Ride height once again

[KaeptnNemo]

Hi folks!

I need your help again.

I am done with the work on the suspension of my 92 SE HighWing, but the car is now 2,5 cm higher on the right side than on the left (measured at the top of the wheel arch).

I did new springs, new dampers, new rubber seats, replaced all bushes on the suspension (Poly-bushes). I see no way to adjust the height of each side?!

Can anybody help? What went wrong?

 

Thanks,

 

Patrick

PS: the top of the springs have the same distance to the ground on each side….

[CHANGES]

Hi Patrick

I would start by measuring the set up height from the Chassis to the floor at the designated points.. This will give you the accurate data to start from .. 

If you have used all the correct parts and procedure  it should be close to spec.  . If not at least you have a data point to work from ..  Unlike a steel integral chassis car the bodies on the Esprit do vary. So expect some differences to the arch height ..   

The important height is floor to the chassis .   Torqueing  up the bushes at the correct ride height is imperative to get the best results..  This being done at assembly height or other, is the most common reason for height and handling issues..  

There are ways of shimming the body to get the desired level arch appearance once the correct chassis ride height is established .. 

Hope this helps ,  

[Barrykearley]

I can only echo the above - ride height goes all over the place after redoing the suspension. The notes in the workshop manual give a clear process in regards to tightening stuff up. I’ve had exactly this issue - just follow the manual 👍

[Mark Blanchard]

The Esprit suspension was designed for RHD cars, so Federal LHD cars can slant to one side. 

Have a look at this post for more information:

 

[Erikl]

Have you driven it?  WHen you jack the car (any car) up and set it down the tires will prevent the suspesnsion from settling all the way.  Usually you can push the car back and forth a few times to get it to settle.  A drive is better.

[KaeptnNemo]

Thank you guys!

I am in a business trip to GB right now. I will check your advices at the weekend!

 

patrick

 

[AndyPG]

Did you lower the car off it's jacks and then tighten the suspension bush bolts? If you tighten all of the bolts before lowering the car, this can affect ride height.

I usually roll the car forwards and backwards a few feet and then do the final nip on any bolts that go through a bush.

Andy.

[KaeptnNemo]

I loosened and tightened again all the bolts on the suspension although I did that after assembly. 
Unfortunately that did not help.

After driving it for some miles, the difference is only 1,5cm, but it is still there.

Probably Marks comment on the RHD is the key to the problem.

 

 

[Jacques]

Hello Patrick,

I don't know if you have solved the issues since your last post, but reading your last reply, i don't see a clear description as to what you did. As the others have mentioned, you must follow procedure to the last dot. So, with car under load, and with two persons and ½ filled tanks etc.

All new suspension components usually settle a little after a while. That is my observations anyway.

Another thing: take a close look at the parts above the dampers and springs. There is some room for mingling as Lotus also did on say Sport300. Not from side to side of course, but generally speaking all way round. Some cars use road noise dampers, some don't and some very thin ones.

Kind regards,

Jacques

[KaeptnNemo]

Latest news: 😉

Yesterday I went to Lotus in order to do a wheel alignment after replacing all suspension parts. Of course I pointed them to the little tilt to the left.

The good news: Everything is set to the correct values.

The bad news: It's still tilted to the left 🙄

They told me that it does not come from misaligned suspension parts, but they could not figure out, where the problem is.

Well, It is only 1,5 cm difference, but it looks strange. Maybe I need to put a bag of concrete on the passenger's side 😉

 

 

[NG5]

Has the body ever been off the chassis? If so it may not have been correctly shimmed when the 2 were put together again.

I note in the Esprit workshop manual it's a fairly obscure reference to this, just stating in the section on body lowering 'Insert spacers if necessary between the body and chassis at
points 1 & 2"

On earlier cars the manuals were a lot more specific with specific sections on body lean (perhaps the lean on earlier cars was worse).

As an example this is the body lean section from the Europa manual

'B.35 BODY LEAN
When a car has been re-bodied and re-built, the standing height should be measured at the wheelarches.
In cases where body lean is apparent (nearly always to the R/H side), washers (Part No. A054 B 1908)
should be inserted between the body and the chassis at the mounting points.
Any RHD car having a lean of more than 1 in. (25.4mm) to the R/H side, should have two washers
inserted between chassis and body at the front R/H mounting point (adjacent to bulkhead in rear luggage
compartment), and four washers inserted at the rear R/H mounting point (body inner wall, rear of drive
shafts). The 3 bolts securing the body to the chassis angle bracket on the R/H side of the tunnel behind
the driver's seat, should have their holes in the body elongated so that they line up with the holes in the
bracket, after the packing washers have been added to the rear mounting.
On LHD cars leaning to the R/H side, it is only necessary to insert two washers at the front R/H
mounting point.'