suspension gurus, how low can you go? |
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suspension gurus, how low can you go? |
DanT |
Feb 28 2006, 08:35 PM
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#1
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Going back to the Dark Side! Group: Members Posts: 4,300 Joined: 4-October 04 From: Auburn, CA Member No.: 2,880 Region Association: None |
Alright, there is a lot of information (misinformation) out there about how low you can set the suspension of your car.
how low is too low? how is the front geometry effected? should the A arms be sloping down(outward) level OK? how about sloping upward (outward) This is for aTRACK CAR and I want the car to be as low as possible without any idiosyncracies cropping up. I know about shock travel and bottoming out so what ya got? Right now I have the front suspension sloping downward (barely, maybe 2or 3 degrees) What is the word. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/dry.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/huh.gif) |
Joe Ricard |
Feb 28 2006, 09:23 PM
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#2
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CUMONIWANNARACEU Group: Members Posts: 6,811 Joined: 5-January 03 From: Gautier, MS Member No.: 92 |
2 or 3 degrees is ALOT.
I strive for level A-arms. but I also have 21mm torsion bars so I really got to try to get the suspension to bottom. rear is about 1/4" or so mabe a little more higher than front measured at the lift donuts. Works for me. |
r_towle |
Feb 28 2006, 09:33 PM
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#3
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Custom Member Group: Members Posts: 24,588 Joined: 9-January 03 From: Taxachusetts Member No.: 124 Region Association: North East States |
with a stiff enough suspension, you can go so low that the a-arms get a nice shiny spot on top where they hit the frame...
Given that...its to low... I have 23mm torsion bars, and bilsteins...its stiff. I found the car handled better when I raised it back up and gave the shock a chance to actually do something... Before that I was literally bottoming out on the frame...check it out with no bar in place...it will hit... So, I did a setup reccomended locally by the regional winner for the past several years. I believe it was this. Measure from the top of the rim...to the lower lip of the stock fender. 2.25 rear 2.5 front. It mad me raise the rear up one perch on the shocks, and crank up the front end a bit... BUT, it was the best it has handled in years... Good luck. Rich |
J P Stein |
Feb 28 2006, 10:10 PM
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#4
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Irrelevant old fart Group: Members Posts: 8,797 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Vancouver, WA Member No.: 45 Region Association: None |
I think it's more tie rods than A arms.....but, Rich makes a good point as the limiting factor there.
As the tire rod passes over center it stops pushing against your steering effort and starts pulling with it.....the dreaded "bump steer". The idea here is to keep it pushing against your efforts......thus the rack spacers & tie rod end extensions(normaly only used with raised spindle struts). My last set-up had about 4 1/2 inches....ground to doughnuts...and that left me with between 2, 2-1/2 inches of shock travel which I used up regular like. This year I'm going to raised spindles (3/4in) & the ERP bump steer kit. I'll use about 1/4 inch to lower the car and 1/2 in for shock travel. That's all *I think* I know about that. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif) |
nine14cats |
Feb 28 2006, 10:23 PM
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#5
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Bill Pickering -- 914-6 GT aka....Leeloo Group: Members Posts: 2,618 Joined: 10-February 03 From: Campbell, CA Member No.: 287 Region Association: None |
Hi Dan,
Check this thread out on roll center and the effects of bump steer. Hayden from WEVO and Brad were talking about the lowered 914..... Lowering car and roll center Bill P. |
brant |
Feb 28 2006, 10:47 PM
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#6
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914 Wizard Group: Members Posts: 11,639 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Colorado Member No.: 47 Region Association: Rocky Mountains |
Dan,
on my old car I used to run higher than my buddy. he had his really low and we were in the same class against each other. every year at the end of the season he would go through his car and find his front koni's to have blown seals and leaking. his shock was bottoming. rubber bumpers could help, but the other thing you will find is that the A-arm hits the chassis. you don't want to go anywhere near that low unless you have either A) cut struts/special length shocks or b)rsr-style struts. too low and you don't have adequate suspension travel. you become slower not faster. brant |
DanT |
Mar 1 2006, 12:43 AM
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#7
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Going back to the Dark Side! Group: Members Posts: 4,300 Joined: 4-October 04 From: Auburn, CA Member No.: 2,880 Region Association: None |
so I really want to look at the level of the tie rods relative to level and not the A arms?
I have the rear just about where I want it but would like to get the front just a bit lower. I need to check my tie rods. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif) Also while we are on the subject. The front cover on the torsion bar tube. The one that gets removed to install a tow hook. How is it attached and what size is the retainer that holds it on? Or am I looking at how it is attached incorrectly. It does attach through the front hole of the three that are on each side? Thanks |
Jeroen |
Mar 1 2006, 06:27 AM
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#8
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914 Guru Group: Members Posts: 7,887 Joined: 24-December 02 From: The Netherlands Member No.: 3 Region Association: Europe |
if you lower the car to the point where the a-arms are parallel to the ground, you'll see that it's rediculously low
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads/blog-1133486075.jpg) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads/blog-1133486055.jpg) (and that is with 17" wheels and 215/45/17 tires) And as mentioned in the thread Bill posted above, if your a-arms go beyond parallel on suspension compression, the camber will go more positive instead of more negative |
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