should i adjust ride height?- advice needed!

dickster · 06-09-2002, 09:11 AM

i still have the persistent handling problem.

the left front is definitely 1/4" lower than the right. i cannot find anything out of the ordinary, no broken torsion bars etc.

but if i lay under the left front wheel arch (wheel on the car though, and on the ground) i can physically push the fender lip and raise the car slightly.

so maybe i need to raise this corner to take some of the weight??

i know corner balancing would reveal the truth, but i can't wait(!) and thats gonna cost me (lots £'s), so should i just go for it, adjust the ride height, and see what affect it has?? (at the moment the car dives (rolls) into the left front corner on right hand bends).

what d'ya think guys?? JW??

k9handler · 06-09-2002, 10:22 AM

go for it...just remember where you started so you can return back to the previous setting. I have done the front of my car several times and you will notice a change. For the best results, have it done by a shop that you trust, a good corner balance will help.

911pcars · 06-09-2002, 11:04 AM

You should be aware the RR corner can effect the ride height of the LF corner. Merely cranking up the LF to get the front ride heights equal may not be an interim but not the end solution.

I would suggest this. Disconnect one of the front sway bar drop links. This allows each front wheel to act independently. Jack the rear of the car off the ground from a central point; e.g. the transaxle mount. Doing this eliminates any effect the rear of the car has on the front suspension. Are the front ride heights now equal? If so, then the RR ride height was affecting the LF. The corner balancing process will allow each wheel to support the correct proportion of vehicle weight.

That was the short answer. The archives have a ton of information on adjusting ride height and corner balancing.

Sherwood Lee
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars

dickster · 06-09-2002, 11:35 PM

sorry for the delay - female company

great, i'll do both. i'll raise it and see what affect it has.

interesting idea with the sway bar. only problem is disconnecting it, which doesn't lok easy. it just fits in some hoops in the A arm?? looks like you gotta unbolt it from the body??

do i need release the tension on the torsion bar before adjusting (raise the front)??

911pcars · 06-10-2002, 01:17 AM

Oh, you've got the under mount sway bar rather than a "through-the-body" bar. Either factory sway bar is not adjustable, but the one you have is kind of a bear to R&R. In addition, if you eventually corner balance, you must have adjustable drop links on the front/rear bars in order to adjust the weight (ride height) at each corner and the through-body (and aftermarket) bars can be fitted (are available) with this type of drop link. Without this feature, changing ride heights adds un-needed preload to the opposite side wheel/suspension.

Sherwood Lee

dickster · 01:38 AM

sherwood

is that a "MUST" - to carry out corner balance??

i have lifted the front end, and then i am able to physically lift up each hub a bit, so there must be room before i start affecting the preload you mentioned too much???

i like the idea of "easy to remove" adjust. sway bars but don't like the through the body idea........do they have to be through the body??

so i mustn't adjust ride height, not even 1/4"??

thanks for the help

911pcars · 06-10-2002, 07:53 AM

[b/"is that a "MUST" - to carry out corner balance?? "[/b]

No. Corner balancing is not a must do. If the chassis is fairly "balanced", 1/4" isn't going to change things that much. However, you did mention a handling problem. I should have asked that first.

"i have lifted the front end, and then i am able to physically lift up each hub a bit, so there must be room before i start affecting the preload you mentioned too much???"

Not really. You're lifting the suspension at full drop; not the same as at regular ride height.

" .... but don't like the through the body idea........do they have to be through the body??"

On our cars, yes.

" so i mustn't adjust ride height, not even 1/4"??"

Since that's the easiest thing to do at this point, go ahead and raise the LF and see if that "improves" the handling.

Sherwood Lee

dickster · 06-10-2002, 09:48 AM

sherwood

thanks, i'll give it a go.