel diagonal of it.

A car is corner balanced when RF+LR is equal to LF+RR.