[DeTomaso] What's the shock Eye to Eye length ? - Uneven shock adjustments

Mike Drew MikeLDrew at aol.com
Mon Jan 1 20:40:47 EST 2018


Hmm,

Somebody (who failed to sign his post) posed a good question below. 

The answer is, the upper control arms do NOT have to be modified IF the chassis hasn’t collapsed. With time, some cars have experienced partial collapse of the chassis, due to the relatively weak support provided by the stock fixed-length camber bar. If an adjustable length camber bar is used, and the chassis is forced into its original position, then the stock upper A-arms work perfectly. 

Adjustable or longer upper rear A-arms are normally a band-aid fix (which admittedly works reasonably well it seems....)

Mike

Sent from my iPad

> On Dec 31, 2017, at 13:28, Ken Green via DeTomaso <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com> wrote:
> 
>   If the suspension was designed for the lower control arms to be
>   horizontal, why to the upper control arms have to be modified to obtain
>   correct camber with a lowered car (I assume lowered means horizontal
>   lower control arms)?
>     __________________________________________________________________
> 
>   From: Mike & Elizabeth Thomas <mbefthomas at comcast.net>
>   To: 'Julian Kift' <julian_kift at hotmail.com>; 'Don Thomas'
>   <dtpantera at gmail.com>; 'DeTomaso_List'
>   <DeTomaso at server.detomasolist.com>
>   Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2017 10:04 AM
>   Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] What's the shock Eye to Eye length ? - Uneven
>   shock adjustments
>   This question brings up a curiosity I've had about #6328 since I first
>   put
>   the adjustable Alden coilovers, then the set of Konis from DQ, on the
>   car.
>   I wanted to set the ride height such that the car was level all around
>   and
>   the rear lower A arms were parallel to the ground, what I understand
>   was
>   Dallara's intent when he designed the suspension for the Pantera for
>   optimal
>   handling.  However, I could not quite get there: When I went to adjust
>   the
>   front coilovers, there is almost a 3/4" difference left to right to get
>   the
>   front of the car level side to side.  When I realized the right front
>   was
>   the limiting factor, I adjusted the rest to match, and had to stop
>   there.
>   At this setting, when measured at the rocker front and back, both
>   sides,
>   there is no more then 1/8" difference at any location.  This was done
>   with a
>   full tank of fuel, but without a driver.  The car would still have to
>   drop
>   another 1/2" to get the rear A arms parallel to the ground.
>   Does this affect the way the car drives?  Probably not, but it became a
>   curiosity when I was trying to set it up.  I did not do any other
>   measurements to compare such as the distance between shock mounting
>   points
>   side to side, etc., and will have that checked and corrected if
>   possible
>   when the car goes in for restoration in a year or two.  I also know the
>   car
>   was hit at some point in the left rear, but don't believe that twisted
>   the
>   monocoque as all doors and panels align properly and the majority of
>   the car
>   is dead straight (some sheet metal issues where the repair was done
>   that
>   will need reworking).
>   Thoughts?  Is this not uncommon?
>   What say you?
>   Thanks
>   -----Original Message-----
>   From: DeTomaso [mailto:[1]detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com] On
>   Behalf
>   Of Julian Kift
>   Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2017 7:56 AM
>   To: Don Thomas <[2]dtpantera at gmail.com>; DeTomaso_List
>   <[3]DeTomaso at server.detomasolist.com>
>   Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] What's the shock Eye to Eye length ?
>   Compressed length, uncompressed length or length at normal road height
>   at
>   rest?
>   Just about everything you could want from a chassis/suspension datum
>   perspective is here at Ted Mitchell's Vader Racing site;
>   [4]http://www.vaderacing.com/tech.htm
>   Julian
>   ________________________________
>   From: DeTomaso <[5]detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com> on behalf
>   of Don
>   Thomas <[6]dtpantera at gmail.com>
>   Sent: Saturday, December 30, 2017 10:48 PM
>   To: DeTomaso_List
>   Subject: [DeTomaso] What's the shock Eye to Eye length ?
>   What's the shock Eye to Eye length ?
>   Best regards,
>   -dt
>   Don Thomas
>   _______________________________________________
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> References
> 
>   1. mailto:detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com
>   2. mailto:dtpantera at gmail.com
>   3. mailto:DeTomaso at server.detomasolist.com
>   4. http://www.vaderacing.com/tech.htm
>   5. mailto:detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com
>   6. mailto:dtpantera at gmail.com
>   7. mailto:DeTomaso at server.detomasolist.com
>   8. http://server.detomasolist.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso
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