Body Alignment Question

[V8 Vum]

Hi Guys,

My build had a body prefit last year by the factory, but not much has happened until recently as I had no garage.

However, now I have a nice new one, so car in...Cockpit off....chassis lifted onto dolly...ready for stripping the sides to get the tanks in....

...but, when jacking the car up and now I have it on the dolly, I couldn't help noticing that the front wheels foul the front clip slightly on one side (with wheels straight-ahead), and is very close (almost touching) the side pod moulding behind. In fact it is slightly closer on the rt hand side.Any slight turn of the wheels result in fouling.

In addition, although I have not done any proper measurements yet, the impression is that there is a difference, with no margin for adjustment as the pod moulding on the right is almost hard up on both front and rear wheels.

Having never built one of these before I am wondering if there is a small difference in mouldings length, or something more sinsister.

If this is acceptable the next supposition is that on driving there is the possibility that normal suspension travel may bring the tyres in contact with the pod moulding and/or front clip, especially on slight turns?

Is not the tolerance a bit tight?

What have you guys found?

cheers

[LuckyP]

My experience is that you don't get a true reflection of wheel concentricity until the susp is set the car is rolling about and your wheel alignment is done. However having said that, I recall that I had similiar concerns that I was closer on one side than the other. Main thing is the factory have done your body, so it will be as it should.

You will find that when finished, you won't foul the arches on slow tight bends, but you may just scrape the headlamp bowls, particulary on uneven ground.

The only time you might foul the arches is at 100mph on Corham or such long bend, when the car is mega loaded up and you have a small amount of lock on. It's an interesting noise/experience!!

However, the factory may suggest removal of touch of arch return.....come to think of it. I did the same.

Ask the factory.

IMO the headlamp bowl is the enemy. Get 'em as tight forward as you can and you will save a whole lotta pain.

Cheers

Pete

[andygtt]

I am guessing your car is on the dolly with the shocks and springs on rather than the ride height bars and thus the wheels are at full droop?...... I beleive on droop the wheels can hit the lower parts of the wheel arches if the dampers are not the correct length.
I can't quite remember 100% but I think it was only the rear on mine that touched the body when jacked up

[LuckyP]

andygtt said:

I am guessing your car is on the dolly with the shocks and springs on rather than the ride height bars and thus the wheels are at full droop?...... I beleive on droop the wheels can hit the lower parts of the wheel arches if the dampers are not the correct length.
I can't quite remember 100% but I think it was only the rear on mine that touched the body when jacked up

Same as that

[V8 Vum]

Dampers not the correct length?

Hmmm, Forgive my lack of understanding, but I presume we are talking about the shock absorbers, which are adjustable for resistance/ hardness, but I did not know they adjusted the length of travel?

Keith

[LuckyP]

V8 Vum said:

Dampers not the correct length?

Hmmm, Forgive my lack of understanding, but I presume we are talking about the shock absorbers, which are adjustable for resistance/ hardness, but I did not know they adjusted the length of travel?

Keith

Spring seat adjustment to alter ride height.

[V8 Vum]

I will have a look tonight!

presumably somewhere in the manual are the correct settings?

cheers

keith

[LuckyP]

V8 Vum said:

I will have a look tonight!

presumably somewhere in the manual are the correct settings?

cheers

keith

You get the height of the chassis recommended by the Factory, measured from the underside of the chassis to floor at the centre line of the wheels. That is in the manual I fink???

The ride height is adjusted by the spring collars, but you would only do this after the car is up to weight.

The factory will have alighted the body right. Just concentrate on the arch return and the headlamp bowl, IIWY.

Pete

[andygtt]

LuckyP said:

V8 Vum said:

Dampers not the correct length?

Hmmm, Forgive my lack of understanding, but I presume we are talking about the shock absorbers, which are adjustable for resistance/ hardness, but I did not know they adjusted the length of travel?

Keith

Spring seat adjustment to alter ride height.

also a shock absorber will have an open and closed length, if the open length is to long the wheel will hang too low.... it is not adjustable and I know people who sent them to be rebuilt and have the open legth corrected.

[Builder]

Keith, I had exactly the same question. Here's the PH thread. No worries, mate.

[GTRCLIVE]

Reading your thread Builder seems I never replied about how I shortened the lengths.. Sorry about that..

I took the Shocks back to the Manufacturer and asked them to shorten the Open length to the length I had measured, so would no longer stress the top ball joint on the front and no longer hit the cill on the rear....
Was only shortening them less than a inch if I remember right (on my shocks anyway), but what they did was fit shorter piston rods... Only charged me 40 quid which I thought was cheap, and did it while I waited... AVO shocks by the way are in Northampton......

I will see If I can dig out the lengths I had them reduced to...