Chris__ Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Hiya, got a few queries re some changes I'm going to do to my Seven so I'll be multi posting I'm looking to change my suspension a bit as I'm at the maximum on the spring platforms on the front and the springs are only giving me 65ml clearance to the sump. I originally though it would just be a case of replacing the springs but a friend in the know seems to think the dampers themselves are a bit short and the car needs more droop as there's not going to be much travel on the road. - The dampers are 13 inches long if that helps! The ride isn't as good as my last car (SLR on race suspension)! I wondered whether there might be a market for swapping dampers on here or something as the ones I have seem a bit track specific? I'm unsure what make they are, pic here: CLICK The weird thing is though, there's loads of travel left on the rear adjusters - I take it it would be good idea to swap the rear springs and dampers as well as the fronts if I was going to do the job...? Anyway, any direction to a money efficient way of getting myself sorted with a higher ride height, better ride comfort on the road but still retaining track capability and the adjustable spring platforms would be great. Hmm, hope that's not a tall order!! Edited by - Chris_ on 2 Jun 2009 21:47:56 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Hopefully you will find some more circlip grooves under the threaded part. Slacken adjusters all the way and compress the spring by hand to see. If so, move circlip up to next groove. If not, get someone to machine a new groove for you, say 30mm further up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurence Wilson Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Look like caterham supplied Billies with adjustable platforms from the picture. Standard track should be 319mm long depending on year so you're not too short. As SM25T says, there should be more circlip grooves under the threaded sleeve. Move it up a groove or two and you'll be fine. my flickr! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris__ Posted June 3, 2009 Author Share Posted June 3, 2009 I think what they’re saying is that the threaded part of the shock body is moveable and is held in place by a circlip, by moving it in theory you can give yourself more travel, however your problem is you have almost fully extended the damper at the ride height you’re at now meaning you have almost no droop so what you need is longer bodied dampers rather than creating more spring platform on your existing ones! This is a complicated way of doing things, but the above is what my more knowledgeable mate had to say after viewing this thread - Anyone any idea what I need to do to improve things! Many thanks Edited by - Chris_ on 3 Jun 2009 20:02:17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Looking again at your picture ... if the car is sitting on the ground, your spring is almost coil-bound ? Any compression of the spring, i.e. a bump in the road, and it becomes a solid tube of steel, with no more 'give'. Think you need different springs at least ! A good supplier of springs is a company called Faulkner (will look for website) .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Here you are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurence Wilson Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 What year is your car and is it standard or narrow track? And how long are your shocks at ride height or, to put it another way, by how much do they compress? my flickr! Edited by - Peardrop on 3 Jun 2009 21:32:03 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris__ Posted August 10, 2009 Author Share Posted August 10, 2009 Hi chaps - back on this one as my lowered floor damn near caught the ground (it was the top of a bolt holding the belts fortunately!) as I was going over some compressions on the way to Wales this weekend. I was nowhere near going flat out either - I can't with the way the suspension is, which isn't ideal in a Seven ;) Car is a 1994 with widetrack. When the car is on the ground - the front damper's measure 340mm-ish from the centre of the top bolt to the centre of the bottom bolt. Jacked up - the measurement is 360mm at best. So next to no droop. I understand disconnecting the rear anti rollbar will soften the ride at the back, stop the 'sproing' that caused the above impact. Still, needs more sorting than this... Still thinking i need longer dampers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverSedlacek Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 It looks a bit like the car is wide track, but fitted with dampers for standard track. IIRC the standard to wide track conversion includes an extension piece for the damper, which you don't appear to have. The coils on the spring also looks dangerously close to coil bound, so you should replace them with something more suitable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris__ Posted August 11, 2009 Author Share Posted August 11, 2009 This seems to be the consensus from a few non-member emails I've received too, one of whom has kindly offered a full set of widetrack dampers for sale to me. Thank Simon 😬 Can someone define what coil-bound actually is please? Shocking it still handles then! Reminds me of the story of MX5 testing - Mazda's engineers took along some great British sportscars to their favourite mountain road, and the original Lotus Elan they took had totally shagged dampers, yet still outhandled all the rest of the cars Cheers Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavin H Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Damper extensions are definitely what is required. When I did a widetrack conversion I tried it without the extensions and it was impossible to get reasonable ride height. That said, I was hoping to get more damper travel from the conversion and so the extension was a little too long! I cannot see the pictures (work restrictions!) but your travel is probably also restricted as you have wound the platforms to try and get the height you require. Speak to CC about the extensions, and if you need to get them machined down a little to provide decent travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris__ Posted August 11, 2009 Author Share Posted August 11, 2009 So the only difference between dampers for a wide and narrow track car is the lack of extensions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Coil Bound means there is no space between each coil of the spring, so it rapidly compresses until the coils touch, then it becomes a solid tube ... with no more 'give'. Nasty ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris__ Posted August 12, 2009 Author Share Posted August 12, 2009 Right, ordered some damper extensions. That and a full geo after should have it fighting fit double quick. Hurrah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris__ Posted August 27, 2009 Author Share Posted August 27, 2009 To update on this... it wasn't damper extensions! I had indeed got dampers too short for the job. Some more modern, longer dampers have sorted the problem it seems. (Thanks to Shad for the circlips, and DSL for the deal on the dampers!) Change the rears, then a geo-check and it'll be fighting fit (Yes I said that last time) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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