Amazon: Ride height

[Rustinmotion]

How or where do you check ride height on an Amazon wagon? Is there a factory check point ?

[classicswede]

Measure from the centre of the grease cap to the lip of the wheel arch

[Derek UK]

According to the Autocar road test ground clearance at the front cross member is 7". At the back axle I think it is 9". Springs sag with age.
Dai's method or from the centre of the arch to the ground is fine for checking but only if you know what that measurement should be!

[c1800]

One reference point in this.

https://volvoamazonpictures.se/docum...s/volvo220.pdf

[Rustinmotion]

Originally Posted by c1800

One reference point in this.

https://volvoamazonpictures.se/docum...s/volvo220.pdf

Using the load height dimension I'm sitting 90mm lower than standard on 40mm lowering springs I'm not unhappy with how it sits just surprised as it does not look over lowered think il check tyres for diameter but I can't see it making 50mm difference

[classicswede]

My method takes out any variation is tyre size and tyre pressure.

Off the top of my head the original dimension is 460mm but don't hold me to it

[Rustinmotion]

Originally Posted by classicswede

My method takes out any variation is tyre size and tyre pressure.

Off the top of my head the original dimension is 460mm but don't hold me to it

Mine is 350 at the front and 360 at the rear so 100mm lower than standard which kind of agrees with the load height dimension
What else is in play other than springs? Mine are new 40mm lowered so not expecting spring sag.
I went for minus 40 as nothing else needed altering, given it's sitting 90 to 100mm lower should I look at shocks and sway bar?

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Derek UK

According to the Autocar road test ground clearance at the front cross member is 7". At the back axle I think it is 9". Springs sag with age.
Dai's method or from the centre of the arch to the ground is fine for checking but only if you know what that measurement should be!

Originally Posted by c1800

One reference point in this.

https://volvoamazonpictures.se/docum...s/volvo220.pdf

Originally Posted by Rustinmotion

Mine is 350 at the front and 360 at the rear so 100mm lower than standard which kind of agrees with the load height dimension
What else is in play other than springs? Mine are new 40mm lowered so not expecting spring sag.
I went for minus 40 as nothing else needed altering, given it's sitting 90 to 100mm lower should I look at shocks and sway bar?

Something doesn't quite make sense here. The OP says his motor car is sitting 100mm (4") lower than standard, but according to Derek UK that would mean the front cross member is stet 3" from the ground. Unless the OP has some very small wheels or very low profile tyres that surely cannot be the case. 3" ground clearance would be very ZZ Top - and probably wouldn't clear most sleeping policemen.

I can't help thinking the OP must have measured something wrong - I'd suggest taking a reading to the roof height (or any other reference) given in the link to the specification that C1800 has provided above.

The shock absorbers and anti-roll bars will not affect the ride height OP. I'm not sure lowering cars ever makes much sense (but that is a personal view) - but that is up to you OP. Did you take any measurements of the ride height before you fitted the 40mm shorter springs?

Some photos would help to envisage the problem OP.

:-)

Alan

[Derek UK]

Well, you would think that springs that are made to lower the car 40mm would do actually that, so with 40mm being about 1 1/2" the ground clearance would then be about 5 1/2".

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Derek UK

Well, you would think that springs that are made to lower the car 40mm would do actually that, so with 40mm being about 1 1/2" the ground clearance would then be about 5 1/2".

Of course, but the OP says his motor car sits 100mm, or 4" lower, the shorter springs only account for 1 1/2", so there is 2 1/2" unaccounted for.

It seems unlikely (to me) that ground clearance to the front cross member can be only 3". VW Golf drivers might disagree with me, but I think any motor car that low would have trouble driving on normal roads.

:-)