Damn those Dampers!
Discussion
Good Evening All
Would any of you be kind enough to share a little detail from your Chimaera data plate with me? More specifically the curb weight engraved on it. Having spent over £800 on new Bilstein's and Eibach springs my car sits very low (undriveable) at the rear. The supplier has cast me off with ' sorry mate they is the right ones' not my problem, which smarted a bit. I have now found a brilliant chap who's helping me get to the bottom of this and hopefully resolve it. He's made mention that some cars may be significantly heavier than others ( as is the nature of the Beast). My car is engraved with 1270 Kg's 600 front 720 rear.
FYI - I have set the springs as recommended by a professional (not by the supplier), middle setting front, upper on the rear.
Many thanks
Simon.
Would any of you be kind enough to share a little detail from your Chimaera data plate with me? More specifically the curb weight engraved on it. Having spent over £800 on new Bilstein's and Eibach springs my car sits very low (undriveable) at the rear. The supplier has cast me off with ' sorry mate they is the right ones' not my problem, which smarted a bit. I have now found a brilliant chap who's helping me get to the bottom of this and hopefully resolve it. He's made mention that some cars may be significantly heavier than others ( as is the nature of the Beast). My car is engraved with 1270 Kg's 600 front 720 rear.
FYI - I have set the springs as recommended by a professional (not by the supplier), middle setting front, upper on the rear.
Many thanks
Simon.
TVR450s said:
Good Evening All
Would any of you be kind enough to share a little detail from your Chimaera data plate with me? More specifically the curb weight engraved on it. Having spent over £800 on new Bilstein's and Eibach springs my car sits very low (undriveable) at the rear. The supplier has cast me off with ' sorry mate they is the right ones' not my problem, which smarted a bit. I have now found a brilliant chap who's helping me get to the bottom of this and hopefully resolve it. He's made mention that some cars may be significantly heavier than others ( as is the nature of the Beast). My car is engraved with 1270 Kg's 600 front 720 rear.
FYI - I have set the springs as recommended by a professional (not by the supplier), middle setting front, upper on the rear.
Many thanks
Simon.
Wtf! Would any of you be kind enough to share a little detail from your Chimaera data plate with me? More specifically the curb weight engraved on it. Having spent over £800 on new Bilstein's and Eibach springs my car sits very low (undriveable) at the rear. The supplier has cast me off with ' sorry mate they is the right ones' not my problem, which smarted a bit. I have now found a brilliant chap who's helping me get to the bottom of this and hopefully resolve it. He's made mention that some cars may be significantly heavier than others ( as is the nature of the Beast). My car is engraved with 1270 Kg's 600 front 720 rear.
FYI - I have set the springs as recommended by a professional (not by the supplier), middle setting front, upper on the rear.
Many thanks
Simon.
No there is no significant weight difference between any of the Chimeara cars.
Sounds like you have the wrong length rear springs.
Are these Ben Lang supplied shocks or privately sourced?
What are the springs rated too as to soft will have a similar effect but if it’s sitting to low stationary i’d Say springs are wrong length.
Edited by Classic Chim on Friday 3rd May 21:12
seeing as its the spring that makes the ride height not the damper spec I agree, it does look that way, but.... if you buy the correct dampers from a supplier of 'tvr parts' this is what you get. It doesn't make any sense. I'm sending the springs back to Eibach for testing. The adjustable platforms are not currently available for purchase . I'd be keen to chat with anyone who's also purchased this 'tvr part' recently and compare notes. I only wish i'd been aware of Ben Lang before parting with my hard earned £££.
The fact that there are 2 grooves lower down to make the car sit even lower suggests to me they're in the wrong place, or require uprated, stiffer springs to go with them.
Mine are refurbished ones and the spring seat is quite high up as shown below. I'm not the only one who has considered dropping it an inch or so as it happens, which is why so many people fit aftermarket adjustables or the later Bilstein ones:
Mine are refurbished ones and the spring seat is quite high up as shown below. I'm not the only one who has considered dropping it an inch or so as it happens, which is why so many people fit aftermarket adjustables or the later Bilstein ones:
Edited by ianwayne on Friday 3rd May 23:57
TVR450s said:
Surely the people fitting the Shocks would have realised that they need to move the spring platform up as per the original, or did they not have any spring compressors to enable that task to be carried out - dehhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! Just taking details out of your post.
Did you fit them yourself? If so and they have adjustable platforms then you have not been assembled correctly. I suspect you've got someone to do it as a spring compressor is needed and it is them that have assembled the units incorrectly.
The brilliant chap who mentioned weight differences is talking rubbish and surely can't be that brilliant!
If he has looked at the car and knows the suspension units then he should know that they have adjustable platforms.
You mentioned the rear units are set on the upper setting on the rear, do you mean the spring platform height positions? If so the upper one which gives the spring a more compressed position would give you a higher ride at the rear. Maybe you mean the other way round therefore it is incorrectly fitted .
That's all.
Did you fit them yourself? If so and they have adjustable platforms then you have not been assembled correctly. I suspect you've got someone to do it as a spring compressor is needed and it is them that have assembled the units incorrectly.
The brilliant chap who mentioned weight differences is talking rubbish and surely can't be that brilliant!
If he has looked at the car and knows the suspension units then he should know that they have adjustable platforms.
You mentioned the rear units are set on the upper setting on the rear, do you mean the spring platform height positions? If so the upper one which gives the spring a more compressed position would give you a higher ride at the rear. Maybe you mean the other way round therefore it is incorrectly fitted .
That's all.
You will need to check the diameter of your damper body, but something like this would help you out a lot for fine tuning the heights
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SHOCK-ABSORBER-COIL-OVE...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SHOCK-ABSORBER-COIL-OVE...
The spring platform is in the correct position on these dampers & the dampers have been assembled correctly. Whilst there is a physical difference in the spring platform position, i has assumed (wrongly) that i would be supplied with a dampers suitable for a standard car.
If anyone would be willing to share a photo of, or the curb weight information engraved on the data plate I'd be grateful as i can eliminate this from my inquiries.
Thanks
If anyone would be willing to share a photo of, or the curb weight information engraved on the data plate I'd be grateful as i can eliminate this from my inquiries.
Thanks
spitfire4v8 said:
You will need to check the diameter of your damper body, but something like this would help you out a lot for fine tuning the heights
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SHOCK-ABSORBER-COIL-OVE...
Yes, ultimately a kit of that sort would be a solution, but in the first instance i want to ensure i don't mask a manufacturing issue. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SHOCK-ABSORBER-COIL-OVE...
My Chimaera doesn't have a plate with weights on it, I doubt if any has. Only the chassis no, colour code etc.
I very much doubt the weight of the vehicle is relevant unless it is hugely different. After all, with 2 chaps my size in it and a full tank, mine would be 250kg (well over 20%) heavier. It doesn't cause the car to drag its arse on the floor.
The platform on your replacement rear shock looks about 20mm lower than the original which would be acceptable, if not actually preferred by many owners! If you can get a couple of fingers width-wise between the tyre and the wheel arch with the car sat level, than that's about right. On my car, it's 4 fingers because I have originals.
Have the wishbone bushes been changed, or perhaps loosened and re-tightened with the car lower than standard? Perhaps with no shocks / springs fitted?
I very much doubt the weight of the vehicle is relevant unless it is hugely different. After all, with 2 chaps my size in it and a full tank, mine would be 250kg (well over 20%) heavier. It doesn't cause the car to drag its arse on the floor.
The platform on your replacement rear shock looks about 20mm lower than the original which would be acceptable, if not actually preferred by many owners! If you can get a couple of fingers width-wise between the tyre and the wheel arch with the car sat level, than that's about right. On my car, it's 4 fingers because I have originals.
Have the wishbone bushes been changed, or perhaps loosened and re-tightened with the car lower than standard? Perhaps with no shocks / springs fitted?
TVR450s said:
Good Evening All
Would any of you be kind enough to share a little detail from your Chimaera data plate with me? More specifically the curb weight engraved on it. Having spent over £800 on new Bilstein's and Eibach springs my car sits very low (undriveable) at the rear. The supplier has cast me off with ' sorry mate they is the right ones' not my problem, which smarted a bit. I have now found a brilliant chap who's helping me get to the bottom of this and hopefully resolve it. He's made mention that some cars may be significantly heavier than others ( as is the nature of the Beast). My car is engraved with 1270 Kg's 600 front 720 rear.
FYI - I have set the springs as recommended by a professional (not by the supplier), middle setting front, upper on the rear.
Many thanks
Simon.
Curb weight is as you’ve described,,, do you think they actually weighed more than one Would any of you be kind enough to share a little detail from your Chimaera data plate with me? More specifically the curb weight engraved on it. Having spent over £800 on new Bilstein's and Eibach springs my car sits very low (undriveable) at the rear. The supplier has cast me off with ' sorry mate they is the right ones' not my problem, which smarted a bit. I have now found a brilliant chap who's helping me get to the bottom of this and hopefully resolve it. He's made mention that some cars may be significantly heavier than others ( as is the nature of the Beast). My car is engraved with 1270 Kg's 600 front 720 rear.
FYI - I have set the springs as recommended by a professional (not by the supplier), middle setting front, upper on the rear.
Many thanks
Simon.
Is’nt the one in your picture the front, I’m sure the rears have a longer section at the top to clear wishbones but I can’t remember off hand.
Fitted wrong way round?
ianwayne said:
My Chimaera doesn't have a plate with weights on it, I doubt if any has. Only the chassis no, colour code etc.
I very much doubt the weight of the vehicle is relevant unless it is hugely different. After all, with 2 chaps my size in it and a full tank, mine would be 250kg (well over 20%) heavier. It doesn't cause the car to drag its arse on the floor.
The platform on your replacement rear shock looks about 20mm lower than the original which would be acceptable, if not actually preferred by many owners! If you can get a couple of fingers width-wise between the tyre and the wheel arch with the car sat level, than that's about right. On my car, it's 4 fingers because I have originals.
Have the wishbone bushes been changed, or perhaps loosened and re-tightened with the car lower than standard? Perhaps with no shocks / springs fitted?
I have plate and it says the same as o/p mentions! I very much doubt the weight of the vehicle is relevant unless it is hugely different. After all, with 2 chaps my size in it and a full tank, mine would be 250kg (well over 20%) heavier. It doesn't cause the car to drag its arse on the floor.
The platform on your replacement rear shock looks about 20mm lower than the original which would be acceptable, if not actually preferred by many owners! If you can get a couple of fingers width-wise between the tyre and the wheel arch with the car sat level, than that's about right. On my car, it's 4 fingers because I have originals.
Have the wishbone bushes been changed, or perhaps loosened and re-tightened with the car lower than standard? Perhaps with no shocks / springs fitted?
You should think twice before suggesting lowering the car is something we all do. It’s vanity and ruins ride and geo settings. There is a rake front to rear for good reason. Lowering the car changes camber and is not to be recommended on a road car with sump about 100 mm off the ground. Put your car on a flat floor, corner weighing scales and transfer weight back by lowering the rear, a lot of static weight gets thrown back and totally destroys the 50/50 weight distribution.
Edited by Classic Chim on Saturday 4th May 14:48
Edited by Classic Chim on Sunday 5th May 11:29
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