Ride Height too high with my setup

[Tmiles 1]

I have stock UCA and LCA with Total Control coilovers.  500 lb. Springs.  Spanner nut is all the way down.  17" wheels.  347 with c6.  5" between top of the tire and the fender lip.  About 28" from floor to fender lip.

Rear:. Heidts 4 link with 250 lb. Coilovers springs.  17" wheels and 4" from top of tire to fender lip.  About 26.5" from floor to fender lip.

Why is it so high?  I want it to sit with fender lip down on top of the tire.

Thanks for any ideas.

[RPM 1,271]

I'm using 12" 350# coil over springs on the front of mine, which is plenty for my 393w stroker, alum heads and intake, AOD, and 12" 120# rear springs. Have you tried softer springs?

[Tmiles 1]

That's my next step. I ordered what TCP and Heidts recommended.  Car looks like crap sitting this high.  11" from floor to bottom of rocker where the doors meet the fender.  Didn't know I was building a monster truck.

[RPM 1,271]

Oops. I have this bad habit of skimming when I read. I was thinking you had the tubular TCP coil over system. 500# front springs should be fine with stock control arms. 

Did you tighten the lower control arms pivot bolt with the front end raised, or the correct way of the weight of the car on the wheels? The LCA bushing will keep the arm in the position it's in when the bolt is tightened. 

My front wheel opening is at 25" and the rear is 25-3/4".

 

[Tmiles 1]

 Sent an email to you using the one in your profile.

won't the LCA will still travel up and down when tightened so educate me why it would need tightened with weight on it.

[mustangstofear 608]

When we were using the  Heidt's 4 link we used the 250 # springs.  We  also use the poundage with our new Watt's  link,  the ride height is great. For the front  we use 450# with a  small block and 500# for a big block.

[Tmiles 1]

I don't get it.  I will try to post some pics in a little bit.  The car is pretty much just a shell with motor and trans so I know there is a lot of weight to go on the car yet.  We sat an extra 500lbs on the engine bay and it only went down about 3/4" inch.

[Guillaume69 150]

As RPM mentioned, things must be tightened with all wheels on the ground. I remember tightening my rear shackles once with car on the lift and it ended with the rake of a drag car from the 70’s...

I was told to untighten everything, put the car on the ground, go for a ride around the block, and re tightene everything. A couple weeks later, car was back where it was supposed to be.

G

[Tmiles 1]

I agree to always take it out and drive it but cannot order a drive shaft until I get this thing closer to ride height to set angles.

I loosened the LCA's and the front strut rods put about 850lbs on the car.  

These varishocks have the progressive bump stops on the shafts which are about 2 1/2" long and they are squished down to half.

 

Anybody feel like educating me.  Please call 7706520796

[Tmiles 1]

[Guillaume69 150]

Ok, just thinking out loud here...

Your wheels look too small compared to the wheel wells.

I ride with 15’ Torq Trust rims and 235/60r15 tires. Total wheel diameter is 66,3 cm and the wheel size looks like it fits the wheel well (see pic).

What tires size do you have on that pic? Do you know the total diameter of your wheels?

It’s like  the tire walls are too thin. If that’s the look you’re into, may be 18 or 19 rims would fit better? Or stick with 17’ but with higher walls.

 

 

[Tmiles 1]

http://www.mustangandfords.com/how-to/wheels-tires/mump-0507-ford-mustang-large-wheels-fit/

I have this exact tire and wheel sizes.

[Tmiles 1]

245/45R17 front

275/40R17 rear

[Tmiles 1]

Only about .4 inches different in height from yours to mine

[1969_Mach1 335]

Not familiar at all with your coil over setup.  But the question I have is are your upper control arm's mounting points in the stock location?  Have they been lowered yet?  Are they supposed to be lowered to work with your coil over setup? 

[Tmiles 1]

Only about .4 inches different in height from yours to mine

[Tmiles 1]

Yes it should be fine with the Shelby drop I did.  Without the drop I would think the springs would push the body up even higher off the tires.

[barnett468 418]

you need to use lighter springs on the front if you want it to sit much lower in front.

if you are out of spring adjustment on the rear and you want it lower, you need to use lighter springs there also.

 

 

[Tmiles 1]

Picking up shorter and lighter springs today

[Tmiles 1]

Went from 300lb. 11" in the rear to 220lb 9".  Now I can get the back where I want it to be.

 

Front.  Went from 9" 500lb to 7" 450lb and it only dropped about an inch but also lost almost all travel in the shock.  Very little left.

[barnett468 418]

9 hours ago, Tmiles said:

Went from 300lb. 11" in the rear to 220lb 9".  Now I can get the back where I want it to be.

 

Front.  Went from 9" 500lb to 7" 450lb and it only dropped about an inch but also lost almost all travel in the shock.  Very little left.

Ok, the shock should have at least 1/2 inch of travel with the upper control srm just touching the bottoming rubber on the shock towee bracket. If you do mot have rhat bracket with your setup  you have no reference point and need a measurement from the top of the wheel arch to the center of the front spindle with the rubber just touching the arm from another car.

[RPM 1,271]

I can't imagine TCP hasn't had a customer with this issue before. I'm thinking keeping a 9 inch spring, but with lighter weight rating might work. 

Looking at the TCP website, maybe a 1 or 2" offset adapter would fix the ride height. Or maybe if they made a shorter top shock mounting stud. 

[barnett468 418]

6 hours ago, RPM said:

I can't imagine TCP hasn't had a customer with this issue before. I'm thinking keeping a 9 inch spring, but with lighter weight rating might work. 

Looking at the TCP website, maybe a 1 or 2" offset adapter would fix the ride height. Or maybe if they made a shorter top shock mounting stud. 

Yes, if those are designed to fit his front shocks and his particular car, and his are shorter than these, they will definitely work. I did not know they made these.

 

[Tmiles 1]

The 2" offsets are the only way to get the height where I want it.  Rigged up some spacers 3" long and tried it.  Worked so now the real ones are on order.  Thank you all for your input.