help lowering p5 saloon ? back & front

[bissmire]

I'm sure a few of you chaps have got round to the job, any help would be much appreciated. Would love to get the old girl sitting right...

thanks

[nodsmods]

Hi mate you could get some spring holders made with square hole rotated to achieve height you want

[bissmire]

Hey Nodsmods, Could you be a little more specific, we're talking Rookie here..lol

thanks

[nodsmods]

Hi mate don't know correct terminology but I will call it a bell crank at end of torsion spring[mid car]A good metal machinist with mill should be able to make them .If you wan't I can ask bloke that does machining for me

[bissmire]

got ya .. was thinking about getting a lower sitting leaf spring..this sounds a little cheaper...in the words of dr. szell...Is it safe ?

[nodsmods]

Hi mate , It would prob be cheaper to get springs twisted but they become less efficient have left message for mechanist mate hope he will come and see me this week to give me $ guesstimate. Lot of machining not that cheap , would be as strong as standard but prettier get back to you ASAP NOD

[bissmire]

Hey Nods...This is the U.S company I was thinking about making me up some new Leafs www.belltech.com/m-leafsprings.php...

From memory I think there are seven leafs in the standard Rover items...I would think you could safely get down to three these days with the correct spring rate... ? hopefully lowering it two inches +

I'm quite surprised no one else has joined in this post ...Or is this subject heresy here on the P5 club. ?

Be very interested to here a price from your pal .. please keep me informed ..Also where abouts are you..I'm in London ..just by the by

[nodsmods]

Hi mate I'm in OZ Bayswater near Melbourne in Victoria.The rover I am working on is the first one I have ever had anything to do with it's the first time I have ever seen a malty leaf torsion bar setup will be in touch asap
NOD

[colnerov]

Hi, I will join in to say I think you are talking at cross purposes. One is talking about the torsion bars on the front, and the other is on about the leaf spring at the rear.

Colin

[bissmire]

stuff I found and been told about lowering a P5.

"Yes P5 is very easy to lower, I did one in the mid eighties although I only lowered the front.
If I remember rightly the torsion bars have an adjuster to trim the ride height which I managed to lower approx 2"

[bissmire]

this is some info from Simon N.Z the beast !

One of the first things I did, which is a must to add any handling responce, is to replace front rubber sub-frme mounts (there are six) with something solid. Or remove as I did, and weld sub-frame to body frame. This effectivley lowered front of car over subspension. You have to slot fire-wall for steering collum etc. If thats to extreme, get some alloy pucks made up. There easy to slip in place of stock rubber ones.,

[bissmire]

torsion bar adjustment its via the top link holes on the subframe towers

[Deleted]

... and in return, how did you get on with this? My car has an MoT now so lowering is the next stage of the project.

I plan to use the adjusters at the front and blocks at the back. I'm only after a couple of inches drop, to reduce the "hippo on tiptoes" effect ...

[bissmire]

hahah...hippo on tiptoes

Fitted Gaz adjustable shocks all round and new outer track rod ends up front...Car now feels absolutely solid on he road, the Gaz shocks can take the ride from rock hard to waft along with a few clicks...Highly recommended upgrade, seems to have taken that fragile feeling out of the car to..

Next is the front torsion adjusters, I'm looking for round a 2'' drop. Wanted to fit the Gaz shocks first to compensate for any slackness this adjustment may incur..?

If you have blocks made up let me know how you get on, I might come in with you..I do want new leafs with eyes front and back 'n drop links wielded in to adjust height as I feel.... not a fan of those rubber bushes on the back of the leafs...still, I'll have to save some pound notes first ;] so blocks could be a short term option...

[Deleted]

Interesting re the shocks, do you have a part/type number and recommended source for those?

I'll let you know what transpires re the blocks. I agree the rear doughnuts are a bit less than ideal but yes, changing them is a pretty major undertaking.

[Roy of the Rovers]

When I lowered the front using the adjustment in the torsion bar, it reduced the gap between the top of the front tyre and the wheelarch. I used to be able to put my fist on end on the tyre and the wheelarch touched my thumb, now the gap is 2 fingers-roughly an inch and a half. It doesnt happen immediately though, the suspension takes a while and a bit of time to settle. Initially it was higher.

I do find that on windy, bumpy roads that she bottoms out on the bump stops at the front if there is a bit of speed involved! Standard shocks though.

[Deleted]

Roy, that sounds about right, yes I have noticed that when you jack up the front, the torsion bars unwind so it sits higher at first when you put it back on the wheels. I find it settles faster if you drive it a bit, rather than wait for gravity alone to do the job.

[bissmire]

Just rang up Gaz direct and they kindly sort me out .. think it was 300 notes...they know the part number ect...took about 2 weeks

[Warwick]

The main cause of the front sitting high after jacking the wheels off the ground and then lowering again is that as the suspension drops, the wheels swing inwards at the bottom. When you lower it onto the tyres again, the friction between the tyre and the ground stops the suspension settling properly because the tyres can't slide outwards. A grippy surface like concrete or asphalt will keep the front high, whereas a loose surface like gravel will let the tyres slide outwards again and the car will settle properly.

If you roll the car back and forth a few feet, it allows the tyres to move outwards and it settles.

If you watch the tyre where it touches the ground when you start to jack it up, you'll see it being dragged inwards when the body starts to rise.

[Roy of the Rovers]

Agree with all the above but I also noticed that after lowering the car, it settled in its new lower position after a being used a couple of times. It got lower straight away but got even both sides and lower after a couple of days. There maybe something stiff in the mechanicals after having been wound higher for almost 40 years.

[bissmire]

Give the bump stops a trim Roy...lovely ;]

[Roy of the Rovers]

And some nice new adjustables for good measure

[bissmire]

oh yeah !

[enigmas]

You can also remove the bump stop cups for a bit more suspension movement. (It doesn't hurt anything...did this years ago...and also trim the bump stops a bit) Check suspension movement when you're done...everything should still clear.

[bissmire]

thanks Enigmas..