Front ride height adjustment.

Remember that any change in ride height will change alignment. How much are you looking to raise the front end?

I'm only going to raise it 1/4-3/8". I can redo the alignment. I was thinking of rechecking it anyway.

ALB posted:

Remember that any change in ride height will change alignment. How much are you looking to raise the front end?

My mechanic took mine down a bunch and then I had them bring back up about in the middle of  where it was at originally.  No alignment was needed.  Is that because I have a different front end?

If you're only changing it that little bit I can't see the alignment changing enough to warrant being re-adjusted, but please let us know how it turns out, Carlos.

Don't know, Marty- your car has 914 front suspension?

Blasphemy!!!!  Marty wouldn't be caught dead without the 911 bits.  I unfortunately will have to suffer along with my 914 running gear. 

Phil, you know me so well. 

Ooops! Sorry Marty; I knew someone here had 914 front stuff...

The much (unfairly) mal-aligned 914 shares the front torsion bar suspension with the early 911.  Rarely will you find a 914 with anti-sway bars though.  The big difference is from the spindle out.  Here's good write up on 914.

See - "The torsion-bar front suspension was lifted straight from the 911, but front hubs were VW 411 units"

https://classicmotorsports.com/articles/porsche-914/

Thanks Greg. I knew that the 914 and early 911 front suspensions were similar, but that's all I could tell you. Al

I had a 914 with suspension from a 911 turbo. My wife made my mother in law scream when it went on 2?wheels

Good article Wolfe, thanks for the link!

914's are great vehicles, square Speedsters 

I had the 73 2.0L 4 cylinder car with the sport package.  From that article it sounds like I had the best 4 cylinder 914.  My biggest car related regret is getting rid of that car.

I had the 74 2.0L. Same regret.

Anyone who owned a real one and got tired for a moment and sold it ... is crying  

Yes I cried.

Back to the Spyder.

When I loosened the A2 nut, that whole piece slid up by itself. I did have the front end jacked up on stands with the wheels removed. I adjusted B1 to meet A3 and tightened B2 and A2. I then put the wheels back on and lowered it, rolled it back and forth while turning the wheels from left to right. Some sitting on the fenders to compress the shocks did also occur.

It doesn't take much of a movement of the A3 piece to make a huge difference on the ride height. I turned my car into a Gasser.

I had to readjust. So this time I rolled the front wheels up on some ramps and crawled underneath. This time I adjusted B1 halfway between where it was originally and where it was after my first attempt. I then loosened A1 and I used the weigh of the car to drop it down to meet B1 and tightened everthing up. This looked pretty close. Now I've got to wait for a dry day to take it out for a run before I know for sure.

If this is the height that it needs to be, I might up the rear coilovers a notch. Or maybe not, aren't these cars supposed to handle better with the front a touch higher than the rear?

Are these the adjustment bolts for the ride height? I assume they adjust the preload on the torsion bar in order to change the ride height. Do I need to adjust both of them (upper and lower) ?

@GO550 posted:

Are these the adjustment bolts for the ride height? I assume they adjust the preload on the torsion bar in order to change the ride height. Do I need to adjust both of them (upper and lower) ?

Yes. Google it, there are tons of videos abt adjusting it.

@GO550 You only need to adjust one adjuster. I've always used the bottom adjuster, it's easier to work closer to you.

You only need to move it one "spline" or "tooth" either way, possibly two if the car is too high or low. ALWAYS mark where you start. Loosen the outer locknut, then the inner. The large allen key may pop out of position if there is tension(torsion twist) on it.

I remove the shocks from the lower mount. Then I use a floor jack under the tire or lower trailing arm to push the arm up. The push on the arm twists the already loose adjuster. Tighten the first nut, then the locknut where you want, and go for a ride. If you got it right, it will be fine.

If you got it wrong, you'll hear and feel a "pop", which is the adjuster moving to where you didn't set it. Sometimes it's tricky to get the "splines" in perfect alignment on the adjuster.

Thank you Danny I will give it a try once I fix the clutch .