Author Topic: Front Springs & Alignment?  (Read 3285 times)

bpossel

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Front Springs & Alignment?
« on: August 04, 2005, 07:59:36 »
Hi All!

 :( This weekend, I noticed my car sits higher in the front than most others that were at Joes.  The rear seems ok.  Have new shocks all around, new rubber, etc.  Had the car aligned before the trip to Ohio.

 :oops:  :oops: Question….

One of the previous owners of my car put spring nuts in between the front springs on each side.  Not sure why?  Maybe to stiffen the ride? Anyway, if I remove these, will the car need to be re-aligned again?

Thanks!
Bob


bpossel
Memphis, TN.
1971 280SL
1997 E320

JimVillers

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Re: Front Springs & Alignment?
« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2005, 10:16:37 »
Bob .... I posted this on the "KYB" Thread:

Arthur ... Thanks.  After following your lead, I figured out that 230SL and 250SL had the standard shocks, non-gas while the 280SL had the Bilstein shocks (Gas).  That answers why the confusion.  My thesis is that putting gas shocks on a car not designed for them results in a slight lifting of the front.  The gas shocks would have less of an impact on the rear because of the suspension configuration.   I believe that this was the cause of my "rear sag" that I fought for several years until I replaced my front springs and shocks.

Is your car a 230-250SL or a 280SL?

Jim Villers
190SL, 230SL 5-Speed, 190E 2.3-16 Kompressor
« Last Edit: August 04, 2005, 10:17:24 by JimVillers »
Jim Villers
190SL, 230SL 5-Speed, MGB 5-Speed, MGB GT V8 RHD (real MG), 2016 SLK

Bob G ✝︎

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Re: Front Springs & Alignment?
« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2005, 13:24:57 »
I would suggest you look in the technical manual for your year and find out the particulars on ride height for your car. If you have power steering & air conditioning that adds weight to the front of the car and the technical manual will give you the specifications for height with or with out thoses feathers.
Also important is the height of the correct spring pads. this has alot to do with ride height.
On my own car I installed the incorrect spring pads  front 25.MM rear 24 MM What I pulled out was 32.5 front and 18 rear. The front is diffently too low and the rear has come up a tad to 26 inches from ground to top of wheel arch. I am running 185 TR 14 michelin tires. If I had left the 32.5 in front and the 18 in the rear chances are the height would of settled to be right on with a little negitive at the rear axle. The coil springs are color coated with strips to tell you what pads to put in , I would star with looking under the chassie and then getting the technical manual and decoding the springs color dots.
You may have to pull the spring pads in front but at lease you will have a good idea if theey are correct. Also do a measurement from the top of the wheel and tell me what height you come up with compared to what the technical manual states.
Bob Geco
Bob Geco

norton

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Re: Front Springs & Alignment?
« Reply #3 on: August 04, 2005, 14:18:48 »
Bob you should get rid of the spring nuts, they mess with your spring rates and can fall out. You could use Either the correct MB spring rubbers or the Mc Master-Carr rubbers that Jim Villers talks about in the other thread about springs, Also at the Tech session Jim talked about measuring from the wheel or hub cap center to the wheel arch to set your height.  
   I think the group had talked about an exchange program for things like spring Rubbers, maybe someone has the size you need left over from there own ride hight project.

Mike Halleck
Chesterfield Mi
71 280SL
68 250SL (parts car)
94 E320 Coupe

JimVillers

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Re: Front Springs & Alignment?
« Reply #4 on: August 04, 2005, 14:30:40 »
Bob .. This topic is being discussed on two threads.  A couple of years ago, I went through the spring codes and all that when I replaced my bushing rubbers.  At that point, Ray Paul at the old Star Quality in New York recommended the thickest rear rubber bushing.  The car still did not sit in a manner that I wanted.  I got into the project again a month or so ago when I decided to replace the front springs with firmer springs.  That led to the Koni shocks and the "Pressure vs. non-pressure" shock question.  I had replaced all of the shocks with new Bilstein shocks (gas type) shortly after I bought the car.  From Arthur's reading of the manual, my 230SL should "standard" shocks (non-gas).  All of this could have been easier if I had changed just the shock and then just the spring verses both together.

This is also complicated by not having any specification of "ride height".  I have been using the measurement from the center of the star in the hubcap to the lowest point on the fender.  This measurement is independent of tire size, inflation, ware etc.  When I started, the front measure was 14.5 inches, after springs and shocks, 13.5 inches.  I was going to take measurements at Blacklick but cars were parked on rolling grass.


Jim Villers
190SL, 230SL 5-Speed, 190E 2.3-16 Kompressor
Jim Villers
190SL, 230SL 5-Speed, MGB 5-Speed, MGB GT V8 RHD (real MG), 2016 SLK

bpossel

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Re: Front Springs & Alignment?
« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2005, 18:22:03 »
 :) Thanks all for your replys!

I will remove the spring nuts this weekend.  I will post before and after measurements.

In summary, it doesnt sound like removing the spring nuts will change my alignment.  

Vielen Dank!
Bob

bpossel
Memphis, TN.
1971 280SL
1997 E320