Setting Rear Ride Height

MattY-64 Seriously Crusin Dubber

189 posts · joined Oct 2004 · 21 Nov 2005, 4:52 pm

#430912

Hi All,

I am wanting to set the rear ride height of the 64. I know that all I have to do is drop it down 1 notch, however when I did up the pan I remove all the torsion bars etc so I am unsure of the start position. The rear currently doesn't have the engine in it, so I was curious to know if anyone has done this step previously with sucess and if so can they remember at what position/angle torsion arms were at. There is a notch, on the rear of the suspension, in place so that the torsion arms don't go any further. If I make them level with that would that just about be right?

The only other alternative is to wait until the engine is in, but I wanted to fit the back guards etc with all the suspension worked out before I start to even work on the engine.

If it is a hit and miss kinda thing I will have to wait I guess....

Cheers

Matt.

silver Dangerous when poked

2,169 posts · joined Dec 2002 · 21 Nov 2005, 7:15 pm

#430954

Matt the best way is to mark where everything is now, and stick 5 bags of cement in the back or something else about 100 kgs. and you might find this chart helpful
Silver

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fullnoise Fahrvergnugen

964 posts · joined Sep 2002 · 21 Nov 2005, 7:23 pm

#430960

If you have to do it any less than 3 times you're lucky.

Here's what I did, it might help you along. I got a big protractor from the hardwares store that had an arm you could set at any angle to measure the degrees.

I put the car on level ground and on chassis stands. 2 of the chassis stands were the threaded type so I could lower one end of the car exactly to where i wanted it. Using these and a spirit level I always put the car on stands so the sills were exactly level. That's the starting point.

Then I'd measure the angle of the spring plates against the spirit level which was, of course, level.

I thinkI ended up with about 5 degrees below horizontal which wasn't even below the bump stops at full droop. That's becasue the springs are big ones.

I suggest setting standard springs to just a smidge below the stops as a starting pont. Just keep twisting the inner and out splines of the torsion bars until each spring plate is at the same angle.

If you can't quite get the spring plates to the exact angle make them a little steeper on the driver side. That way the car will be a tiny bit higher on the drivers side but that will even out when you sit in it.

Hope that helps. I'm sure a Torrens will disagree with some part.

CYA CT

esratrams

BiX Veteran Volks Folk

2,499 posts · joined Sep 2002 · 22 Nov 2005, 11:37 am

#431147

I use CT's method. Just below the bottom spring plate. Std L bg bars, and site nicely. any higher and tires sit inside the guards and rub.

I have no sympathy for my car, only the wallet that pays for it!
Go hard or go home!!!!

MattY-64 Seriously Crusin Dubber

189 posts · joined Oct 2004 · 26 Nov 2005, 6:10 pm

#432452

Thanks for all the great advice, I will be giving it a go once I have all the wiring back in..... all I have to do now is decided over adjusters on the front or drop spindles.... but thats a little way off yet....

Matt.

oval TOFU Bitte, ein Bit!

2,946 posts · joined Jul 2003 · 28 Nov 2005, 10:17 am

#432796

MattY-64 wrote:all I have to do now is decided over adjusters on the front or drop spindles.... but thats a little way off yet....

Matt.

Wise Men will tell you to get both if you can afford it. If not, save up for it. You'll appreciate the adjustability...

...and Robert's ya father's brother...

MattY-64 Seriously Crusin Dubber

189 posts · joined Oct 2004 · 16 Jan 2006, 9:24 am

#447533

Just a quick confirmation about your process CT,

When you say the spring pate should sit just below the stop, are you talking about the bottom or top egde of the spring plate?

Matt.