THE ROVER SD1 FORUM

D131OVP · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 12:41 pm Post subject: Ride height, can you help?

Chaps,

Has anyone fitted the 60mm lowered suspension kit from Rimmers? If so could you measure the distance from the top of the tyre to the arch on the rears?

I bought a new kit to go on Dads Vitesse and fitted the rear springs and shocks at the weekend. I know that the car is a shell but even so I'm sure it should be lower and firmer. Without the engine at the front I could see how that will be higher, but surely the interior and spare tyre can't put that much weight over the rear wheels??

I had one of these kits in about 2000 and I'm sure, on my Vitesse, the car sat a lot lower and felt a lot stiffer when leaning on the boot. They springs I used to have were orange, these new ones are red. According to the stickers they are definitely the 60mm ones.

Also, one side of the car sits about 14mm higher than the other - any ideas why this could be the case?

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4.5, TP, 45mm inlets, big heads - just not all in the car at the moment...

Lehto · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 8:03 pm Post subject: Re: Ride height, can you help?

D131OVP wrote:

Chaps,
Also, one side of the car sits about 14mm higher than the other - any ideas why this could be the case?

Maybe your springs are misaligned?

On the other hand about the stiffness. Have you set your shocks to hardest settings? That should fix the problem... unless you got some poor mans non-adjustable shocks.

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Owner of 3 Rovers and 1 MG.

D131OVP · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 11:13 pm Post subject:

Good point about the shocks, they are currently at the softest - will set them for half way and see how that changes things.

The springs are both correctly set with the protruding end of the coil in the indentation on the axle spring platform.

I've bounced up and down on it a lot and no sign of things shifting.

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4.5, TP, 45mm inlets, big heads - just not all in the car at the moment...

Chris P · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 11:34 pm Post subject:

Did you tighten up all the bolts AFTER dropping the car onto it's wheels? Is
the Watts linkage correctly installed?

D131OVP · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:57 am Post subject:

Chris P wrote:

Did you tighten up all the bolts AFTER dropping the car onto it's wheels? Is
the Watts linkage correctly installed?

Ah right, couple of questions there; what bolts exactly, the ones that hold the spring clips in or the dampers?

I didn't take the Watts linkage off, just supported the body and dropped the axle down, do I need to adjust it?

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4.5, TP, 45mm inlets, big heads - just not all in the car at the moment...

Hankers · SD1 User Joined: 03 Aug 2007 Posts: 21 Location: Leeds

I have rimmers -60 springs fitted, i will measure the gap tommorrow for you. Here's a picture for now which should give you some idea. (I do have non standard wheels but the overall diameter is the same as the vitesse wheel & tyre)

Steve

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1986 Twin Plenum Vitesse

Chris P · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 10:05 am Post subject:

D131OVP wrote:

Ah right, couple of questions there; what bolts exactly, the ones that hold the spring clips in or the dampers?

I didn't take the Watts linkage off, just supported the body and dropped the axle down, do I need to adjust it?

The bolts I was referring to are for the trailing arm and Watts linkage. So
I guess you didn't loosen these?

The Workshop Manual mentions removing the training arm bolts and
supporting the axle when removing the rear road springs.

ramon alban · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:00 pm Post subject:

Chris P wrote:

The Workshop Manual mentions removing the trailing arm bolts and
supporting the axle when removing the rear road springs.

I think the reason for that is to protect the front bushes in the trailing arms from damage as the axle drops to its extreme low point - well beyond normal suspension travel.

Ramon

Hankers · SD1 User Joined: 03 Aug 2007 Posts: 21 Location: Leeds

The gap on mine is 30mm.

regards

Steve

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1986 Twin Plenum Vitesse

D131OVP · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:07 pm Post subject:

Hankers wrote:

The gap on mine is 30mm.

regards

Steve

Thanks

Did it settle down after a few miles?

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4.5, TP, 45mm inlets, big heads - just not all in the car at the moment...

Hankers · SD1 User Joined: 03 Aug 2007 Posts: 21 Location: Leeds

Sorry, I don't know, they were on the car when I bought it.

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1986 Twin Plenum Vitesse

chris_derby · Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 11:31 am Post subject:

I've just fitted standard ride height rear springs to my Vitesse. Not supposed to be I know, but needs must & all that....
Anyway, the car is still sitting rathr high at the passenger side rear, I'm assuminghtat after I take her fora drive it will settle?

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Auto Vitesse, gonna be a beast!

Punx0r · SD1 Regular Joined: 05 Nov 2006 Posts: 252

Hopefully