TR8 ride height

[Last TR]

Well, I got the trunk struts taken care of; now I have to start thinking about the front struts and springs. The previous owner seriously lowered the front of the car. It handles and rides nicely, but the ground clearance is almost nonexistent; I hit the front air dam going in and out of driveways, and hit the frame on rough roads. The front springs look shorter than stock with only about 4 windings. The top of the front wheel arches are about 21 1/4" above the ground, and the frame is something around than 3 inches. I don't want to raise it to stock height, but I would like just a little more clearance. Can anyone tell me what the ride height is on a stock 8? Any suggestions for a spring that might be somewhere between stock and where I am now? Thanks.

Ken
Anchorage, Alaska

1980 TR8, 1973 TR6, 1965 Volvo PV544, 1958 MGA, Jeep Cherokees

[Underdog]

Factory manual calls for 13.97" measured from center of wheel hub to wheel opening. That's for a 5spd car with AC. I'm happy with the springs I got from Wedgeshop years back. But..My car has the AC,PAS,cat converters/iron manifolds removed as well as a FHC frt bumper reinforcement that has been lightened. I believe the Edelbrock/Holley has to be a few pounds lighter too.

FWIW, I've seen several stock TR8s that the frt springs have sagged badly. In stock form with AC and all the other stock stuff, they are quite heavy in the nose.

72 MGB BRG
80 TR8 Persian Aqua
If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

[Last TR]

Underdog,
What clearance do the Wedgeshop springs give you with your somewhat lightened car? My car measures a little under 11" from the hub center to the wheel opening, so is about three inches lower than stock. The springs aren't sagging; they appear to be short, stiff competition springs. (The previous owners also raced another TR8 at one time.) I want to keep the good handling but gain maybe an inch of ground clearance.

Ken
Anchorage, Alaska

1980 TR8, 1973 TR6, 1965 Volvo PV544, 1958 MGA, Jeep Cherokees

[jeffremj]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">The top of the front wheel arches are about 21 1/4" above the ground, and the frame is something around than 3 inches. I don't want to raise it to stock height, but I would like just a little more clearance. Can anyone tell me what the ride height is on a stock 8? Any suggestions for a spring that might be somewhere between stock and where I am now? Thanks.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">My lowered springs from Triumphtune give 23", so 21 is seriously low! My spacered subframe's low point (the anti-roll bar mounting bits with more spacers) is only 3.5" off the ground!

[Hasbeen]

I have just recently, [about 3 weeks ago] lifted mine from 21.5 to
22.5 at the arch. This was done by having the front springs reset at
a longer static length, by a top spring works.

Good result.
1/ Exhausts no longer hit the road over wavy bits.
2/ Rarely drag the bottom on speed bumps.
3/ Now rarely hit the front bump stops, even on larger bumps.
4/ Ride is more pleasant, although I'm dammed if I know why. The
spring rate is unchanged.
5/ Can detect no change in cornering power or handling for public
road driving.

I think it even looks better. It used to have that nose down look,
of a ute, with no load in the back.

Hasbeen

[Last TR]

I'm really happy with the way the car handles, but I would be happier if I wasn't hitting the pavement with the underside of the car. And I agree it might look better with a little more height in front.

My ex-racer mechanic suggests that since the car handles so well with the current springs, I should try a spacer to gain a little more clearance and not replace my springs. I've seen such spacers for TR6 competition springs. I like the idea of keeping these springs. Does anyone have any experience with spring spacers on a Wedge?

Ken
Anchorage, Alaska

1980 TR8, 1973 TR6, 1965 Volvo PV544, 1958 MGA, Jeep Cherokees

[Last TR]

Hasbeen,
The springs you had reset, were they stock or some sort of performance spring?

Ken
Anchorage, Alaska

1980 TR8, 1973 TR6, 1965 Volvo PV544, 1958 MGA, Jeep Cherokees

[Hasbeen]

Ken, all the springs, & the anti roll bars on the 8 are custom
springs, 50% stiffer than stock. Its easier here to have these
things made here than import them.

These were made by King springs, a large company that does quite a
bit of sporty stuff. The ride height was what was asked for, but was
a bit silly, for daily driving. They reset them, as asked, giving
what was asked for. It's great to get what you ask for from a
supplier.

The springs have the stock number of turns, with thicker steel. You
would not know they weren't stock, unless you saw them beside a
stock spring.

They also reset stock springs for my 7, to give me about 3/4" below
stock ride height. The 7 had been an off road rally car, & for some
reason, known only to it's PO was over an inch above stock height,
when I bought it. I have no idea what the springs on it were, but
they were a very soft, long travel set up. Bl@@dy awful feel to
drive, but I'm told it went OK.

Hasbeen

[Underdog]

Ken, sorry for the delay. Mine measures around 13 1/4 to 13 1/2 from hub center to wheel opening.
Perhaps give Wedgeshop a call and see if Woody knows what they do on a stock TR8. I'm sure they have fitted a few.


72 MGB BRG
80 TR8 Persian Aqua
If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

[Last TR]

Hasbeen, that does sound like extrordinary service from King Springs. I've seen several sources here in the States for performance springs; I wouldn't know where to look for someone who could make springs with both the correct rate and ride height, but I suppose they exist. I would also have to determine what the spring rate is for the ones I have now. I like the idea of adjusting the ride height with my current springs and spacers if my mechanic and I can figure out how. And of course, I don't want to have the car off the road for an extended period.

Underdog, that looks like a more reasonable clearance than mine; I just want to keep the good handling I have now.

More research is in order, and careful driving in the meanwhile. I removed the front air dam today as a temporary measure, but that doesn't help the frame. I'm heading home to Alaska tomorrow and leaving the car in Oregon. Hopefully I'll have a plan by my next visit. Thanks everybody.

Ken
Anchorage, Alaska

1980 TR8, 1973 TR6, 1965 Volvo PV544, 1958 MGA, Jeep Cherokees