lowered touring

[Cloggy Saint]

After about 3 years of listening to my lowering springs rattling around in the boot i've finally fitted them. I'm very pleased with the way it looks/drives but there does seem to be some negative camber just on one side at the back. I didn't think this would be an issue if just dropping it 40mm. Any thoughts??

[TW166Y]

[Cloggy Saint]

I was waiting for that! I'll stick some up in a while.

[eko]

Are your top shock mounts ok?
Just a thought,havent got a clue really

[TW166Y]

shouldnt really get much negative on a 40mm drop mate.. although you are suppose to get it aligned once it has been lowered!

[Cloggy Saint]

It wouldn't be so bad if it was on both sides but it looks a bit odd just on one. Can the rear wheels be aligned? I thought it was just on the fronts that this could be done

[Cloggy Saint]

I can't get behind the car at the moment to take a picture of the camber issue, but here's some pics anyway







It does seem to be veeery low at the back but at least the arch is nicely filled, one of (or the only) advantages of running 65/14 balloon tyres!

[TW166Y]

that does look a very nice height

[gcorky]

looks lower than 40mm at back to me ,ive got a 60/40 and no where near that low at back?

[Cloggy Saint]

looks lower than 40mm at back to me ,ive got a 60/40 and no where near that low at back?

I was thinking the same. The length of the rear springs off the car is 19.5 cm, is that an indication as to what the drop is?

[TW166Y]

p.s do people seriously still ride bikes like that, in the background?

[Cloggy Saint]

p.s do people seriously still ride bikes like that, in the background?

That's one of the good ones, you should see mine!

Just measured the standard springs that were removed and they are 25cm at the rear, so maybe i now have a 55mm drop?

[TW166Y]

doesnt look like a 55mm drop buddy, its your big tyres throughing everybody out

60mm drop is low and thats nowhere near a 60mm drop! looks quite low at the front though for a 40mm drop but then again it could be the tyres!

[Cloggy Saint]

So just because the original springs are 55mm longer than the new ones it doesn't mean that's the eventual ride height difference?

edit: just measured the original fronts and they are 105mm longer than the new ones!

[TW166Y]

no mate its doesnt mean that at all... the coils could be wider, wound different etc... depends on how they are compressed!

[Cloggy Saint]

Well, whatever the drop is i like it, and there doesn't seem to be any rubbing issues despite Amsterdam being the speed-bump capital of Europe.

[TW166Y]

it looks well nice buddy! i love the colour too

[rosscoe]

have you taken the car for a good run to let the springs settle down a bit,and theres no camber adjustment on the rear suspension
but i believe theres a camber adjustment kit avaliable from the states

[Cloggy Saint]

I haven't really taken it on a run yet, but i'm guessing used springs don't need to settle?

[rosscoe]

is it the same height on both sides at the rear??

[Cloggy Saint]

is it the same height on both sides at the rear??

I hope so! I'll measure it when the rain stops...

[TW166Y]

make sure its a flat road

[Cloggy Saint]

Well it does indeed look as if one side is about 8mm lower than the other, and if the road isn't level then this is on the higher side . Can the spring be shimmed up somehow?

[Jos]

no camber adjustment on the rear beam, I have an adjustable beam I made, will stick pics up of it, corrects about 5 degrees -ve at max setting I think.

[Cloggy Saint]

But if the camber problem is only on one side (the lower side) then don't I need to try and raise that spring +/- 8mm?

[gcorky]

But if the camber problem is only on one side (the lower side) then don't I need to try and raise that spring +/- 8mm?

correct the lower side will have an increase in neg camber-its inherrant with lowering,the more you go the worse it will be..

sounds like a weak spring m8!

[Cloggy Saint]

So can it be padded out with something to gain the extra few mm required to sort out the camber issue??

[toby]

Are your rear subframe mounts ok?
If one is compressed it may make a difference, apparently.

[gcorky]

bearing in mind one spring is weaker ,if you wanted i cant see why not.


best solution would be to replace them-used and weak! your call m8.

[Cloggy Saint]

I'll get all mounts etc checked out tomorrow and take it from there, but as it sat evenly before the spring change it's looking likely to be a buggered spring

[toby]

I'll get all mounts etc checked out tomorrow and take it from there, but as it sat evenly before the spring change it's looking likely to be a buggered spring

Probably. What would you do next? Put old springs back on rear?

[Jos]

Just looking at the ride height on yours, it's about the same as mine front and back, are you sure they are touring springs as I know for a fact mine are saloon springs on 60/40 for a 325. This makes it sit high at the front and very low at the back due to the weight distribution differences. I chopped a coil off the front ones to get it to sit a bit lower, yes I know this is bad but it didn't affect the handling that much, no more so than having the wrong springs on in the 1st place

[Cloggy Saint]

I know that the springs were on a touring before i got them but i don't know that they were touring specific springs in the first place. I can't be bothered to put the old springs back on just yet, i'd rather wait until i get some new ones. Is it possible to buy just rears or do they always come in sets?

[rosscoe]

I would still take it for a decent run,to see if it settles,on my coilover setup i set the rear to the same height but 1 side ended up lower than the other
real strange

[gcorky]

I would still take it for a decent run,to see if it settles,on my coilover setup i set the rear to the same height but 1 side ended up lower than the other
real strange

yup think ill agree here use it for a week or so -so what develops.