Shock Towers Replaced - Ride Height

[jronon]

74 Spider, new Shock Towers (IAP) installed by competent body shop - lots of classic old Porches. New Control Arms, same cross member, same springs, stock hydraulic shocks. Ride is TOO HIGH, the springs are pushing up to the limit of the shocks. The location of the Shock Tower is dictated by the bolt through the frame rail to the cross member....so the towers can't be located incorrectly. Any ideas or comments....?
Thanks.

[ClarkTheShark]

Well. If you are certain the towers are installed correctly, there aren't many other things it could be.

1. Check to make sure springs are seated correctly.
2. Check to make sure the same springs that came out went back in.
3. Check to make sure there is an engine in the car. tends to rise up without any weight up front.

[RRoller123]

yep, could be the springs aren't seated in the little pockets that the ends fit into. I think that would effectively lengthen them when installed.

[jronon]

The Shock Towers are in the same (correct) location because the bolt to the Cross Member dictates position. I do admit that the "competent" body shop had the first tower tacked up NOT lined up with the Cross Member (horizontal) bolt hole. The guy said don't worry - he could drill a new hole. After they revived me, I calmly pointed out the importance of the Shock Tower lining up with the Cross Member by way of the reinforced hole through the Frame Rail. The Shock Tower location is dead-on from a Front/Back and Up/Down standpoint, because of the bolt, but they are off spec from a Left/Right standpoint. I measured the position of the Upper Control Arms by way of dropping Plumb Bobs from the Upper Control Arm Spindle Channel The dimensions are very close (inside 3/8") to the dimensions specified in the Body Diagram in the big blue manual - hopefully within the reach of shims when alignment time comes. So if the position of the Shock Towers is reasonably certain, that leaves, as Clark and Roller point out that the springs are not seated..or...not the correct springs. I am certain the springs are properly seated in the upper perch - with the original rubber bushing pads. The "same" springs....? Good question....maybe not the springs that came from the factory, but the same springs that have been in the car for the past 15 years. When I restored this 74, I had just divested myself of a big cache of Spider 2000 parts. And now I have this nagging suspicion that I put in a set of 82 springs. And, yes, the car was a little bit high in the front...for 15 years. BUT....the springs are not "bottoming out"....they are TOPPING out, they are pushing up to the limit of the shocks....yes, with the engine in.....and with 2 45# dumbells sitting on the front upper cross rail (in front of radiator). It looks like an Italian Subaru Forester.

Can late model springs (82) push up an early 74 that aggressively....???

I am going to put in a set of (known to be) 1973 springs this weekend. Let's see,

Thanks.

[DanD]

Remember, late model springs are for a heavier car with 5MPH bumpers, so yes, they will raise your car. On top of that, they even make late model car ride higher to begin with.

What happened to your old springs ?

[jronon]

Here is the Ride Height after replacing the (maybe) late model springs with (definitely) 1973 springs.

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here are shots of the suspension from front and rear showing how the suspension is fully extended to the limit of the shocks - and the car is on the ground...fully weighted.

[img][/img]

[img][/img]


Any ideas why the ride height is so high....?

[azruss]

did you switch the rear springs to the front. Your suspension is way off. This issue wont be corrected with how the spring nest in the end brackets. It looks like youve got the wrong springs.

[Auspider]

the springs themself may be correct, I think I counted 7 coils in my fronts. When you tightened your new suspension bushes, was the suspension at full droop? It should have been done with full weight on the suspension. I'm not sure if its possible but that could be preventing the suspension from setting down to normal ride height.

[81SPIDERMATT]

wow that is extreme .... it is so hard not to say that "those can not be the right springs" ..but if you are sure auspider may have hit the nail on the head ... something has been tightened while car was lifted and not weighted on the suspension and is holding it up in the air ....

[bobplyler]

That doesn't look right. The shocks should be more centered in the springs, and the springs don't look straight. The springs do need to be aligned into the top cups, and there is a notch/lip on the control arm the end of the coil is supposed to align with.

[ITA124]

Wow, that is most unusual.

Have you exercised the suspension? If you tightened the control arm bolts with the suspension at full droop there may be enough residual friction to hold it there. Resulting in a shorter life for your rubbers.

Try backing these off a little and see what happens.

Good luck

Edit: Just read other posts. Like what Auspider says.

[jronon]

Hi all,
Thanks for the replies and comments, I will try to address them all.

The springs are properly seated in the upper and lower perches - and the bottom end of the coil is properly set in the lower control arm "stop notch".

Yes I have exercised the suspension....aggressively. I think it needs to be exorcised.

The control arm pivot bolts/nuts are not torqued, they are loose. In fact, I compressed the suspension down by putting 150 pounds weight on the upper front frame rail - - and then torqued the pivot bolts....and the suspension still pushed upward. In the posted pics, the pivots have been loosened.

Those are not rear springs. Both sets that I installed meet the free height measurement spec for a front spring.

The shocks appear out of center because that is their natural position...pivoting inward...due to the arc of the lower control arm when it swings down.

>>See the pic from the front view, does the the spindle seem to be set properly? Is it upside down...? The right spindle is left hand thread and the left spindle is right hand thread, correct? Is it possible to mount the spindle 180 degrees wrong...?

...I am lost....

[RRoller123]

how about a pic(s) of the setup with the tires off, it might help.

[narfire]

I have a 72 on my hoist. I just measured the front springs with wheels on and KYB shocks. No weight on the tires. About 10 inches top to bottom of the spring when in the perches. My springs are stock, no cutting.
The lower A arm should be way close to parallel to the road than what you have showing. Looks like the springs are too long...
Don't know but are the shock towers on the proper side? But you said all the bolt holes line up...
Chris

[toyfiats]

Is there any chance you have wrestled rear springs in there by mistake?