[DeTomaso] Resetting Ride Height With Stiffer Coils

[Pantdino]

I see on Ted's site that a half inch bump compresses the front shock / spring from 13.683 to 13.346"-- or 0.337" change.
So that is your ratio of wheel displacement to shock shortening-- 0.5 to 0.337 

So if you want the wheel to be a half inch closer to the fender, you will want the coilover unit to be 0.337" shorter from mounting bolt center to mounting bolt center at rest loaded position.
With that information you may be able to calculate how much shorter the coil over should be at fully extended / decompressed mode, given the 350/450 rate ratio.

Or I may be completely wrong.  If so, Mike will let us know.  :-)

Jim







-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Green <kenn_green at yahoo.com>
To: detomaso at realbig.com; Pantdino <pantdino at aol.com>
Sent: Tue, Aug 24, 2010 6:56 am
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Resetting Ride Height With Stiffer Coils


Ted Mitchell's web site has this suspension data:

ttp://web1.wavelinx.net/tmitch/tech.htm

ou probably can figure it out there.

en
--- On Mon, 8/23/10, Pantdino <pantdino at aol.com> wrote:

rom: Pantdino <pantdino at aol.com>
ubject: Re: [DeTomaso] Resetting Ride Height With Stiffer Coils
o: detomaso at realbig.com
ate: Monday, August 23, 2010, 10:40 PM

It will be interesting to see if that is the case.
oran sent me some information regarding suspension systems once that was over 
y head, but I do remember that the force felt by the spring is not the same as 
he weight on the wheel.  Therefore the change in spring compression may not be 
.4"

im

----Original Message-----
rom: David & Marilyn Bell <davidabell at worldnet.att.net>
o: Mike Thomas <mbefthomas at comcast.net>; 'Tony DiGiovanna' <tonydigi at optonline.net>; 
etomaso at realbig.com
ent: Mon, Aug 23, 2010 10:23 pm
ubject: Re: [DeTomaso] Resetting Ride Height With Stiffer Coils

ike,
f your car weighs roughly 3200 lb and the weight distribution is roughly
/60 front to rear, then the weight on the front is 1280 lb so each front
ring must support 640 lb.  A 350 lb/inch spring will deflect 1.8" under
an load while a 450 lb/inch spring will deflect only 1.4".  So you need to
op your front spring perches by approximately 0.4" to maintain the same
de height.
ave Bell
----Original Message-----
om: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com
ailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com]On Behalf Of Mike Thomas
nt: Monday, August 23, 2010 7:44 PM
: 'Tony DiGiovanna'; detomaso at realbig.com
bject: Re: [DeTomaso] Resetting Ride Height With Stiffer Coils
hanks.  Should have added that both new and old springs are 10" Aldan
ils, so the free height is the same on both rates.
ike
----Original Message-----
om: Tony DiGiovanna [mailto:tonydigi at optonline.net]
nt: Monday, August 23, 2010 5:23 PM
: 'Mike Thomas'; detomaso at realbig.com
bject: RE: [DeTomaso] Resetting Ride Height With Stiffer Coils
on't assume the new springs will have the same free height.
ink you are best served to measure the ride height of the car relative to
e ground with the old springs, then change springs and adjust back to
ose settings.
----Original Message-----
om: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com] On
half Of Mike Thomas
nt: Monday, August 23, 2010 8:11 PM
: detomaso at realbig.com
bject: [DeTomaso] Resetting Ride Height With Stiffer Coils
K, time for the math wizards to have a head shed . . .
'm swapping out my front springs from 350 lbs to 450 lbs, and want to
hieve the same ride height.  Since I won't (I assume) get as much spring
mpression with the 450's, I'll need to revise the spring perches on my
dan shocks.  I'm guessing I'll need to compress them slightly more on the
ock (the collar height up the shock body) since the springs won't drop as
ch when I let the car back down and the springs settle in.  My car is
ock up front with the addition of an aluminum radiator, so probably close
 stock weight on the front wheels.
ny thought on how much more to compress, or notes form someone whose been
ere, would be helpful.  Pulling and readjusting or trying to adjust the
ont on the car are both a much bigger PITA than the rears.  I'd like to
ve to do it as few times as possible.
hanks in advance for your sage advice.
ike Thomas
llow '74 L #6328
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