Spring Heights

[CeeJay]

Originally Posted by Deck

Hi CJ
What exact spec Sierra have you got on the back?
I know this has been covered a bit but to recap,
Rear spring weights apparently need fuel and a person to set heights...
I got a lowering kit from halfords (not recommended!!) and these give me good unladen heights (spring specs were -45mm). I'm a bit away from fuelling up the old girl so the other bit will wait. These are tending to move about when the wheels are off the ground but as I've the estate set up the shock traps the spring.

I took them back off for now as they leave the rear wheels at 30 - 40 degrees off the vertical and I got the fear!!
Turns out that metal wedges can be machined up to counter act this but I'm not sure how/where they go on. Somewhere between the hub carrier and the frame I gather...

As far as I remember the manual recommends that you cut a turn off the fat end of the springs on the rear and put them back on. having played about with it I think this should actually do the trick! Give it a go they're cheap to replace.

I'll check later (eh..) but I've either 280 or 380lbs a side on 8 1/2" springs on avo coil overs on the fronts (sierra+RV. This gives me about 25mm travel on the shock after the arch hits the tyre!! Can't say how this handles thou!

HTH
Declan

Hi Dec

I'm using a xr4*4 rear suspension (I think) and cortina front suspension. I know I should really have the tank in place before I set up the suspension, but I fear I may have to mess around with the body to get the damn thing to sit correctly over the wheels - I dont want to chop the body up, get everything spot on and then find when I lower the suspension that the alighment is out!

Having spent so much time and money on the old girl, buggering her up now would rather upset me!

CeeJay.

[steamyrotter]

Cj

Just a thought.

I took the springs out of mine and spaced it to ride height with scaffold tube.

This then allowed me to butcher the body (more than it started) to get it somewhere near right. However i haven't got the right wheels yet so some more adjustment may/will be needed.

However I have got that sorted..............to an extent

[Dixie]

The problem I have is that my Viper is Cortina based and the live axle hits the chassis when my wife and I are in the car. A contact of mine suggested harder springs, but the rear end is already very hard and tends to skip over the road instead of ride over it( Does that make sense). There is about 70mm gap between the rear wheels and the arch, I want to lower this by 25mm. There is a company in the kit car mag (based in Melksham) that will make bespoke coil over shocks. I may look into asking them to make some items to fit inplace of the springs, but I will have to make some brackets up and do a bit of tinkering, I will also put a panard rod on although I am not convinced it is necessary. As for the axle hitting the chassis, I plan moving the axle back about 15mm so that the position of the rear wheels look better and more central to the arches, plus I am going to take some metal out of the chassis member.

All good fun.

Mark

[kevchard]

Hi Mark
If you are goin to all that grief, are you better off not converting to sierra axle arrangement (4 stud) or granada scorpio cossie (5 stud) instead?
Cheers
Kevin

[Dixie]

Hi Kevin.

I did look at that but to be honest I couldn't figure out how to do it, it would be the best way forward. My idea is reasonably straight forward, just a pain that it needs to be done.

Do you live in Doncaster? I am in Goole at least twice per week, wouldn't mind visiting you some time.

Mark