Simple way to set Back Suspension Hight

[retrovan]

As most Manuals try to make setting of Back Suspension ride height as complicated as possible, I have tried to make it an "One Time" job as well as a Simple way to set Back Suspension Hight.

Make sure you have every thing fitted and in the right place within the car to ensure weight is distributed in the correct places.

Drive car onto a flat surface, Do not jack it or do anything at this time. You have to measure 1st.

If your car is level left to right, you only have to measure 1st, 2nd, and 3rd measurements once for both sides. If however your car is sagged to one side as mine was, you need to do all measurement at both sides and use the different values to make it strait.

Now slide under the car without lifting it, and measure from the bottom tip of the Spring Plate, at wheel side, that is the edge nearest to the floor. Remember this point, as you will do all your measurement from this point. measure from this point to the top shock mount, not important which point, as long as you always use the same point.

This is your 1st measurement, write it down.

If you want to raise the back.... Now you place your jack under the BODY (use wood for protection) and slowly jack the body up to the exact height you want, to get the right stance.
Slide under car and re- measure the distance again between the bottom edge of the spring plate, and the top shock mount.

This is your 2nd measurement. Write it down.

If you want to lower the back, load it with weight till its right. and measure as above. Then this will be your 2nd measurement.

Now go ahead and jack the one side up, and remove the wheel.
Loosen the handbrake setting inside the car to its lowest, now remove the shock completely. Loosen the 3 bolts that hold your bearing housing to your spring blade, and slide it free of the location hollow towards the back of the car, and tie it up with wire.
Having a tripod under the car to keep it up and for safety, use the jack to lift the bottom point of the spring blade just a fraction, this will take the tension off the torsion bar retaining plate.
Remove the 4 bolts for the Retaining plate, and the rubber retaining bush.
Now I normally use my trolley jack for this work as you can slide it forwards and back without having to lower it.
I now pull the trolley jack towards me so that the spring blade tip moves with it towards the outer edge of the car. With the jack as far as it is willing to go, I use two small crow bars, or big screw drivers, to lever the torsion bar side of the spring blade towards me just a little bit so that it will clear the stop rest that it normally sits on.
You may now lower the jack slowly, making sure the spring plate clears the stop. If not, stop, lift again and lever it out some more. but it should go if you have pulled the jack towards you.
Lower the tip of the spring blade as far as it will go, remove the jack, and now you ready to measure again.

Lift the tip of the spring blade with your hand as much as you can, this is to take up the free movement. Measure from the tip tip of the spring blade again (same point as always) to the floor, while holding the blade free play up.

This is the 3rd measurement, write it down.

If you now subtract the 2nd measurement from the 1st measurement, you have the amount you will be raising the car.
Now you subtract this amount from your 3rd measurement, and this is where the tip of the spring blade must be from the floor when correctly set.
This is your 4th measurement, write it down.
Now you slide the spring blade out towards you and it will slide off the torsion bar splines, or the torsion bar will come with out of its seating spline.
The torsion bar has different number of splines on both ends, this will give you in-between settings. DO NOT REMOVE the torsion bar completely.

If you want to raise the back, than slide the spring blade off the torsion bar, and turn it down one spline, slide it back on the torsion bar. Measure the 4th measurement, to the floor, if correct you lucky, if to far, slide the spring plate and the torsion bar out together, one spline and turn back. Re-measure, if right good, if not try again, you now have to play between the two splines till you get your 4th measurement right. DO NOT forget to hold up the spring blade free play when measuring, or it will be incorrect.

Once you have the correct value on your spring blade to floor measurement, slide the spring blade and torsion bar back as far as it will go, place trolley jack under the tip of spring blade and jack it up till the spring blade will just clear the stop.
again. Push the jack in so that it moves the tip of the spring plate in towards the gearbox, this will help slide the spring blad into place.
Smack the spring blade and torsion bar combination back into place with a hammer and block of wood.It sometimes will not go back like that then you have to fit longer bolts to the retaining plate and pull it into place, do not forget to replace long bolts with correct bolts, one at a time when in place.
Re assemble the rest in reverse to how you striped it.

When done, you have to take the car for a bumpy ride to settle the whole lot before you look for stance again.

Hope this has helped you do it only once.

Herman

[Ron&Gill]

Yep, good one. Just a few to add:

If jacking up the spring plate off the stop or ppast the stop for reassembly doesn't work (beach buggy), or you find it is too unstable, use a set of shackles, a few chain links and a turn buckle attached to the spring plate and shock tower. Then you can pull it up in a controlled manner where nothing can slip and take you out.

Replace, or tighten the big rubber under the cap only when the car is back on the ground, it shortens the time it takes to "settle", more about that later.

Yes, you will need longer 13mm bolts to get that cap back on. I use the longer ones in three of the four holes until I "catch" the thread on the stock bolt in the 4th hole, and then I replace all one by one until all are stock.

And yes, before you decide the car is not sitting right and start the procedure all over again, go for a good long drive, 50km or so, to give it plenty of time to settle. Then come back to it to measure again. It takes quite a long time for the car to settle in it's new stance, so be patient.

And last but not least, safety first! This can be done safely, but you can hurt yourself if you don't think.

[retrovan]

Just like to add, that this has taken out the constant one sided lean I had due to One Driver loading on the right hand spring .

Herman

[hitlers revenge]

Maybe a simpler way.

Put rear of car on stands.
Find the angle of the tunnel
Release spring plates and find there angle
subtract the one from the other and you should have either 17 or 20 degrees (depending on whether you have an equalizer or not.