[DeTomaso] Resetting Ride Height With Stiffer Coils - the sequel

michael@michaelshortt.com michaelsavga at gmail.com
Fri Sep 24 18:14:53 EDT 2010


I think that you should  turn the collar in the other direction as a test
as see what happens.

Michael

On Fri, Sep 24, 2010 at 5:59 PM, Mike Thomas <mbefthomas at comcast.net> wrote:

> As with most sequels, this was not as good as the original . . .
>
> So I finally got the new springs on the car, and I believe Dave Bell wins
> the Christmas Turkey (see his last post below).
>
> In our last episode . . .
>
> Ordered new 450lb 10" springs from Aldan.  They were actually closer to
> 10.5".  Replacing 350s.
>
> When I took the old Aldans off the car, I measured the number of threads
> below the collar.  Summing up the various inputs I received from a bunch of
> helpful folks, I adjusted the original change in spec from ~.4" to slightly
> ~.33" lower on the spring perch to compensate for less compression from a
> stiffer spring and the angle of the coil/shock assembly when installed on
> the car.
>
> .33" converted to ~5 threads on the shock body, so when I installed the new
> 450 lb springs on the shocks, I reduced the number of threads on each side
> by 5, and reinstalled the assemblies.
>
> WTF!!
>
> Where my fender lip was ~25.75" above the ground, now it's ~27"!  Lowering
> the spring perch .33", and the .5" longer springs have somehow combined to
> raise the car 1.25"!
>
> OK, so I haven't driven it yet (don't really want to look like Jesse James
> going down the street), but I've given both fenders a good bounce after
> rolling the car back and forth and bouncing it again to settle things as
> much as I can in the shop, and no change to the height.  Will take it
> around
> the 'hood to hit the brakes a few times to see if it changes anything.  If
> no changes, I'm wondering:
>
> A - send the springs back to Aldan for some really-o truly-o 10" long 10"
> springs.
> B - go back to he previous thread count and go the other direction.
> Both A and B
> None of the above
> Open a beer and wait for the replies to come pouring in.
>
>  . . . Hey, it's Friday, the latter is a given.
>
> Thanks again!
> Mike Thomas
> Keeping my tips up in Seattle
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com]
> On
> Behalf Of David & Marilyn Bell
> Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2010 9:25 PM
> To: David & Marilyn Bell; detomaso at realbig.com
> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Resetting Ride Height With Stiffer Coils
>
> I guess I either write or think (or both) upside down.  The new springs
> should put the tire 1/2 inch further away from the fender, not closer.
>
> Dave Bell
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com
> [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com]On Behalf Of David & Marilyn Bell
> Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2010 6:11 PM
> To: detomaso at realbig.com
> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Resetting Ride Height With Stiffer Coils
>
>
> OK - I purposely mentioned 'roughly' and 'approximately' to indicate this
> was a purely bubba type estimate, though probably I shouldn't have used any
> decimal places that may have added some artificial precision.
>
> So, I've got 20 bucks that says the top of the front tire will be about 1/2
> inch (plus or minus 1/4 inch) closer to the fender lip with the new 450#
> springs than with the previous 350# springs (obviously before moving the
> spring perches up or down).
>
> Who's in?
>
> Also be sure to drive the car around to settle the suspension before
> measuring the fender to tire gap.
>
>
> Dave Bell (don't need no stinkin corner weights to go around corners fast)
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com
> [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com]On Behalf Of Paul - Home
> Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2010 9:47 AM
> To: unlisted-recipients:; no To-header on input
> Cc: detomaso at realbig.com
> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Resetting Ride Height With Stiffer Coils
>
>
> Goran is of course correct and the reason is that springs are not installed
> vertically, they are at an angle.
>
> Paul
> #9270
>
> Pantdino wrote:
> > It will be interesting to see if that is the case.
> > Goran sent me some information regarding suspension systems once that
> > was
> over my head, but I do remember that the force felt by the spring is not
> the
> same as the weight on the wheel.  Therefore the change in spring
> compression
> may not be 0.4"
> >
> >
> > Jim
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: David & Marilyn Bell <davidabell at worldnet.att.net>
> > To: Mike Thomas <mbefthomas at comcast.net>; 'Tony DiGiovanna'
> <tonydigi at optonline.net>; detomaso at realbig.com
> > Sent: Mon, Aug 23, 2010 10:23 pm
> > Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Resetting Ride Height With Stiffer Coils
> >
> >
> > Mike,
> > If your car weighs roughly 3200 lb and the weight distribution is
> > roughly 0/60 front to rear, then the weight on the front is 1280 lb so
> > each front pring must support 640 lb.  A 350 lb/inch spring will
> > deflect 1.8" under han load while a 450 lb/inch spring will deflect
> > only 1.4".  So you need
> to
> > rop your front spring perches by approximately 0.4" to maintain the
> > same ide height.
> > Dave Bell
> >
> > ----Original Message-----
> > rom: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com
> > mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com]On Behalf Of Mike Thomas
> > ent: Monday, August 23, 2010 7:44 PM
> > o: 'Tony DiGiovanna'; detomaso at realbig.com
> > ubject: Re: [DeTomaso] Resetting Ride Height With Stiffer Coils
> >
> > hanks.  Should have added that both new and old springs are 10" Aldan
> > oils, so the free height is the same on both rates.
> > Mike
> > -----Original Message-----
> > rom: Tony DiGiovanna [mailto:tonydigi at optonline.net]
> > ent: Monday, August 23, 2010 5:23 PM
> > o: 'Mike Thomas'; detomaso at realbig.com
> > ubject: RE: [DeTomaso] Resetting Ride Height With Stiffer Coils Don't
> > assume the new springs will have the same free height.
> > hink you are best served to measure the ride height of the car
> > relative to he ground with the old springs, then change springs and
> > adjust back to hose settings.
> > -----Original Message-----
> > rom: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com
> > [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com] On ehalf Of Mike Thomas
> > ent: Monday, August 23, 2010 8:11 PM
> > o: detomaso at realbig.com
> > ubject: [DeTomaso] Resetting Ride Height With Stiffer Coils OK, time
> > for the math wizards to have a head shed . . .
> > I'm swapping out my front springs from 350 lbs to 450 lbs, and want to
> > chieve the same ride height.  Since I won't (I assume) get as much
> > spring ompression with the 450's, I'll need to revise the spring
> > perches on my ldan shocks.  I'm guessing I'll need to compress them
> > slightly more on the hock (the collar height up the shock body) since
> > the springs won't drop as uch when I let the car back down and the
> > springs settle in.  My car is tock up front with the addition of an
> > aluminum radiator, so probably close o stock weight on the front wheels.
> > Any thought on how much more to compress, or notes form someone whose
> > been here, would be helpful.  Pulling and readjusting or trying to
> > adjust the ront on the car are both a much bigger PITA than the rears.
> > I'd like to ave to do it as few times as possible.
> > Thanks in advance for your sage advice.
> > Mike Thomas
> > ellow '74 L #6328
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Michael L. Shortt
Savannah, Georgia
www.michaelshortt.com
michael at michaelshortt.com
912-232-9390


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