Is there something wrong with how she is sitting??

Kroggers · Kroggers's Garage

Just noticed in an old picture I have that my car is not siting level. The front is lower than the back - is this normal, or do I need to lower the rear end a bit more?

anthony · 12-23-2005, 01:12 AM

It looks a little too low in the front. Euro ride height is 25.5" front, 25" rear.

Do you have gas charged shocks in the front? They could be dead causing the car to sit lower in the front.

Andras Nagy · 12-23-2005, 04:19 AM

As Anthony said, you do want the front slightly loweer than the rear. This nose-down angfle of attack is correct, but use his measurements to get it right.

Note the seeming anomoly in those measurement. Though the 25.5" in front is a higher number than the 25" in the rear, the front fender lip is actually higher than the lip on the rear, thus the "seeming" disparity.

masraum · 12-23-2005, 04:29 AM

And lots of people actually use a bit more steep angle of attack. I've seen people that make them both the same which puts the front a half inch lower than it needs to be, but that shouldn't really be a big problem.

If by measuring it turns out that your car is way off then you're probably better off raising the front a tad instead of lowering the rear. The front is much easier, and you will be moving away from bump steer issues. Normally the rear fender covers or is closer to the rear tire than the front.

livi · 12-23-2005, 07:11 AM

Hi Pål,

I would raise the front. As pointed out, its easier and in my opinion it looks better too.

Darn, its a nice car you have!

Kroggers · Kroggers's Garage

Hmmm, I had the front shocks replaced this summer so I do not believe they can be the problem. I will measure the height when I get back to the car after xmas. I am going to rebuild the front this winter (including a bump steer kit), so will investigate this at the same time. Just wanted to know if it was normal for our cars to look as if they were not sitting level?!?

Andras Nagy · 12-23-2005, 07:28 AM

Level = not normal.

Low in the front = normal.

Kroggers · Kroggers's Garage

Thank you Markus, come the summer we will have to meet up for a Beer and 911 session

So Andras, are you confirming that the stance that my car currently has is normal, and nothing for me to worry about? As I already said, it will all change after I have rebuilt the front this winter.
Can someone also confirm if I stay with normal (European) ride height, I will not need (or get any benefit) from the bump steer kit I have just had delivered from Pelican?!?

Andras Nagy · 12-23-2005, 07:56 AM

Szervusz Pal,

I can confirm that it is normal to have the front lower, but since I cannot measure yours personally, I cannot say if yours is TOO low. Please measure the tops of the fender lips (opneings), and if they match the dimensions given by Anthony, you should be okay.

My 911SC is set at the Euro height, and I have never (even on the track) felt the need for a bump steer kit. Others have disagreed with me, but my thought is that if I don't feel it, and if my car does not steer left or right when I hit a bump, why do I need it?

This is the old argument between empirical and theoretical. In my mind, empirical wins all the time!!!!!

Andras Nagy · 12-23-2005, 08:02 AM

Szervusz Pal,

Though this photo is not directly from the side like yours, perhaps you can still see that the front is lower than the rear. Slightly, not a lot, but enough that it is discernable.

Hope this helps.

Rot 911 · 12-23-2005, 08:02 AM

With your car set at Euro ride height it should have a slight nose down attitude:

Kroggers · Kroggers's Garage

Thank you for the help Andras. I will measure the height when I get back to the car after the xmas holiday. Now that I have the bump steer kit, and will be reconditioning the front, I might as well fit it - can not make things any worse

Kroggers · Kroggers's Garage

Thnx Kurt, nice car

}{arlequin · }{arlequin's Garage

bwaaahhhh.... and here i thought we're gonna have a pic "worthy" of the OT crowd...

masraum · 12-23-2005, 08:48 AM

The car overall will have a slight nose down attitude, but the measurements of the fenderwells will actually be a half inch higher in the front than in the back because the fender lips are cut differently.

livi · 12-23-2005, 09:09 AM

On the bump steer issue: The PO had my car lowered a tad below euro hight - I raised it back. There was a small but noticeable difference in terms of being less eager to twitch the steering wheel over bumps. Before I raised the front it had not bothered me though.

BGCarrera32 · 12-23-2005, 09:14 AM

1 degree rake front to back is a good baseline at 1/2 tank of gas. My car is set 1 degree nose down measured at the door sills and on an alignment rack...still looks like it sits up in front a titch when viewed from the side. Depending on the the use of the car, an ever so slight rise of the rear end for track use (DE) may be advisable. Measuring fender lips to the ground is rather inaccurate and suspect to error...proper measurement is done to the axle.