Ride height and how much should the suspension bounce Options

[Tdskip]

In the continuing journey to learn about these I took your coaching from an earlier thread on rear suspensions.

1) I measured my ride height from the doughnuts

Driver front 5.25
Driver rear 5.60

Passenger front 5.25
Passenger rear 5.60

I quite like how she sits so I’m inclined to call this good but am curious how this compares to yours?

2) I tried the fender bounce test and was surprised by what I found. My front shocks have almost zero movement. There is basically zero movement when I try to bounce the driver side front and only a little on the passenger side front. The driver side feels like a rock. Not sure what normal should feel like here...

3) The rear shocks move as I would expect then to, evenly on both sides but look to be the white Monroe (?) ones.

4) the car is a go cart on smooth pavement but is too harsh over bumps and not compliant enough for comfortable road use.

5) is the tie rod angle shown in the picture, basically level, considered correct?

Can you guys take me to school on this all please?

[ConeDodger]

The problem is with the bushings...

I’m assuming by the look of those pictures that your suspension was last installed by the factory? The rubber in the original suspensions adheres itself to both the inner and outer surface with a steely grip. It becomes in a sense a spring of sorts. Even if you installed the plushest of shocks it will be harsh because there isn’t any suspension travel.

We have a couple of real innovators here. I believe it was Mueller and McMark who combined to create roller bearing bushing replacements. Elephant Racing also came up with their poly bronze bushings. Both of these solutions allow complete suspension travel.

Try this: lift a wheel and unbolt the shock. Now try to move the suspension up and down through its full travel. I’d bet you can’t budge it more than an inch or two. Both the roller bearing and the poly bronze bushings allow you to move it through full travel with one finger. This allows your shocks to do their job. Go cart handling with a supple ride.

My car has zero rubber in its suspension and it rides much better and less harsh than it did on the factory bushings.

I should add, delrin and polyurethane, properly installed will yield a similar result.