is lower than 2" dangerous?

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chunkybond
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is lower than 2" dangerous?

Post by chunkybond » 10 Mar 2009 12:05 am

Right

Im starting to think about the first proper mod for my 340 and decided to start with suspension.
would it be possible to put a bigger drop on the front without rubbing/bottoming the suspension out?

Id be running it with standard 13? inch steelies...

classicswede
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Re: is lower than 2" dangerous?

Post by classicswede » 10 Mar 2009 09:51 am

sm14

Odd question when the most popular drop is 3"

Been running a 3" drop on the front of the 340 for years and has gone from 13" rims to 14's then 15's. The 360 is also with the same drop and has no issues (other than silly high speed humps)
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chunkybond
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Re: is lower than 2" dangerous?

Post by chunkybond » 10 Mar 2009 10:38 am

I thought a 2" was the standard, as thats what garages quoted me when I asked for standard drop...

Fair enough then, I shall go hunting for that extra inch!

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jtbo
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Re: is lower than 2" dangerous?

Post by jtbo » 10 Mar 2009 06:39 pm

So this is with 360GL that has GLT springs + dampers, talking only from front suspension:

There is 159mm of damper travel at front, which decreased a bit by precompression when installed to car, also car sits around 70mm lower than top position, that leaves 89mm bump travel at max, when you take 2" out from that you will have 38.2mm bump travel left, but in practise even less because of precompression. With 3" under 13mm that is close to 0.5" of damper travel, maybe originally Dai's car have been sitting higher than my 360GL with GLT springs?

To keep from bottoming out you need springs that have higher spring rate, or you will bottom out easier.

I have bottomed out standard new GLT suspension on race circuit, did hurt my back then and had to call it a day, not fun, wouldn't like to test what happens with lowered suspension that is done by cutting springs or low rate springs.

Oh yes, I don't have bump stops, those are perhaps 50mm? long rubber pices and are placed to damper shaft, they don't take all that 50mm from damper travel, imo. They are only partly overlapping damper movement area, as I think they sit bit colser to top of damper, but haven't really studied this, anyway their idea is to protect damper and soften hit when you bottom out, so I believe that when fully compressed they are taking bit of damper travel, 5mm 10mm 20mm, I don't know of.

50-60k is good spring rate for handling, but I'm not sure about how direct relation that would be with bottoming or not bottoming out, I would imagine relation being linear and double the spring rate and you can get away with half of bump travel, but I guess Dai can answer better to that, I can only tell what I have measured.

My fauvorite is also to note that if spring rate is changed dampers should match that spring rate, 150 000 miles rolled standard dampers are perhaps not very good match for double rated springs, unless you prefer trampoline kind of handling :lol:

What do you think, loaf of bollocks or thing to give a thought?
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classicswede
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Re: is lower than 2" dangerous?

Post by classicswede » 11 Mar 2009 12:27 am

The 3" drop is from NEW std 340 ride height. It does only leave you with very little travel and bottoming out on nasty bumps is a problem with std dampers. If you cut your old springs down this much bottoming out would happen on every little bump :x

The springs I do are a lot stiffer than std items :D
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jtbo
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Re: is lower than 2" dangerous?

Post by jtbo » 12 Mar 2009 06:34 am

Also 340 ride height is almost an inch more than 360 GLT when new so 3" in 340 is same level than 2" in GLT :D
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Re: is lower than 2" dangerous?

Post by classicswede » 12 Mar 2009 10:50 am

Thats right - not many GLT's been lowered if any I canm think of. The 3" lowering springs leave you with about 30 mm travel.
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jtbo
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Re: is lower than 2" dangerous?

Post by jtbo » 12 Mar 2009 09:27 pm

classicswede wrote:Thats right - not many GLT's been lowered if any I canm think of. The 3" lowering springs leave you with about 30 mm travel.
That is bit surprising as I would think that 1" lowering with good rate (2-2.5x std rate) springs and matching dampers would give GLT quite bit better handling while still maintaining decent amount of bump damping for kerb attacking.
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Re: is lower than 2" dangerous?

Post by classicswede » 13 Mar 2009 11:05 pm

The most common 300 for lowering is the 1.7 - the drifters are the ones buying springs. Only a very daily drivers have the money spent on them.
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340ovlov
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Re: is lower than 2" dangerous?

Post by 340ovlov » 15 Mar 2009 03:57 am

how much you charge for said lowering springs i want 2" drop if poss
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classicswede
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Re: is lower than 2" dangerous?

Post by classicswede » 15 Mar 2009 08:23 pm

Said lowering springs are £60 a pair. Drop me a pm when ready to order.

Cheers
Dai

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