Continuing Ride Height Issue

[JeffW]

After realising the car was way too high front and back, I changed the front springs to EJ Ward progressives, which lowered the car almost too much, to around 13". I say too much as it makes for a pretty harsh ride and I keep scraping the downpipe over speed humps. I may change these in the autumn to regular height.

I also changed the back springs to Monarch progressives, regular height, but the car still looks way too high at the rear. I had the same springs on my Mk 2 and it looked perfect, so I cannot figure out why the rear continues to sit too high.

What else can I change to lower the back to the correct height? It's currently at 15.5+ inches.

Any thoughts gratefully received!

Thanks
Jeff

[sujitroy]

One thing that folks say is to torque down the rear trailing arms (arms to bracket) with the car on the ground. I think this is more important if you use regular rubber bushes, but less so with say Chris Witor's poly. With his bushes, if installed correctly with the supplied grease the bush rotates around the fixed metal tube. I have installed 1.5" Monarch springs on the front of my Stag. I haven't drive it yet, but the car is sitting at the usual height of 14.5" I am yet to install the 1.5" lowered springs at the rear.
Sujit

[JeffW]

One thing that folks say is to torque down the rear trailing arms (arms to bracket) with the car on the ground. I think this is more important if you use regular rubber bushes, but less so with say Chris Witor's poly. With his bushes, if installed correctly with the supplied grease the bush rotates around the fixed metal tube. I have installed 1.5" Monarch springs on the front of my Stag. I haven't drive it yet, but the car is sitting at the usual height of 14.5" I am yet to install the 1.5" lowered springs at the rear.
Sujit

Thanks Sujit. I will have to see if I can reach under with the car on the ground and tighten them after loosening them. I think the previous owner did use rubber for ride quality.

Are all 4 of your springs lowered versions?

Thanks
Jeff

[sujitroy]

Thanks Sujit. I will have to see if I can reach under with the car on the ground and tighten them after loosening them. I think the previous owner did use rubber for ride quality.

Are all 4 of your springs lowered versions?

Thanks
Jeff

Jeff, yes all four springs are lowered by 1.5" yet to be seen.
Sujit

[mike@thenook]

I think part of your problem is having the front with lowered springs is making the rear look too high, it certainly doesn’t look at all right.
Either fit lowered all or standard all round but don’t mix them, the handling will be rather compromised.
I have a set of monarch standard height progressive springs which I used to have fitted, I can measure them if you like?
I currently have Witors 1.5” lowered all round and it looks like this:

E5592D47-C7AD-4F3D-8793-4829E697209D.jpeg

[Seaking]

IMG_0515 (1).jpg The difference in New springs 330 mm made my stag sit way to high. Fitted 270 mms springs

[Seaking]

IMG_0490.jpg

[Seaking]

330 mms springs 15" Wheels IMG_0513-2.jpg

[JeffW]

I think part of your problem is having the front with lowered springs is making the rear look too high, it certainly doesn’t look at all right.
Either fit lowered all or standard all round but don’t mix them, the handling will be rather compromised.
I have a set of monarch standard height progressive springs which I used to have fitted, I can measure them if you like?
I currently have Witors 1.5” lowered all round and it looks like this:

E5592D47-C7AD-4F3D-8793-4829E697209D.jpeg

Thanks Mike. The handling is definitely compromised and I need to get it sorted.

However, what I don't understand is why the back is at 15.5"+ despite having regular springs on. Why isn't it 14.5"? Even if I change the fronts to 'regular' height, the back will still be too high.

Thanks
Jeff

[JeffW]

IMG_0515 (1).jpg The difference in New springs 330 mm made my stag sit way to high. Fitted 270 mms springs

Thanks Seaking. Mine looks very similar, but the Monarch progressives are very short as well https://monarchstags.com/collections...nt=47661584394

I will try Sujit's trick and see if that settles the rear down to 14.5 and order some new front springs.

Thanks
Jeff

[Paul Kelley]

In case it helps Jeff and others, I recently decided to replace my springs and shocks front and back, plus all new Superflex polybushes (via Chris Witor).

FWIT, after researching with other owners and on the Forum, I contacted Stuart at SOC spares and ordered 1 inch lower springs all round (shocks I went for KYB via Paddocks). Once fitted, the front ride height looked normal, as before, not any lower and has stayed that way - which I'm fine with. However, the rears looked quite a bit lower, so the whole effect was to make the car look unevenly set up. In terms of ride and handling it was a big improvement but a bit harder at the back. More research, and I decided to fit rear spring insulators, 5 mm extra thick from E J Ward.

The ride height now looks equal, as standard pretty much, and ride and handling really spot on. It does appear that spring rating and ride height result is a bit all over the place, so it's hard to choose.

Paul

[mike@thenook]

Just measured my Monarch standard height springs and they are 14” front and 13” rear - they are probably around 6,000 miles old…but the ride height front and back was spot on with the book dimensions I remember.

[bullstarz]

Can't believe other people having problems with the ride height and it's not just me. Almost every time I get in the car it is different and that can be front to rear left to right it always changes.

Oh just remembered my triumph Stag's got air suspension, so it's always like that and it's always adjusting and adapting to get the correct ride height every millisecond.

[Dorian]

I use the Chris Wittor Red Variable rate front springs which give a really nice ride without the roll, but like everyone else found that ride height and springs are a lottery.However, many years ago with Monarch and David Carter we had a batch of Shims made up (I think in Delrin Plastic) which can be stacked on the spring seats to get the ride height you want. There was a bit of trial and error because you need a starting reference point but once in it does let you change things without updating the springs. I prefer the practicality of ground clearance now.

[stagshelf]

My monarch standard height springs measure 14.75" front 11.75" rear. Front rode far too high so replaced with Chris Witor -1" springs