THE INTERNATIONAL JAGUAR 'S'-TYPE REGISTER FORUM

by **jaguar&mg** » Tue Aug 16, 2022 4:39 pm

John Quilter wrote: ↑Thu Aug 11, 2022 5:10 pm I really do not think the installation of the rack & pinon system would have any effect on the fore and aft wheel relation to the fender wheel opening. It does not change the A frames upper or lower or the upright that the stub axle attaches to. It certainly did not on my car when I had the R & P system fitted.

It's useful to be able to write that idea [of mine] off. Thank you. I do need to solve this, though, as the road-holding is not what it should be (I have had an S-type before) but this being an impossibly expensive job (subframe mounting?) will, sadly, at the very least have to delay anything being resolved imminently.

by **jaguar&mg** » Tue Aug 16, 2022 4:29 pm

Glyn Ruck wrote: ↑Sat Aug 13, 2022 4:08 pm Has someone messed with your subframe mounting?

Quite possibly, but probably before I owned the car I think. Extensive work had been carried out 'underneath' by a very reputable firm and, more recently, I have had some work done on the power steering—including r&p conversion.

So how would I/a garage be able to tell? And what sort of work—if any is possible—would rectify the situation? Big/prohibitively expensive, or not so bad?!

by **John Quilter** » Sun Aug 14, 2022 4:37 am

jaguar&mg wrote: ↑Thu Aug 11, 2022 8:42 pm
John Quilter wrote: ↑Thu Aug 11, 2022 5:10 pm At the risk of obsessing about this matter, I have recently corrected the 1/2 inch low on the LH (driver side) front of my 3.8S which after 170K miles has all its original springs. I found on the internet these hard rubber spacers and being quite inexpensive, ordered a set.
I think it's quite easy to over-think. Every time I look at the car I notice the suspension height. I actually think that the turning circle diagram (posted some time ago by Glyn) doesn't quite work with my car. I think that, in this photo taken this evening, it seems that my front wheels are too far back — the gap in front of the wheel is not the same as that behind it. It should be the same, I think. I thought this was related to suspension misalignment but now wonder if it is related to the after-market power steering that was installed a few years ago with rack and pinion conversion. It's possibly positioned not quite correctly. Any thoughts?
.
Church 01.jpeg

At a different angle it doesn't show as much — but I am very aware of it. And I know that the back is slightly too low, too. I don't think John's hard rubber spacers would work on the IRS (?).

Church 02 copy.jpeg

I really do not think the installation of the rack & pinon system would have any effect on the fore and aft wheel relation to the fender wheel opening. It does not change the A frames upper or lower or the upright that the stub axle attaches to. It certainly did not on my car when I had the R & P system fitted.

by **John Quilter** » Sun Aug 14, 2022 4:32 am

I don't think John's hard rubber spacers would work on the IRS (?).

They might, but you might have to cut down their thickness a bit to get them to squeeze between the coils of the rear springs even when the spring is fully extended. I had to do a bit of that with the ones I fitted to the LH front coil spring.

by **Glyn Ruck** » Sat Aug 13, 2022 4:08 pm

Has someone messed with your subframe mounting?

This is a good reference ~ take the shadow into account:

: c487-leftside-remote.jpg (103.24 KiB) Viewed 1202 times

: IMG_0825.jpg (1.84 MiB) Viewed 1201 times

by **jaguar&mg** » Thu Aug 11, 2022 8:42 pm

John Quilter wrote: ↑Thu Aug 11, 2022 5:10 pm At the risk of obsessing about this matter, I have recently corrected the 1/2 inch low on the LH (driver side) front of my 3.8S which after 170K miles has all its original springs. I found on the internet these hard rubber spacers and being quite inexpensive, ordered a set.

I think it's quite easy to over-think. Every time I look at the car I notice the suspension height. I actually think that the turning circle diagram (posted some time ago by Glyn) doesn't quite work with my car. I think that, in this photo taken this evening, it seems that my front wheels are too far back — the gap in front of the wheel is not the same as that behind it. It should be the same, I think. I thought this was related to suspension misalignment but now wonder if it is related to the after-market power steering that was installed a few years ago with rack and pinion conversion. It's possibly positioned not quite correctly. Any thoughts?
.

: Church 01.jpeg (3.72 MiB) Viewed 1221 times

At a different angle it doesn't show as much — but I am very aware of it. And I know that the back is slightly too low, too. I don't think John's hard rubber spacers would work on the IRS (?).

: Church 02 copy.jpeg (3.8 MiB) Viewed 1221 times

by **John Quilter** » Thu Aug 11, 2022 5:10 pm

At the risk of obsessing about this matter, I have recently corrected the 1/2 inch low on the LH (driver side) front of my 3.8S which after 170K miles has all its original springs. I found on the internet these hard rubber spacers and being quite inexpensive, ordered a set. Using these eliminated the time consuming and complex process of dismantling the front A frame and fitting (if they could even be found) the spacer rings under the coil spring. These rubber spacers blocks were cut down a bit and two were inserted into the coil spring on the LH side. The result is that side has been raised 1/2 inch and now matches the RH side. The measurement from center of hub cap to underside of the wheel well lip is now 15.5 inches on both sides. Jack point measurements to the ground is: RH side, rear 8.0, front, 7.0 and LH side rear 8.25 and front 6.75. I deem these measurements close enough. A quick and dirty method of small ride height adjustments.

by **John Quilter** » Wed Jul 27, 2022 4:57 pm

I think we might be obsessing about this stuff. Just measured my car (all original springs and 169,000) miles and from using the handwritten drawing above, my car is at front 6.5 inches to floor and rear 8.0 to floor. I'm leaving well enough alone but I do wonder if anyone has tried, or knows about, those old shade tree mechanic's use of those screw in wedges that you could fit to coil springs to raise ride height on old tired springs.

by **jaguar&mg** » Wed Jul 27, 2022 12:23 pm

… and mine is correct at the front and two inches lower at the back. Hmmm.

by **Orlando St.R** » Wed Jul 27, 2022 11:48 am

Just measured my ride height and, according to that FIA document, it's an inch too low all round!

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