Rear shocks scraping new exhaust

New Shocks will not raise your car, unless you get so-called "coil-overs" which may or may not have other clearance problems.  The proper way to raise your car's rear is in the knowledge section of this site, but I think your problem might be the new exhaust system, not your ride height.

3"!!!!  Ya going off road?  Sounds like wrong exhaust used or exhaust outlet needs to be moved/angled differently. Post a picture.

Air shocks are available but not to fix 3" on a sports car - they are more for towing or "junk in the trunk."

and if you did get 3" out of the rear -0 it would be a horrible ride (ie: 150psi in the shocks)

Any pics of your ride including the new exhaust? I raised mine up about an inch and three eights with coil overs. It stiffened the ride just nicely after tuning the coils a bit. Three inches sounds a bit extreme. How much clearance do you have now ?

What style/type of exhaust did you buy?

I've bottomed out my custom merged header twice (at speed).  Once more and I think she'll be done.

Ron

Hey guys just got back close to a computer.  My mechanic in SLO CALif. bought this exhaust directly from Vintage Speedsters.  I guess this is what is being put on the newer builds.  I only have a little over 6" clearance.  I will post a pick if I can figure out how to do it.

Hey David I posted a photo in my profile pics if you would take a look.  My mechanic bought this straight from Vintage Speedster, but they sure sit low and scrape all the time.  Let me know your thoughts.  thanks Russ

Hey Russtri, can you post a photo of your installed exhaust system?

Check my profile pics.  Their is a pic of the new exhaust there!

You have six inches of clearance? How is that not fine? I think you may need a new driveway.

No really a steep driveway at all.  Had to build a god awful heavy ramp to keep this from happening.  Crossing dips in streets it also scrapes.  Speed bumps are a killer.  Just kind of a drag!

Weird.  I have no more than 3 or 4 inches of clearance, but mine rarely scrapes on speedbumps and driveways.  I go over them slowly, but I do that in my other car as well.

Could I maybe use a better beefed up shocks system in back?  If so any suggestions?

DITTTO WHEN I HAD THE COUPE

I looked at your picture, and from the angle I was unable to clearly see how much clearance you had.  I had a similar exhaust in the beginning, and it drug more frequently than my current one as the pipes stick out further to the rear.

Exactly.  Super frustrating.  This was bought from Vintage Speedsters. You would think that it would not scrape.

About 6"

You might consider firmer shocks, but not too firm as your ride would suffer.  You'll just have to be slow about driveways and speedbumps.  The A1 is better, but I have still scraped it on occasion.

Any suggestions on firmer shocks?

You clearly need to move.

The central coast of California is hard to beat!!!!

I'm running KYB GR2 shocks all around.  Avoid the KYB Gas-Adjusts as they are too stiff for our cars.

You may not be able to eliminate it entirely.  Consider a more tucked away type like the A1.  That's one reason I switched.

SOUTHERN CA  YA MEAN

No idea if this will help but thought I'd add it. I had the same problem. I was scraping all over the place. Not only on the muffler, but also on the inside of the rear wheel wells. You can put your hand up there and feel a ditch that's been taken out. Would have gone through the fiberglass eventually.

John Steele "installed" (I say it in quotes because it took him about two minutes while I watched him) these rubber things on the rear of the car. He called them bump guards or something like that. I haven't scraped since. 

I also have what I believe was original to my Vintage. A CPS 'German Style' exhaust with side saddle mufflers that make valve adjustments difficult...rather loud, blatty, raucous, (sweet music at 3000rpm) and LOW...4 1/4" clearance.

From a rear view it looks like my speedster has been disembowlled with a tangle of silver intestines ready to spill out onto the pavement!...but I've experienced no scraping because I, like Lane, carefully negotiate bumps and driveways at an angle. I also believe that even though there's minimum clearance, the radius from the rear axles to the lowest point is very short so the front has to be dramatically elevated to rotate that short radius into scrunching.  

Colin has a good point (his post is just above mine)

Check to see if there's a hard rubber cone attatched to your spring plates. This prevents your shocks from collapsing far enough to allow a teeth grating scrunch by contacting the upper shock mounting arm.

I'm liking that bump-stop solution. Only other culprit would be too-soft springs, which is unlikely in a torsion bar setup like this.

BTW, I have the KYB Gas Adjusts on the back of my TD and they help. Lifted the rear up about a half inch (maybe a bit less) and have not over-harshed my ride.

ColinX3, the parts you're describing sound like bump stops.  These are rubber things that limit the suspension bits' travel so that they don't hit the frame, etc.  They have been standard on every car I've ever been under. 

Can anyone provide a pic of the bump stops and their location?  Thanks

No wheel scrape just new exhaust!  Could you provide pic and location?

Hwy 1 or 405?  I win!!!!!

If you look at your rear upper shock mount, you'll see a 2 inch wide circular metal pad cast into the mount just below and outside of the upper shock mount. That is what the rubber bump stop hits against. So look on your trailing arm, just beside the brakes, almost directly above the axle, for the roughly 3 inch tall, 2 inch round cone shaped rubber bump stop sticking out the top of it. That needs to make contact with that pad. If there's nothing there but solid metal then your bump stops are missing.

Though I would think if your bumpstops were missing, you'd have noticed the loud clunk when the suspension hits the frame by now.

Thanks for the info.