Fordmods Logo

How much lower will my car be with shortened shocks? 

 

Page 1 of 1 [ 14 posts ] 

 
 Post subject: How much lower will my car be with shortened shocks?
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 1:39 am 
Getting Side Ways
Offline

Age: 33

Posts: 971

Joined: 18th Dec 2008

Ride: BA Futura

Location: Hobart
TAS, Australia

G'day, me and a mate chucked some King ultra lows in my car the other day, it sits quite nicely currently.

We just used standard height shocks and struts, when I get shortened ones how much lower should I expect it to be?

I remeber hearing that different shortened struts will alter the final height, but I'll most likely grab Monroe's or KYB's.

Here's a picture of how it sits now, that's with the standard height shock and struts and ultra lows.

Image

And just if anyone's interested, this is how high it was before we lowered it..

Image


Cheers

 

_________________

Image
DCII LTD V8 - leather - low k's
1978 XC '1/2' 500 project 302C
BA Futura wagon
P38 Range Rover HSE

Top
 Profile  
 
 
 Post subject: Re: How much lower will my car be with shortened shocks?
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 2:56 am 
Getting Side Ways
Offline

Age: 44

Posts: 1329

Joined: 5th Nov 2004

Ride: 66 Coupe

Location: Perth
WA, Australia

it wont sit any lower than it is, the springs determine the height, shorter shocks will give you slightly more suspension travel though
Top
 Profile  
 
 
 Post subject: Re: How much lower will my car be with shortened shocks?
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 3:18 am 
Getting Side Ways
Offline

Age: 33

Posts: 506

Joined: 3rd Sep 2007

Gallery: 18 images

Ride: EF Falcon

Location: Victor Harbor
SA, Australia

Yeah 66 coupe is right. there should be next to no change in ride hight. if so then something must be seriously wrong!!!!!!!

your car looks nice too mate. good job :)

 

_________________

Image
Falcon Build http://www.fordmods.com/post1285079.html#p1285079

Top
 Profile  
 
 
 Post subject: Re: How much lower will my car be with shortened shocks?
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 3:38 am 
Getting Side Ways
Offline

Age: 33

Posts: 971

Joined: 18th Dec 2008

Ride: BA Futura

Location: Hobart
TAS, Australia

Cheers guys.

I was more worried about the front, it's my understanding that shortened struts have a lower mount for the spring?

 

_________________

Image
DCII LTD V8 - leather - low k's
1978 XC '1/2' 500 project 302C
BA Futura wagon
P38 Range Rover HSE

Top
 Profile  
 
 
 Post subject: Re: How much lower will my car be with shortened shocks?
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:12 am 
Stock as a Rock
Offline

Posts: 105

Joined: 24th Jan 2007

Gallery: 2 images

Ride: EL Wagon, Honda CBR600, The Wife

Location: Chelsea
VIC, Australia

There are front struts available from Pedders in the GSR or gas sport ryder range, possibly other manufacturers also, that will do this. There are short body & short stroke types. The ones your referring to have a lower spring seat, and when used, reguardless of the spring, it will lower the car by 20-30mm.
These are different to short stroke persay. Hope this helps.
Edit : if you look in my gallery, my el has the lowered spring seat shock with Factory coils, not massive low, but with factory coils.

 

_________________

"In my opinion, my opinion is better than yours"

Last edited by surfn on Wed Apr 29, 2009 1:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Top
 Profile  
 
 
 Post subject: Re: How much lower will my car be with shortened shocks?
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:22 am 
Getting Side Ways
Offline
User avatar

Age: 34

Posts: 1108

Joined: 25th Mar 2007

Gallery: 7 images

Ride: BA MKII Fairlane GHIA

Location: Berwick
VIC, Australia

how in the world did you get the stock strut back in with a ultra low spring..
you wouldnt even need to compress the springs would you
im speaking about the front btw
Top
 Profile  
 
 
 Post subject: Re: How much lower will my car be with shortened shocks?
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:23 am 
Getting Side Ways
Offline
User avatar

Posts: 1412

Joined: 21st May 2005

Location: Melbourne
VIC, Australia

A short body shock decreases the amount of shock 'body' above the spring saddle and increases the length of the shock shaft above the spring saddle. These arent the only changes, there is also internal changes in length of the shock shaft. This is done to reduce the likelihood of the shock bottoming out and also places the internal valving in its optimal working range. This is why lowering to superlow or ultralow on std shocks often ends up in a bouncy ride, not only cant the std shocks keep the stiffer springs under control, but they are also trying to do so outside of their optimal working range

Koni only specify a short body shock for the rear in their catalogue, the front shocks are all the same and they have saddle adjustment of approx 5mm above and below the neutral setting, so you can raise or lower the front by about 5mm.

 

_________________

EL Fairmont Ghia - Manual - Supercharged
- The Car
- The Headlights

Top
 Profile  
 
 
 Post subject: Re: How much lower will my car be with shortened shocks?
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:46 am 
Getting Side Ways
Offline
User avatar

Age: 34

Posts: 2425

Joined: 10th Mar 2007

Gallery: 27 images

Ride: 1995 EF Fairmont

Location: Auckland
New Zealand

Lol i have never seen anyone chuck a set of ultras in with the standard shock before, well done!! :mrgreen:

As previously said, shortened shocks wont affect the ride height, springs do that job, unless of course the front struts have a lower mounted spring seat. My pedders sportsryder shocks up front have lower mounted spring seats and with a low spring its the equivalent to superlows with a normal shock.

If you like that height though, id be looking for shorterned shocks all round with the fronts having a standard height seat mounting.

Im pretty sure Boge, KYB and monroe shocks have normal height spring seats. Pedders are the only ones i know that have lower mounted seats, and bilstein which have adjustable seats.

 

_________________

Money Talks, But All Mine Ever Says Is Goodbye
EF Fairmont - EFF111 Build Thread

Top
 Profile  
 
 
 Post subject: Re: How much lower will my car be with shortened shocks?
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 4:59 pm 
Stock as a Rock
Offline
User avatar

Age: 35

Posts: 107

Joined: 24th Jul 2008

Gallery: 5 images

Ride: 92 EB- 2001 AU

Location: newcastle
NSW, Australia

would all depend i guess if the car is sitting on the end of the chock travel which it'd be close to coz i have super lows and mine hits the end of its travel allllll the time

you may get lower

 

_________________

AU II XR8 REBEL!!! EB TURBO 6!!!

Top
 Profile  
 
 
 Post subject: Re: How much lower will my car be with shortened shocks?
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 7:51 pm 
Getting Side Ways
Offline
User avatar

Age: 50

Posts: 2705

Joined: 6th Nov 2004

Gallery: 11 images

Ride: 2009 FG XR6 Sedan

Location: Melbourne
VIC, Australia

In this case the car may lower slightly as with the standard shocks they could be sitting on the bump stops. If shortened shocks are installed it may allow the spring to compress slightly more.
Top
 Profile  
 
 
 Post subject: Re: How much lower will my car be with shortened shocks?
Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 12:42 am 
Getting Side Ways
Offline
User avatar

Age: 37

Posts: 11105

Joined: 15th Nov 2004

Ride: No Fords current

Location: Hobart
TAS, Australia

The Lane looks good dumped that low!
Top
 Profile  
 
 
 Post subject: Re: How much lower will my car be with shortened shocks?
Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 11:36 am 
Getting Side Ways
Offline

Age: 33

Posts: 971

Joined: 18th Dec 2008

Ride: BA Futura

Location: Hobart
TAS, Australia

Cheers for the advice guys, I want it about 10-15mm lower at the front, so I think I'll grab some struts with an adjustable spring seat.


twr7cx wrote:
The Lane looks good dumped that low!


Thanks mate. Thanks for your help with the ball-joint issue too.

 

_________________

Image
DCII LTD V8 - leather - low k's
1978 XC '1/2' 500 project 302C
BA Futura wagon
P38 Range Rover HSE

Top
 Profile  
 
 
 Post subject: Re: How much lower will my car be with shortened shocks?
Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:48 pm 
Getting Side Ways
Offline
User avatar

Age: 35

Posts: 4316

Joined: 30th Oct 2006

Gallery: 18 images

Ride: Envi EF

Location: Grafton
NSW, Australia

Short shocks with a lower spring seat arent adjustable - its welded on just like any other shock, just lower on the body.
I'd say you have an inch of movement now before you're on bumpstops yeh? :P If that...

 

_________________

>>>EF Futura T build<<<

Top
 Profile  
 
 
 Post subject: Re: How much lower will my car be with shortened shocks?
Posted: Sat May 02, 2009 10:08 am 
Getting Side Ways
Offline

Age: 57

Posts: 914

Joined: 22nd Mar 2005

Gallery: 1 images

Location: FNQ
QLD, Australia

MADXF wrote:
A short body shock decreases the amount of shock 'body' above the spring saddle and increases the length of the shock shaft above the spring saddle. These arent the only changes, there is also internal changes in length of the shock shaft. This is done to reduce the likelihood of the shock bottoming out and also places the internal valving in its optimal working range. This is why lowering to superlow or ultralow on std shocks often ends up in a bouncy ride, not only cant the std shocks keep the stiffer springs under control, but they are also trying to do so outside of their optimal working range

Koni only specify a short body shock for the rear in their catalogue, the front shocks are all the same and they have saddle adjustment of approx 5mm above and below the neutral setting, so you can raise or lower the front by about 5mm.


- The grooves are about 5mm apart - the result at the wheel is a change of more like 20mm (don't forget leverage/arm factor here) - just been thru adjusting my Bilsteins which work exactly like Koni in that respect.

 

_________________

Sold the Greenmachine - now driving 2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk.

Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:
Sort by  
 Page 1 of 1  [ 14 posts ] 

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 36 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

 

 

It is currently Fri Apr 26, 2024 2:29 am All times are UTC + 11 hours

 

 

(c)2014 Total Web Solutions Australia - Australian Web Hosting and Domain Names