[T3] Nose too high.

[Keith Park]

Your numbers and observations seem to make sense with each other.
All old cars, torsion bars or leaf springs or coil springs seem to sag with
age, leading to spring replacement or coil overs, im not a physicist so I
cant comment on the physical nature of the spring steel
but it does seem that they sag out with age

Mine was measured on the 71, and it may be that the front fenders may vary a
bit on lip height, also some of the rubber snubbers, especially the lower
were a different shape than others but my main concern is that there is
adequate suspension travel so your not bottomed out all the time if the car
is loaded down with cargo or people and not so high that your hitting the
top snubbers every time you go over a bump and it springs back.  The lower
the front end sits under these conditions the better, within reason.

small changes in the distance between snubbers and arms also result in more
significant changes in body height, so its likely that a range of over an
inch or 2 would still have the suspension sitting in an acceptable range of
motion and caster angle.

on the 71 right now, if I put my fingers on the top of the tire, I can raise
my hand about an inch before the backside hits the lip, on the rear my
fingers and back of hand are both contacting the tire and lip at the same
time.  I can put the rear height wherever I want with the air shocks, but in
its current state the rocker is about a half inch lower at the front than
the rear, 10" at the rear, 9 1/2 at the front.

Keith


Topnotch Restorations
topnotch at nycap.rr.com
http://www.topnotchresto.com
71 Squareback  "Hothe"
65 Notchback  "El Baja Rojo"
93 RX7  "Redstur"
95 Chrysler Cirrus Lxi "Cirfogsalot"
"hanging out at the tail end of the bell
curve, and loving every minute of it!" 
-----Original Message-----
From: type3-vwtype3.org [mailto:type3-vwtype3.org-bounces at lists.vwtype3.org]
On Behalf Of Jim Adney
Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2019 5:19 PM
To: type3 at vwtype3.org
Subject: Re: [T3] Nose too high.

On 11 Jun 2019 at 20:38, Keith Park wrote:

> TOday I made the final 2 adjustments to get my front end at the right
height
> and level after replacing a torsion arm, I ended up with 26 3/8" on both
> sides and Im happy with that.  That gets my thumb between the upper
torsion
> arm and snubber and plenty of room below the bottom one.

I double-checked my measurement and also filled up my tires. They were 
way down from over the winter. After all that, the measurement came up to 
25-3/16".

That gives me a bit more than a thumb's room between the upper arm and 
the rubber bumper, but keep in mind that this space gets LARGER as the car 
gets lower.

> I suppose It could go a LITTLE Lower without issue, but I didnt say that.
> Jim's a 25 inches sounds right for one that has settled out for nearly 50
> years.

I don't think this has sagged any. Steel doesn't creep over time, unless
it's 
cracked, and my rocker panels are quite parallel to the ground. I've found 
that I should be able to place my fingers, palm down, on top of a tire and
the 
back of my hand will be pressed lightly against the fender arch. Rears are 
different, with much more load on them and being supported by the rubber 
bushes instead of needle bearings.  

Keith's number is over an inch higher than mine, but his trailing arm sounds

like it's in about the same position, maybe a bit higher, but I can't see
that 
explaining an extra inch. I'm measuring a '73, late body, standing on a flat

concrete slab; would an early body wheel arch be that much different?

What year are you measuring, Keith? That wouldn't be the Notch, would it? 
That one was always too high in front, but I gather that you've now lowered
it 
back down to what you feel is normal. Are the rockers parallel to the
ground? 
How about the fingers on top of the tire test?

-- 
*******************************
Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
*******************************

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