Calling on all Engineers: Better way to raise/lower rear of the car? Options

[rick 918-S]

Too much time at the key board and not enough time in the gym? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Get a longer wrench. More leverage = less effort.

[degreeoff]

I used mini furniture dollies from HF (on sale $9.99 @ 1000lbs rated) and then when the car came down off the lift it would settle w/o moving!...worked very well

[r_towle]

Seeing as you will probably never use the bottom 1/2 inch of the threaded perch, why no machine that section to grab with a wrench.

What I am saying is either grind it down flat on two sides, or have someone weld up a bit o the two sides to give you some meat...then with two wrenches, you should be able to turn the adjuster and hold the perch.

I would suggest even going so fat as make a special little wrench that hits part of the suspension so you dont have to hold it...just wedge it in there and you can just turn the adjuster.

If you go for thrust bearings, read the weight and thrust properties...they arent made for sitting a suspension on there.
Hardened steel washers (two) would be better than a thrust bearing...a thrust bearing will get all dirty and nasty very fast with all the brake dust...
Thrust washers are hardened.
Rich

[SirAndy]

They make wrenches for this sort of thing. They go onto the groove in the collar to move it. I haven't had a problem using them.

like i said in my original post, i *did* use the special wrench ... no luck, didn't turn ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) Andy

[SirAndy]

and to make things even worse, the threaded part rotates on the shock!
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) Andy

If that is the case (and the same thing happens to me, I just reach up & hold the "threaded part") friction at the spring/collar is not the problem.

yes, tried holding the collar (sp?), still couldn't turn the perch ...


am i the only one having this problem ???
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) Andy

[SirAndy]

Seeing as you will probably never use the bottom 1/2 inch of the threaded perch, why no machine that section to grab with a wrench.

What I am saying is either grind it down flat on two sides, or have someone weld up a bit o the two sides to give you some meat...then with two wrenches, you should be able to turn the adjuster and hold the perch.

I would suggest even going so fat as make a special little wrench that hits part of the suspension so you dont have to hold it...just wedge it in there and you can just turn the adjuster.

now there's an idea ... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

[rhodyguy]

you'd still need to raise it, but...are the scales flat to the floor? if they were on little platforms with casters on the corners, i think you could settle the car just by jouncing it up and down in place. the platforms would allow the natural resting camber to return by rolling outwards. heavy duty casters and a real smooth concrete surface would be required. weld up some rectangular tube stock with a support across the center to the tire line and a couple of thicknesses of 3/4" plywood.

k

[Katmanken]

Fricking simple,

All ya need to do is machine worm gear teeth around the edge of the collar and hook up a bi-directional motor with the worm gear to drive the collar around. Worm gears are very efficient so the motor shouldn't have to be the size of the starter.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

And the motor will have to be attached to the sprung weight but think how way cool it would be to sit at the light and shake your booty.. er I mean your rear end up and down......

Heck, coupla limit switches and you could have a high stance for highway driving and a squat stance for racing.....

The possiblilitys are endless for a clever enterprising programmer with a laptop and a little script........

Shake yer car's booty in time to the music on the stereo,

An anti-rockin system when you and your significant other are busily engaged in rockin and don't come knockin fun...

and so on...

Glad I could help... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)

Ken

[SirAndy]

here's a pic of the scales (obviously not my car on them in that pic) ...

btw, if i just make a little slot in the bottom of the threaded collar and then use a large hoseclamp to secure it to the shock, the collar won't be able to rotate.

that'll leave me with an additional free hand to try to rotate the perch with that flimsy wrench tool thing ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) Andy

[Katmanken]

Not sure I'd do the slot/hoseclamp trick as described...

1. Yer hoseclamp will ride on the peaks of the threads so the loads will be high Judging from the color, it's aluminum which means the threads can gaul easier than steel. That might lead to rolling or flattening the peaks of the threads and we all hate taking something apart when the threads are screwed. Have a spare collar or nut of the same thread? Cut it in two, and you can place it on the shock collar and secure it with the hoseclamp. Then your load is across the entire thread, not the high point of the thread peaks.

2. Be careful so you don't permanantly distort the shock bore from round to oval, or, by squeezing a permanent dimple in the bore by overclamping. The wiper on the piston might be able to compensate, maybe not.

Have a big assed vice grip with padded jaws? Clamp on the threaded retaner and you might be able to jam or rotate the handle against a part of the body to prevent rotation. Harbor freight. and a little welding, and a jaw surface with 'give"..... Leather? hard rubber block? rubber or silicone hose slit up the side?

Looked at cap snafflers to help hold the threaded ? Those cap snaffler things are used by us old people to grab big assed jar tops that you just can't rotate with a bare hand... Sometimes a little more grip makes all the difference in the world. My wife has some thin rubber sheet round disks she likes.

Ken

[SirAndy]

Yer hoseclamp will ride on the peaks of the threads

nope, i'm thinking big hoseclamp tight around the shock. notch the threaded collar on the bottom so the bolt part of the hoseclamp fits into the notch.

that way, the collar is held into place by the bolt hump on the hoseclamp ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) Andy

[Downunderman]

Eibach has the needle rollers. Been suing them for yonks. They work well.

[sww914]

2 pairs of these are nice to have, then you can just bounce the car a little after you make changes instead of rolling it on and off of the scales.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/disp...temnumber=45742

[Spoke]

it's aluminum which means the threads can gaul easier than steel.

Yeah I was thinking the same thing. There is a lot of pressure on the threads and they may have been designed for static operation under load, not for adjusting under load. If they were designed for adjusting under load then you're ok. Does the manufacturer mention adjusting under load?

[Krieger]

Andy, this may save some work. When TRG corner balanced my car what they did before they raised/lowered the suspension on a side they pumped up/deflated the tire on that corner to simulate within reasonable limits raising lowering that corner. They did not need to bounce/roll at that point. When they got what they wanted they adjusted tire pressure back and made small suspension adjustments. Then bounce/roll and then rechecked scales.
Andy