Ride height mods

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GOO9E
POC Newbie
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2015 11:05 pm
Membership No: 15-D019
Year: 1970
Model: Formula 400
Engine: 6
Name: Richard Pogson
Location: Lincolnshire
Contact:

Ride height mods

Post by GOO9E » Sat Jul 25, 2015 7:10 am

Hi all, just got my 1970 formula 400 registered and Driven it for the first time, never having had a pontiac before I have some questions for the more experienced, first the height of the car doesn't look right, it sit too high and massive gaps above tires, is there an easy fix or is it new leaf and coil springs? If so where is the best place to source, the second is the steering, it is soooo light with no feeling or road feed back is this normal? The car has been totally rebuilt all new parts fitted where these are concerned, the wheels are 17s with I think 40 rubber again all new so the tire profile could be wrong? Any advise would be most helpful, thanks.

Richard

Jeff73
POC Jr. Poster
Posts: 245
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2009 8:39 pm
Membership No: 09-A04
Year: 1973
Model: transam
Engine: 455
Name: Jeff
Location: Rayleigh, Essex
Location: hi
Contact:

Re: Ride height mods

Post by Jeff73 » Sat Jul 25, 2015 5:31 pm

If the car has had new springs it will sit to high for months until they settle down also it may have upset the steering geometrey so it may feel very light ,it may be a good idea to have the tracking checked to make sure that its not going to scrub the tyres out.
to lower the rear of the car is pretty easy you just have to place lowering spacers between the spring and the axle by undoing the u bolts ,the front can be a bit more tricky because the springs are very hard to compress and can be a bit dangerous you could cut off one coil bolt it all back together and check the ride height or fit new lowering springs, which is the bestway of doing it

GOO9E
POC Newbie
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2015 11:05 pm
Membership No: 15-D019
Year: 1970
Model: Formula 400
Engine: 6
Name: Richard Pogson
Location: Lincolnshire
Contact:

Re: Ride height mods

Post by GOO9E » Sat Jul 25, 2015 6:58 pm

Thanks Jeff I'll get the tracking checked, it's booked in for an engine check on rolling road so will get it sorted at the same time. Richard

jonbullnose
POC Newbie
Posts: 91
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 10:53 pm
Membership No: 14-A367
Year: 1972
Model: bully/parrisiene
Engine: 400
Name: Jon Steel
Location: Reading, Berks
Location: berkshire
Contact:

Re: Ride height mods

Post by jonbullnose » Sun Aug 02, 2015 10:21 am

i would be very careful about lowering the ride height if you have long headers fitted as they sit low underneath and catch speed humps at normal ride height

GOO9E
POC Newbie
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2015 11:05 pm
Membership No: 15-D019
Year: 1970
Model: Formula 400
Engine: 6
Name: Richard Pogson
Location: Lincolnshire
Contact:

Re: Ride height mods

Post by GOO9E » Thu Aug 06, 2015 9:07 pm

Hi Jon, I have noted that and they do sit low, the wheels are 17 with 40 profile, perhaps I could change the Tyres for deeper profile to fill the arches?

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Beardog
POC Newbie
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Jul 13, 2014 11:05 pm
Membership No: 14-G406
Year: 1979
Model: Trans Am Y84
Engine: 400
Name: Lawson Smith
Location: Sheffield
Contact:

Re: Ride height mods

Post by Beardog » Tue Aug 18, 2015 8:17 pm

I fitted 17" rims to my '79 TA. I fitted 265/40/17 which are a full inch smaller in radius than the standard 225/70/15. They give loads of arch void, and lose an inch of ground clearance, bad on both counts

The OEM tyre radius is provided by 255/50/17, but nobody in Europe has them - you have to import them from American or Canadian tyre sellers.
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