S5 Front Ride Height

[bkasl]

Rebuilt front suspension including Monroe Gas Matic blue shocks, maintained original coil springs now front end appears too high, gap between top of tire and fender wheel well 3” which is more than I recalled.
I was under the impression coils determine ride height, not shocks? If I need to replace shocks what is recommended?

 

[alpine_64]

Correct the springs set the height.

If you had the springs out for a period of time or has the car lifted for a while the springs can take a little bit to swttle down again...have you taken it for a drive yet?

Did you replace bushes or the fulcrum pins ?

 

[bkasl]

Done May 2022
replaced all front bushings, kept original rubber top damper, also upper ball joints all from SS, 3” gap seems excessive

 

[alpine_64]

Done May 2022
replaced all front bushings, kept original rubber top damper, also upper ball joints all from SS, 3” gap seems excessive

Right.. The car can take a few drives to settle the springs if they have not been loaded with the weight of the front end.. you didn't say if you had just put it back on its wheels or driven it much

Also I'm thinking you may have tightened the bushings while the car was in the air and suspension not loaded and they are stuck.

This has been covered a couple of times in the forum and think it's in the WSM... Likely they are bound and holding the front up.

 

[bkasl]

Tightened once off the stands
Been almost one year and driven maybe 500 miles
Will probably slacken all again and retighten with full weight on ground
Knowing shocks don’t affect ride height I’ll move on from that idea

 

[alpine_64]

Tightened once off the stands
Been almost one year and driven maybe 500 miles
Will probably slacken all again and retighten with full weight on ground
Knowing shocks don’t affect ride height I’ll move on from that idea.

If the shocks were holding the car up it would mean they are way to long and they would be at full compression and still not to a stock ride length so would be solid and not move

You can compress a shock absorber with your hands .. so they won't be lifting the weight of the car.

If the car has driven that far the springs will have settled.

I should note.. Alpines .. especially the later series do have a fair amount of space over the front wheels...why people use to retro fit series 3 springs or use drop spindles.

Is the car level? As in the top line of the body to the ground?

A side photo of the car would be useful... To be honest in your photo ... It looks about right for stock

They are 13" wheels with 185/70/13 tyres?

 

[260Alpine]

You can cut down the rubber spring isolator or replace with Mustang II.

 

[husky drvr]

including Monroe Gas Matic blue shocks

bkasl,

Some pressurized gas shocks might affect ride height if they're high pressure, but even then probably not significantly. You could test if you're curious by unbolting the bottom shock mount from the A-arm and measuring the height difference between mounted and loose. Be sure and place the car fully on the ground and roll it a few feet so the suspension settles before measuring.

Series V's do tend to have a bit higher ride height due to a decision to change the front springs to a longer, less stiff unit.

I know it's been discussed, but I don't recall if a specific reason was stated or not.

The higher ride height gives a bit more suspension travel from ride height to hitting the suspension bump stop. This probably gives a bit more comfortable, less harsh ride. There is also a possibility that bumper and/or headlight height requirements might have been involved ( those might have been implemented at a later date, though)

As noted previously, modifying or replacing the cushion to a thinner design and/or installing a set of Series 3 front springs is the common way to lower the front.

Hope this helps,

 

[bkasl]

If the shocks were holding the car up it would mean they are way to long and they would be at full compression and still not to a stock ride length so would be solid and not move

You can compress a shock absorber with your hands .. so they won't be lifting the weight of the car.

If the car has driven that far the springs will have settled.

I should note.. Alpines .. especially the later series do have a fair amount of space over the front wheels...why people use to retro fit series 3 springs or use drop spindles.

Is the car level? As in the top line of the body to the ground?

A side photo of the car would be useful... To be honest in your photo ... It looks about right for stock

They are 13" wheels with 185/70/13 tyres?

Correct on tire and wheel size
Will take a front pic
car sits level all around

 

[bkasl]

bkasl,

Some pressurized gas shocks might affect ride height if they're high pressure, but even then probably not significantly. You could test if you're curious by unbolting the bottom shock mount from the A-arm and measuring the height difference between mounted and loose. Be sure and place the car fully on the ground and roll it a few feet so the suspension settles before measuring.

Series V's do tend to have a bit higher ride height due to a decision to change the front springs to a longer, less stiff unit.

I know it's been discussed, but I don't recall if a specific reason was stated or not.

The higher ride height gives a bit more suspension travel from ride height to hitting the suspension bump stop. This probably gives a bit more comfortable, less harsh ride. There is also a possibility that bumper and/or headlight height requirements might have been involved ( those might have been implemented at a later date, though)

As noted previously, modifying or replacing the cushion to a thinner design and/or installing a set of Series 3 front springs is the common way to lower the front.

Hope this helps,

I did install a set of S3 springs on my S2 about 20 years ago and am happy with its appearance

 

[alpine_64]

Brent, given you say the car is level I think it's all ok uo front.

The "best" way to to lower the car body over the wheels and not change ride, geometry etc is a set of the drop spindles from the late model mind.... But .... Expensive

 

[Barry]

Series Alpines (and Tigers) came from the factory with a distinct nose up / butt down stance which became worse over time as the rear leaf springs gradually sagged. In Rootes defense, that stance was typical of British sports cars in the '50's and '60's.

Part of the issue is that Series Alpines have very limited front suspension compression travel; only 2-3/4" for the late "ball joint" front suspension and a minuscule 2-1/8" for the early "king pin" front suspension. Lowering the front ride height by shortening the spring / rubber isolator pad further reduces the available front suspension compression travel.

As Michael (aka, alpine_64) noted, the best way to lower the front of a late Series Alpine is by using a set of "drop spindles" from a late model Minx (not a late model mind), but they are unicorns.

 

[Tim R]

Brent,
The point about when you tightened the nuts is made above, I think that may be the problem. The WSM is very specific that the car must be fully loaded and on flat ground when you tighten the nuts up on the front suspension pins. I get my adult son and my wife in the car and fill it with the luggage that we normally travel with when I tighten those nuts. It means that the car is set with the suspension in a neutral position when driven loaded. The metalastic bushes work by flexing up and down from the set position. If you have tightened the nuts either with the car up on a jack or without it being fully loaded you may well have set the suspension with it unloaded, end result is, it will be flexing from the wrong 'start point' and will sit high at the front.

Easy to check and easy to resolve.

Tim R

 

[alpine_64]

Brent,
The point about when you tightened the nuts is made above, I think that may be the problem.

Tim R

Given the car is level and the photo I'm thinking it's just the stock late ride height and it just looks exaggerated given Brent has an SII with S3 springs