Ride Height

[Guest Jameslark]

My 2b (wishbones) keeps bottoming out with the dreadful roads round here. Thank goodness I fitted a skid plate at the beginning of the season or I would be minus one sump. Is there any quick fix to adjust the ride height via the existing suspension set up or do I have to get stiffer springs. The front springs look very compressed to me so have little travel. I feel by winding out the setting one might get a bot more clearance or I may be wrong. Any advice anybody and if i get do it by adjustment any suggestions as to how much I could gain?

[Guest whiz]

Give Dave at dampertech a call highly recommended what he doesn't know about the suspension you could write on the back of a stamp he will tell you the correct spring load weight & spring length required. the service is second to none & at a very good price.

 

Andy

[Bob Tucker]

What coilovers do you have?

Most have a threaded body with an ally ring that the spring sits on.

Screwing the ring up towards the spring will raise the rideheight.

HTH Bob

[Guest T6 KFR]

I have the same issues, suspension bottoms out with the awful ABERDEEN pot-holes. The sump rubs on the tarmac when parking on my drive as its on a decline.

 

I'd be very interested to see you fitted skid plate!

[Guest mower man]

Firstly how much ground clearance have you got,under sump and diff? anything around 4.5" under sump and 5"under the diff should be ok any thing less makes things marginal.Adjusting the coil overs will lift and also stiffen a little it's not difficult just wind the spring seats up a little eaqualy each side and road test if you are happy get the steering geometry checked and reset .As to spring rates you are entering a strange area ,the same being true with damper settings I think that many Hoods are sprung to stiffly ,alot depends onthe working angles of the spring /damper unit the further away from vertical the unit is the stiffer the spring must be!. The next bit is pure guestimation on my part front 200to 250 and rear 275 to300 should be around the mark for a2b ,others will know more as I don,t run a 2b but a mono car and they are a different proposition all together!. A lot can be learned from Staniforths book on Competition car suspension design ,it's all the same principles and give formula to work out rates and angles etc . Damper settings if they have 25 clicks of adjustment star at the middle 10 to 12 clicks from fullsoft and adjust 2 clicks at a time when you are happy turn back 1 click soft and note settings for reference.Sorry I cannot doany thing about the roads !! HTH mower man note all changes !!!!

[Guest Jameslark]

I have the same issues, suspension bottoms out with the awful ABERDEEN pot-holes. The sump rubs on the tarmac when parking on my drive as its on a decline.

 

I'd be very interested to see you fitted skid plate!

 

Difficult to show you the skid plate as too low to the ground to get my camera under and havent got access to a lift at the moment. I made it out of 3mm chequer plate and started by cutting it square across the front cross member, then cutting to match the chassis tubes running back from the plough. Then bent the sheet to form a lip to fix to the cross member and then down and back to lie flat on the chassis tubes. Then bolted to cross member and chassis tubes. I will get a picture the next time it is in the air and post it. The only modification I will make in the near future is to drill some drain holes to allow some air flow and to drain puddle water that has a habit of lying on top of it.

A very poor drawing of the rough shape and profile is attached to help the description.

 

All I know is that is causes great fun down here when with other like minded idiots when they hear the ring of my skid plate making ground zero!!

Document1.doc

[Guest mower man]

What clearance from guard to floor and what clearance between guard and sump ? mower man

[Snapperpaul]

Sounds like your springs are both to soft and to short.

With wishbones level you should have an inch or 2 of preload with gaps between the coils

[agent_zed]

The next bit is pure guestimation on my part front 200to 250 and rear 275 to300 should be around the mark for a2b ,others will know more as I don,t run a 2b

 

I would think that would be a bit light for the front. i have a feeling my green spring zimmers are 320lbs on the front, hopefully someone can confirm my thoughts. But as you say soft springs firm dampers are ment to be the way to go. sure i read that was colin chapmans view.

 

hth

[Guest Jameslark]

Managed to get a look at the car this afternoon. Clearance is approx. 3' at the front of the plough and 4' at the rear of the sump. The guard is off the sump at the rear by about 3mm. At the front slightly better as it is fixed to the chassis tube and sump shorter. Have had a look at the coilovers and can only say they are the originals as supplied by GBS at the time of build in 2004. However, from the coil spacing it doesn't look like there is much adjustment left to be had as the spacing looks pretty tight to me.

[Grim]

tight? that's frightening! If the coils bind in a bump (for example on a corner), you will get sudden adverse handling characteristics, which is somewhat dangerous.

Moving the damper bottom end out may improve the situation by reducing the leverage applied, but may cost ride height.

 

Get some proper dampers and 350lb springs on there asap.

[Guest mower man]

Ok I agree Ihave gone the wrong way with this one and yes that photo shows that those springs are too soft /short for that application because of the angles ,I would think that the bottom of the shock should be moved in to wards the chassis to reduce the loading and increase the ride height or of course the top mount away from the chassis obtaining the same effect,any thoughts any body?---- mower man

[fry61]

Think you're back to front on "move shock closer to chassis to reduce loading" reducing the length of leverage between chassis & shock will increase load on spring, think of pliers;the closer to pivot the more force can be applied & it should be the same with a spring in the jaw,closer to pivot = easier to compress. If not I'll join you stood in the corner,Mick.

[Guest Ian & Carole]

Think you're back to front on "move shock closer to chassis to reduce loading" reducing the length of leverage between chassis & shock will increase load on spring, think of pliers;the closer to pivot the more force can be applied & it should be the same with a spring in the jaw,closer to pivot = easier to compress. If not I'll join you stood in the corner,Mick.

 

 

also if you were to take the shocks any further inboard you run hte risk of bending the lower wish bone.

They look like the good old zimmerframes looking at the colour of the springs, fins a bin to pop them in and "invest " in some decent shocks and springs.

I had the same issues with my set up when I first did the wishbone conversion, had to go from 300lb springs to 350lb.

300lb springs.

350lb springs

HTHs

[Jez Morton]

Bin the green springs they may have started at 320lbs they won't be now. i had the same prob they loose there spring rate mine dropped off and looked like yours after 1500 miles. replaced with 350lbs 9inch springs in the short term then upgraded to GAZ when i had time and money.