Ride Height?

[Aaron]

I rebuilt the suspension on my duster and set the ride height. The car looks like it sits much higher than before. I am going to get it the allignment set this Saturday, and need to know if I have it set close enough or not. The difference in measurement between the lowest point on the torsion bar adjustment blade and the underside of the lower ball-joint is 1.5" on each side. Is this the right setting? The Service manual (if I am reading it right) says 1-7/8", the Performance Suspension book recommends 1.5" +or- 1/8. The space above the bump-stops on the LCA's is about one inch. Do these settings sound right? Does the car look like its too high in the pictures? Should I just leave it alone? I really like the look of the tires tucked closer up to the car. Should I just shave some off the bump stops and lower it? The tires are about 25" tall 245/60/R14 on 14x7 wheels. Should I change tires to get the right ride? Bigger,smaller?
Thanks for the help so far!

 

[Sanguine]

mine rides at the same height...and it looks good...leave it alone...i wouldnt use the stock alignment specs though...

 

[Jim Lusk]

I don't use the stock ride height measurements as I feel they are too hard to measure properly on a garage floor. I try to put about an inch between the bumper and frame. Then I equal it up by measureing from the bumper stop to the LCA. If it will align where it is set, then you are fine. If you can lower it a little and still align it you will be fine. You just don't want it sitting on the stops or too close.

 

[dusterdon]

Looks too high to me, but that's my opinion. Why does the back seem to be sitting high, also? I'd lower it though, a little. Lower it a little and bounce the front end a few times or drive around the block a few times. Whatever you do, get the height where you want it before getting it aligned. Oh yeah, go to a GOOD alighment shop, preferably not a tire store or such. I go to a frame shop. They charge a little more, but I'm comfortable that they do it right the first time. Look where the tire sits in the front wheel opening on my duster. And that's with 15 inch wheels 27" tall in front and 28" in back.

don

 

[krabysniper]

I set mine at 1 7/8 differential (difrence between ball joint and floor subtracted from the adjusting blade and floor) and then had it set as close to factory specs as possible (couldn't quite get caster where I wanted it last time, but still drives and steers fine), I am running 245/60 15's. I agree, don't use a cheesy tire store or even some of the so called service shops. Frame shops are usually the best at getting the alignments done right and they won't BS you about it.
I stick with factory specs because the engineers were not idiots and they designed them to work a certain way with all the arc's and angles, of steering linkages and susspension components, that change as you bounce along the road. I've said it before and will say it again, I will put my Dart up against a porsche or the like on a slalom because it handles very very well, I especially enjoy drifting it around certain corners around here once in a while :twisted:

Yours looks ok for getting it to the shop, I also agree, get the height set where YOU want it before getting it aligned, if you change it after that it will need to be aligned again, same goes for rear end height, you don't want to alter it after alignment.

 

[superdart]

Why does the back seem to be sitting high, also?

Probably because his tires are 2 inches shorter than yours in the back. :grin:

Personally, I would bring it down just a little..but that's me. It looks level, but I like just a bit of rake. I got lucky and took my car to NTB, where the frame guy is old school, said he was aligning A-bodys when they were still making them.

Did a good job, my car was rock solid. I do need to get it realigned, now that the new suspension has several months and some miles on it, it has settled just a bit.

 

[Aaron]

Thanks for the input everyone!
I really dont like the look if my car sitting so high in the front like that. When I set it back down the front was higher than the back, so I put a little air in the shocks in the rear to even it up. I know this will kill the handling more though. What I really need to install are new leaf springs to finish up everything. I guess I will shave a little off the bump stops (maybe 1/2 and inch at the most) and then lower it about 1/8 to 1/4 more and see how it looks after driving it around the block a couple times. Is it possible the new KYB shocks in the front are holding it high? Or did the new T-Bars not get preloaded right when I put them in? Unfortunately there are no good frame shops in town ( I dont want to drive it far in this shape) so the only option is the Les Schwab tire place a couple miles down the road for now (I really dont like that store, but Les Schwab is o.k. I guess). What specs should I give them as far as non-stock? Should I get bigger tires to fill the wheel wells?
Thanks

 

[krabysniper]

If you have new torsion bars in (and/or if you put new leaf springs in) you will need to re align it again after you have a month or two of driving on it because it will settle out a little, mine did. Shocks should not be 'holding the front up" they would have to be bottoming out to do that (with the exception of coil over shocks like could possibly be used in the back) and would give a brutal car destroying ride.

 

[Aaron]

Well it's done! Everthing got squared away and the ride is awesome. The steering wheel is straight for the first time I've owned the car. It drives awesome and I want to thank you all for your help. I used the allignment settings that the Performance Handling book recommends (I gave them to the pit guy on a card). Wow this car is awesome now! I've never had such good handling from an old car before.
Thanks everyone!