03-06-2015, 03:32 PM
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Measuring Ride Height ("Trim Height")
06-10-2016, 04:48 PM
#21
Team Owner
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St. Jude Donor '13
Speaking of measuring, I use a combination yardstick and spirit level. That makes sure the measurement is being taken vertically from the pavement instead of a slight angle.
Since the bottom edge of the wheel well arch has a very slight radius, you have to decide where on that radius to take your measurement. It only makes about 1/16" difference either way, so just use the same point on all four corners to avoid confusing yourself.
I fill the tank and park in my garage which has a very flat/smooth concrete floor, plus a slight bump to bounce the suspension as you enter. Write down the measurements, drive around the block and repeat. Then repeat the next day. After that, I repeat once per year to be sure nothing has changed.
As mentioned in the OP, replacing the factory Z51 shocks with base model factory shocks, lowered the car by 5/16" front and 4/16" rear. I had that adjusted out and drove for about 30k miles with no further changes.
When I replaced the base model shocks with Bilstein Heavy Duty (not the super stiff Sports), that raised the rear by about 2/16". I had that adjusted out and the car has not changed for the last 20k miles. It seems that every style of shock has a slightly different gas precharge and will produce a slightly different ride height.
Since the bottom edge of the wheel well arch has a very slight radius, you have to decide where on that radius to take your measurement. It only makes about 1/16" difference either way, so just use the same point on all four corners to avoid confusing yourself.
I fill the tank and park in my garage which has a very flat/smooth concrete floor, plus a slight bump to bounce the suspension as you enter. Write down the measurements, drive around the block and repeat. Then repeat the next day. After that, I repeat once per year to be sure nothing has changed.
As mentioned in the OP, replacing the factory Z51 shocks with base model factory shocks, lowered the car by 5/16" front and 4/16" rear. I had that adjusted out and drove for about 30k miles with no further changes.
When I replaced the base model shocks with Bilstein Heavy Duty (not the super stiff Sports), that raised the rear by about 2/16". I had that adjusted out and the car has not changed for the last 20k miles. It seems that every style of shock has a slightly different gas precharge and will produce a slightly different ride height.
09-02-2017, 01:42 PM
#22
Racer
Using a Yoyo (tape measurer) I'm sittin' a bit lower in the front as well (from stock height according to the chart). Rears seem to be in spec.
This is a new to me car with new spec'd. tires, so I guess the previous owner dropped the front a bit. Rides, handles and looks fantastic so for now I'll leave it alone.
RF= 25 7/8
LF= 26
RR= 27 7/8
LR= 27 7/8
This is a new to me car with new spec'd. tires, so I guess the previous owner dropped the front a bit. Rides, handles and looks fantastic so for now I'll leave it alone.
RF= 25 7/8
LF= 26
RR= 27 7/8
LR= 27 7/8
05-05-2019, 08:02 PM
#23
Resurrecting this thread, because I found it quite useful...
My car was waaaaaay too low in the front, as the result of having the steering rack replaced and not being properly adjusted at reassembly. I was over two inches lower than the wheel arch spec from 2010 listed above (my car is a 2013).
I had access to the two tools called out in the shop manual, so I adjusted the front height today. As it was, I couldn't even get a reading with the level/height gauge - even with the channel fully up against the bottom of the control arm mount, it was still too high.
I ran the bolts in as far as I felt safe - the head is only about half above the 'plane' of the spring surface, and I'm getting a reading of about 32mm on each side (2010 spec is 41mm), and I've got 26.75" at the arches. So I'm at the extreme low end of 'spec' on the Z measurement, but still below min spec on the P.
Are the specs for 2013 different? I don't see any way I could get another 10mm at the control arm without running the bolts completely through the spring bushings - the bolts would have to be a half-inch or more longer.
It 'looks' proper now, and the rear arch measurements are dead-on the 2010 spec.
My car was waaaaaay too low in the front, as the result of having the steering rack replaced and not being properly adjusted at reassembly. I was over two inches lower than the wheel arch spec from 2010 listed above (my car is a 2013).
I had access to the two tools called out in the shop manual, so I adjusted the front height today. As it was, I couldn't even get a reading with the level/height gauge - even with the channel fully up against the bottom of the control arm mount, it was still too high.
I ran the bolts in as far as I felt safe - the head is only about half above the 'plane' of the spring surface, and I'm getting a reading of about 32mm on each side (2010 spec is 41mm), and I've got 26.75" at the arches. So I'm at the extreme low end of 'spec' on the Z measurement, but still below min spec on the P.
Are the specs for 2013 different? I don't see any way I could get another 10mm at the control arm without running the bolts completely through the spring bushings - the bolts would have to be a half-inch or more longer.
It 'looks' proper now, and the rear arch measurements are dead-on the 2010 spec.
05-06-2019, 02:28 AM
#24
Le Mans Master
Resurrecting this thread, because I found it quite useful...
My car was waaaaaay too low in the front, as the result of having the steering rack replaced and not being properly adjusted at reassembly. I was over two inches lower than the wheel arch spec from 2010 listed above (my car is a 2013).
I had access to the two tools called out in the shop manual, so I adjusted the front height today. As it was, I couldn't even get a reading with the level/height gauge - even with the channel fully up against the bottom of the control arm mount, it was still too high.
I ran the bolts in as far as I felt safe - the head is only about half above the 'plane' of the spring surface, and I'm getting a reading of about 32mm on each side (2010 spec is 41mm), and I've got 26.75" at the arches. So I'm at the extreme low end of 'spec' on the Z measurement, but still below min spec on the P.
Are the specs for 2013 different? I don't see any way I could get another 10mm at the control arm without running the bolts completely through the spring bushings - the bolts would have to be a half-inch or more longer.
It 'looks' proper now, and the rear arch measurements are dead-on the 2010 spec.
My car was waaaaaay too low in the front, as the result of having the steering rack replaced and not being properly adjusted at reassembly. I was over two inches lower than the wheel arch spec from 2010 listed above (my car is a 2013).
I had access to the two tools called out in the shop manual, so I adjusted the front height today. As it was, I couldn't even get a reading with the level/height gauge - even with the channel fully up against the bottom of the control arm mount, it was still too high.
I ran the bolts in as far as I felt safe - the head is only about half above the 'plane' of the spring surface, and I'm getting a reading of about 32mm on each side (2010 spec is 41mm), and I've got 26.75" at the arches. So I'm at the extreme low end of 'spec' on the Z measurement, but still below min spec on the P.
Are the specs for 2013 different? I don't see any way I could get another 10mm at the control arm without running the bolts completely through the spring bushings - the bolts would have to be a half-inch or more longer.
It 'looks' proper now, and the rear arch measurements are dead-on the 2010 spec.
As for your trim height adjusters being at their limits: what do the rubber pads that contact the control arms look like? My front ones were completely gone. All that was left was the round plate welded to the adjuster thread.
05-06-2019, 06:04 AM
#25
They looked pretty much new - dusty, but not cracked or dry.
05-06-2019, 03:08 PM
#26
Team Owner
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St. Jude Donor '13
Since starting this thread, we've moved on to a C7 but the adjustments are similar. I just use the wheel arch specs (P-Height and R-Height) like in post #15 (C7 has different numbers, of course) and don't worry about measuring the suspension points under the car. Be careful to have the car on a flat level surface and measure carefully. Arches will probably get the aerodynamics closer to spec than the suspension numbers; if I was corner-weighting the car then I might look at it differently.
The front-rear rake will effect how the handling of the car changes at high speed, so I try to keep the rake at stock value even if the car is sitting a little higher or lower than spec.
BTW, we love our C7 but it has a few features that went downhill from the C6, so don't feel bad about having the older model.
The front-rear rake will effect how the handling of the car changes at high speed, so I try to keep the rake at stock value even if the car is sitting a little higher or lower than spec.
BTW, we love our C7 but it has a few features that went downhill from the C6, so don't feel bad about having the older model.
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