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PV, 120 (Amazon), 1800 General Forum for the Volvo PV, 120 and 1800 cars |
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How low should I go?..Views : 1056 Replies : 15Users Viewing This Thread : |
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Jan 11th, 2024, 15:35 | #1 |
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How low should I go?..
Hi all,
I'm restoring a '68 1800 and don't want to fit standard new springs. Looking at an unmessed with original car, they tend to sit noticeably lower anyway due to the wear on springs etc. and I want to replicate this stance as I think it looks much better than standard. I seem to remember fitting 40mm lowering springs in the past and they looked good and the car certainly handled better along with a stiffer front ARB, but I see 60 and even 100mm lowering springs available now. I don't want to make the car look like it has been 'bagged' or 'slammed' (?) and I don't want to grind the exhaust on traffic speed bumps if at all possible but I might want to go lower so has anyone got photos of their 1800 and comments on their experiences driving them after lowering? Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Gordon |
Jan 11th, 2024, 16:20 | #2 |
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First thing to keep in mind is that when you alter ride height by shortening the springs there are three other 'things' that change
- the front camber goes more negative which may or may not be a bad thing (steering effort will increase) - the panhard rod will push the rear axle off center which may necessitate changing the length of the panhard rod - the angle of the rear U joint flange in the static loaded position changes and will no longer match the front flange. You may need to alter the torque rod lengths to rotate the rear axle to get them back into alignment. With small changes in ride height these three factors may not be a material issue. Larger changes can create problems. Second thing to keep in mind is that shorter springs typically come with higher spring rates. With a shorter spring you have lost wheel travel and need the higher spring rate to keep the suspension from hitting the bump stops all the time. On my 142 I had some short single rate Lesjofors springs (25 mm drop in ride height) and they were brutal. Any sort of traffic control strip would get the rear end air born unless you slowed to around 10 km/hr. Keep the spring rate in mind when you select springs. If you install shorter springs with a higher spring rate do not install ARBs at the same time. Test first. The higher spring rates will give you an automatic increase in roll stiffness and adding ARBs may make the car brutal on anything less than perfect pavement. Amazon Cars UK has some road springs for the 1800 which drop the car about 20mm and are progressive so 'not as brutal'. A 20 mm drop may eliminate the need to fiddle with panhard length and drive shaft angle. The 20mm drop is minimal and your 1800 will not end up looking like it is pretending to be something it isn't. I ditched the Lesjofors on my 142 and installed the Amazon cars springs for the 140 on my car. Much more pleasant to drive. |
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Jan 14th, 2024, 00:03 | #3 | |
Trader Volvo in my veins
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Quote:
Lowering springs do need to be stiffer than standard spring rate. Too stiff and the ride is harsh and too soft and the ride is harsh. Typically too stiff is harsh at low speed and too soft is harsh at speed. Most Lesjofors spring sets tend to be at the too soft end of the scale. (140 sets are on the stiffer end of right for the front and softer end of right in the rear but they might of changed since I last tested a set) Dampers that are matched to the weight and spring rate are also important as over damped will harsh and under damped will be harsh! Get it wrong and the ride is harsh, both springs and dampers need to be in the window. Due to the low weight in the rear of the car progressive springs are usually better in the back, they are not softer as often stated. It is the increase in travel and the the soft section when the wheel is unweighted that helps |
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Jan 14th, 2024, 09:39 | #4 |
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Thanks, that's helpful.
Looks like I'm after 40mm progressive lowering springs with some suitable shocks. On my previous car I fitted 40 mm lowering springs, IPD front ARB and Bilsteins and poly bushes all round. The car certainly behaved better on cornering but you could feel every single variation on the road surface! This time I hope to get the same cornering but perhaps a more comfortable drive generally. |
Jan 14th, 2024, 18:38 | #5 |
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Poly and comfort don't usually make good bedfellows but poly density does vary. Volvo's original rubber bushes were OK. NVH wasn't such a big issue as it is today. Modern/current rubber bushes, even from Volvo, don't tend to be as good as they were originally. Bottom line, maybe soft rated poly bushes the best choice except on the body end of the Panhard rod when I'd still pick the original rubber one #87033
As spring is actually a torsion bar so if you shorten it the stiffness increases. |
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Jan 15th, 2024, 16:00 | #6 |
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Thanks Derek,
That's helpful info - I hadn't realised there were different densities of poly bushes. On DOY, I fitted a 'new' rubber bush on the steering idler and it failed MOT within a couple of years. Gordon |
Jan 11th, 2024, 18:21 | #7 | |
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Quote:
I have -40 springs on my wagon and I’m just waiting for the -20 springs to come from Amazon cars, at -40 the panhard rod is ok but the car bottoms out on the rear axle and I think the ride quality has suffered |
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Jan 11th, 2024, 20:50 | #8 |
Bigbunt
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I was under the impression that Amazoncars springs were no longer available, at least for shipment to the States? Don’t mean to hijack the thread but I had planned on ordering a year or more ago and was disappointed to hear they were retiring…? Is that not true? The captcha does not appear to be working…
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Jan 11th, 2024, 21:26 | #9 | |
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Quote:
They are open for business and taking orders at the moment |
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Jan 12th, 2024, 09:52 | #10 |
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Thanks for all the replies, but does anyone have a photo of their car they can post to show what a 60mm (or any other) drop looks like on a P1800?
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