Can anyone tell me the correct ride height for an S/130 and where to measure it please?
Mine seems a bit high at the back compared to others I’ve seem and it definately has a nose down stance. The distance from the wheel centres to the wheel arch would be the easiest to measure.
Pics attached - I’ve lightened them to show the top of the tires.
I have the same problem at the back - it sits very high. I’m saving up for new dampers etc for the back and hoping this might sort it. I can fit 5 fingers between arch and wheel at the back though, and I’ve definately seen +2’s with a much lower stance… thoughts?
6"Bottom of chassis to ground. Quote from Lotus workshop manual. Sit two people on the Centre line of the car whilst tightening up the suspension nuts and bolts or two bags of cement (big ones)
Robbie,
I hope you mean parallel to the road! Not sure if you can use that as an exact measure but they should be roughly parallel, that gives them the correct action in bump and rebound.
Gordon’s spot on, load the car then tighten the suspension. How you get under there is another question, a pit or car hoist helps!
Mike
Longer rear springs may be the problem. Although the spring is stopped from extending to far by the D plates at top and bottom of the rear struts a longer spring will stop the car settling to its natural ride height. Only way to tell would be to measure how much of the damper shaft is protruding but dunno how you’d do that!
Car needs to be level before you slacken and retighten rear suspension components.
Mine used to be like that and uneven as well. The car had new rear springs (fitted by the prevoius owner) which I replaced with ones from a 1968 car. It now sits nicely at the back and dead flat as well. It was interesting to note that all the free lengths on the springs (old, new and the weak one) were the same.
I can’t see how tightening up the suspension after adding weight to the car is going to make any scrap of difference whatsoever - unless you plan on leaving these two people in the car permanently.
The only solution lies with the springs. Try the Elan trik bits web site www.elantrikbits.com as they manufacture adjustable rear spring platforms.
BTW my 1968 +2 is a 5-finger job at the rear as well, but only after I decided to take the spare out for city driving - usually 4 fingers but I’d like it to be lower, too.
I have put new rear spring on my car and the length was as specified in the manual. What bothers me more than the back being a bit high is the way the front tyres are so close to the wheelarch. I just put new springs and shocks on the front and if anything it sits a bit lower!
Could I have the wrong tyres? They are Toyo 175R13 86T.
Chris
I just took the car out and it is rubbing on the front nearside wheelarch. The tyres on it were recommended by club lotus a few years ago. They have been on the car for six years and have always been a bit tight. Since putting on the new springs and shocks they are touching.
I just spoke to the tyre suppliers and they confirm that they are a 175/80. I am thinking of changing to the same as I have on the spare- Falken FK-07U 175/70R13 82H. I have read so many threads on tyres with so much conflicting opinion that I am not sure what to do.
Does anyone else use 175/70 ?
Chris
which as well as lots of other useful info on tyres and wheels includes a calculator so that the rolling diameter of different tyre sizes (widths and aspect ratios) can be considered.
175/70 R13 are about 35mm smaller in diameter than 175/80 R13 so would make the car 17.5 mm closer to the ground, and give you 17.5 mm more clearance on the arch than with your current tyres. Originally the tyres were 165 R 13 which would have been an 82% aspect ratio - ie 165/82 R13.
One thing to note though is that tyres of nominally the same size can vary slightly in actual size from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Tried to send a pm with this info but struggled to get it it to go!!