Suspension Woes.....Maybe?

TBirdJKC

Registered User
Just installed my vogland 1.6" lowering springs yesterday. I finished the fronts, rolled the car around a bit to settle the wheels and noticed it was sitting the same height as my stock worn rears. The front end was visably lower than stock, so I just assumed the rear springs were sagging quite a bit lower then I remembered. Replaced the rears. Dropped the car and noticed the rear is now sitting an inch lower than the front!:eek: Everything is new, strut mounts, struts, springs, rear isolators, shorter sway bar endlinks. Someone please tell me this is normal and the fronts will settle down. The distance from the ground up front is 27 7/8 and the rear is 26 7/8. The rear was saggy with the original suspension too. Any advice would be appreciated. As a side note, it drives great, smooth and tight.
 
Well it occurred to me that maybe the upper control arms were binding from the lowering springs and maybe holding the front end up. So I just tried loosening them up, bouncing the front end around a little and then retorqueing them. No difference. I'm out of ideas.:confused:
 
Did you use new rubber isolators on the springs when you installed them?

Are you running the cast iron MN12 or the aluminum FN10 rear LCAs?

If the answer is "No" or "FN10", that's part of that sag there.

If the answer is "No" AND "FN10", well, I think I can see the problem 100% there *grins*

RwP
 
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Please ignore the cable dangling under the rocker. Its temporary. Does this look normal? Will the front settle a bit? It looks almost stock up front.
 
I think the front measurement is too high and the back is about right.

Might be time to recheck bushings on that end for windup - that and have you had it aligned recently?

Might also be time for new front upper arms.
 
when you tightened the UCA's did you tighten them while they were completely horizontal? Did you replace both the top and bottom rear isolators? i agree that the front looks high. the front looks like my 1" drop vogtlands.
 
when you tightened the UCA's did you tighten them while they were completely horizontal? Did you replace both the top and bottom rear isolators? i agree that the front looks high. the front looks like my 1" drop vogtlands.

I tightened them with the weight of the car on them, plus I was kneeling on the core support. Do you think its possible I got 1.6" rear springs and 1" fronts somehow? I ordered them from SCP and I know Bill carries both. I'm trying to figure this out asap, I have to take it on a 2000 mile trip this weekend. I thought I was doing the right thing getting the suspension taken care of before hand. Now I don't know what to do.

They looked good when I put them on. Maybe someone can spot a problem?
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Well - the numbers you provided say the front drop was less than the rear by 1", so...even if the springs weren't matched, technically you'd see 40% less than that.

I think perhaps the new front springs are actually stock height, not lower by any measure.
 
check 'free height' of spring against specs

The only way to be 100% sure you have the correct front springs is to measure the 'free height' of the spring. This is done with the spring unloaded and free-standing (read: not installed with shock assy). I suggest you call SCP to get the free height measurement for the 1.6 drop springs and check yours against that number. As you said, you may have received a mixed drop set of springs. Unfortunately, the only way to check this would be to disassemble the front end and remove the springs :(
 
I think perhaps the new front springs are actually stock height, not lower by any measure.

Vogtland does not produce anything stock height and I called Bill at SCP this morning. We were able to confirm by the manufacturing numbers on the springs. They are indeed a matching set of 1.6" drop springs.:confused:

The only way to be 100% sure you have the correct front springs is to measure the 'free height' of the spring. This is done with the spring unloaded and free-standing (read: not installed with shock assy). I suggest you call SCP to get the free height measurement for the 1.6 drop springs and check yours against that number. As you said, you may have received a mixed drop set of springs. Unfortunately, the only way to check this would be to disassemble the front end and remove the springs :(

I checked that before putting them on. Laying on the pavement, both the front and rears were a good 4" shorter than the front and rear stock springs, respectively. Not as many coils and the coils were spaced farther than stock. I was actually worried the car would sit too low. I think the front did drop about an inch and a half.

When I went to jack it up this morning, I couldn't get the jack to clear the rockers up front. I had to drive up on a 2x8. So I think the front end is where it should be. If you look at the pics, its a little deceiving. The gap looks as big as stock, but I think that because my tires are a little small. I'm running 255/45/17's all the way around. So if I am correct and the nose is where it should be, that would mean my rear is too low. So now I'm really confused.
 
My '90 SC has Eibach 1.5" drop springs and measures 26 1/2" front ~ 27 1/4" rear. Tires are staggered 225/60•16 front ~ 235/60•16 rear. Shocks, arms etc 3 years old.

MySC_Side.jpg
 
Your 35th looks great! So according to your measurements my front end is still a bit tall. Something must be binding up. I'm going to try changing out the new rubber rear isolators to poly and see if maybe I can get an additional half inch or so of lift on the rear.
 
just for reference- factory 89 ride height (after settling for 26 years)

FWIW I went and measured my factory stock suspension to see where it sits. Fronts are 28", Rears are 28 3/4". And that's after 26 years of settling. I have stock size tires as well.
 
Are the front Vogtlands in upside down...? Not sure you could do that/if it matters, tho.
 
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