GT/4 rear ride height | FerrariChat

GT/4 rear ride height

Discussion in '308/328' started by dinogt4guy, Sep 5, 2007.

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  1. dinogt4guy

    dinogt4guy F1 Rookie

    Oct 31, 2004
    3,408
    Hewitt, Tx.
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    Kurtis Fordice
    Help!!!

    Does anyone have any sudgestions on how I can easly raise the ride height about 1" or so in the rear of my 78' GT4? I've looked thru my workshop manual and did not see anything there. I can't replace the shocks and springs at this time, but I was told of a possible adjustable spring pearch? The manifacture and where to find said item was unknown, I'll look in the sponsers websites to see what I can find but was hoping some of my fellow Tifosi would be able to help me out too. PLEASE!!!

    TIA and Cheers!
     
  2. jimshadow

    jimshadow F1 Veteran
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Feb 19, 2006
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    I take it you are bottoming out?

    QA-1's and springs are reasonable, though it leads to things like suspension bushings, paperweights etc... (Ask me how I know!!!)

    JIM
     
  3. dinogt4guy

    dinogt4guy F1 Rookie

    Oct 31, 2004
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    No, not bottoming out, it just sits too low in the rear and too close to the tires. I would like the same clearance/height in the rear as I have in the front. I don't like the Dino looking like it has the same rake as a 66' mustang. :D I can't afford to redo the suspension till this winter. Was hoping for a quick fix?

    Cheers
     
  4. Hans

    Hans F1 Veteran

    Feb 17, 2006
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    #4 Hans, Sep 6, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    How about taking the spare out and fill the entire front of the car with bricks??? That should give your car the proper look again!

    :D:D:D:D

    Incidentally, I can wholeheartedly recommend the QA-1 approach. It has totally transformed my car.... (Plus it really needed new springs, see pic)
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  5. dinogt4guy

    dinogt4guy F1 Rookie

    Oct 31, 2004
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    The car looks great Hans! Your car sure sits low in the front, does it ever hit the tires? Mine sits in the back like yours sits in the front, and my front sits like yours in the back. I would like to have them the same. I did do a search for "spring perch's" and found some adapters from a compant called Genisis something and they may have what I need. I will need to a bit more reaserch though!

    Cheers!
     
  6. marankie

    marankie Formula Junior

    Aug 30, 2004
    252
    Agoura Hills, Calif
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    Martin
    Very unusual. I just replaced the the shocks, all four corners with new Konis (and bushings) on my GT4, and it sits perfectly well.

    Be aware that allthough the front shocks for the GT4 and the GTS/B are exactly the same, the rear shocks are not. The GT4 shocks are longer (eye to eye) which could explain your situation. (if some installed GTS/B rear shocks by mistake). Some of the after market suppliers may not be aware of this also.
     
  7. dinogt4guy

    dinogt4guy F1 Rookie

    Oct 31, 2004
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    I don't know but only assumed they were the original shocks? I have read recently about the differance in the rear shock, thanks for the heads up anyway. This is a good point though, most pic's of other GT4's don't sit low in the back like mine. Obviously more investiagation is needed! The plot thickens!

    Cheers
     
  8. maurice70

    maurice70 F1 Rookie

    Jan 25, 2004
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    Sydney
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    maurice T
    How much do you want to raise it up by?If its not that much you canhave spaces made up from a local machine shop but in order to fit these the shocks have to come out and the springs have to come off.Then you slip the spaces over the shock perch and refit the springs.Unforntunately the amount of work involved is the same work as if you were replacing the shocks so the labour time is the same.If you are doing it yourself then labour time doesn't really matter but if a mechanic is doing it then you will have to pay him again when you decide to rebuild
     
  9. jimshadow

    jimshadow F1 Veteran
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    Feb 19, 2006
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    If its only a visual thing, then hold out for the QA-1's and new springs. I'll be doing mine myself car this fall/winter. IIRC, the QA-1's are $244/ea and the springs are around $35/ea. The thing that adds the cost (and well worth it) will be the infamous 'paperweights'. (to hold the shop manual open, of course!)
    You may want to hit Verell up now for those. I believe he only had a few sets left when I got mine. (you'll need 1 pair)

    JIM
     
  10. gerritv

    gerritv Formula 3

    Jun 18, 2001
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    Jay GT4 on this site bought new springs for US$65 each (approx) from a standard company. Ride height on his car is back to normal. Unless your shocks are also shot then this is the cheapest way to get back to standard height. Anything else (QA1's?) will be a possible challenge.

    Gerrit
     
  11. Hans

    Hans F1 Veteran

    Feb 17, 2006
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    Oh, the QA-1's are no challenge. Pretty much straightforward to get them on. And a massive improvement on how the car handles.

    The QA-1's are less expensive than Jim wrote. I paid:

    1 pair QA-1 DR4855P shocks $144.99 each
    1 pair QA-1 DR5855P shocks $144.99 each
    1 pair springs 10", 300 lbs $33.00 each
    1 pair springs 12", 300 lbs $33.00 each
    1 set wrench keys to adjust the shock length $16.00

    Plus of course the infamous paper weights and bushings. It's indeed those items that add up...

    However, still by far the best aftermarked mod I have done to my car, and certainly worth it!!

    Hans
     
  12. spucati

    spucati Rookie

    Jul 10, 2006
    17
    hello dino 4 guy
    when messing about with ride height when i first bought my gt4 ( the car was smacking off the deck requiring repairs to the fibreglass front spoiler .....ouch)i bought a length of ali tube and chopped bits off to use as spring packers.i ended up with 20mm at the front and 15mm at the back with superformance uprated springs on rebuilt koni shocks with heavier than standard oil .This took a lot of time and energy (eventually i just whistled and the shocks took themselves off) all these different things help but i'm still throwing all that work and standard kit in the bin and going qa1's and paperweights.can't wait to fit them over this winter.thank you hans for your advice on the subject the only thing i have done differently from yourself is to add the 1" spacer supplied by summit to go with the rear shocks to maintain the original length (the excellent paperweights of course do this at the front) unfortunately as i'm a "fud" i did not take in to acount that the spring would now have to be 14" instead of the 12" ones i ordered. oh well c'est la vie its a drop in the ocean compared to what i have already spent on this beautiful addiction.at the moment i still have the impulse to lift my feet when approaching a dip at speed the qa1's should cure this nervious twitch. P.S. anyone want a pair of unused 300lb 12" qa1 springs .
     
  13. Hans

    Hans F1 Veteran

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    They will not!!!

    The shocks themselves will only extend so far. No matter how many spacers you'll pack, it will not help lengthening the shocks!!!! They will top out at least 2 inches before reaching the length of the koni's.

    Ditto for the longer springs. 10" an"d 12" is all that it can take. No use putting in longer springs, really, as you cannot extend the shocks longer than they are!

    As things are now on my GT4, they are adequate. Once in a while, when I attach a long bump at too high a pace, the back will jump up and have the shocks topping out. Ideally, they would have had one inch more travel. They will never see the bottom, so physically lengthening them while setting the springs lower on the shock body would help too. Installing paperweights at the back would help, I'm sure. It'd be somewhat costly though...

    Bottom line: the setup works with paperweights up front and nothing at the back, with 10 and 12 inch springs and no spacers.

    Hans

    Hans
     
  14. spucati

    spucati Rookie

    Jul 10, 2006
    17
    hi hans
    my hope with the spacer on the rear shock is that by starting with the same eye to eye distance as standard iwill not have to pre load the spring so much to maintain the ride height there by allowing me to run the shock lower on the rod reducing the chance of the shock topping out.the spacer is not a spring spacer but adds length to the rod.i might be dreaming here, but i can still go back to 12"springs and no spacer if i have a problem.
     
  15. dinogt4guy

    dinogt4guy F1 Rookie

    Oct 31, 2004
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    Now this sounds like a good way to go. At least for the first step until I can afford the new shocks too. I think my workshop manual has all the specs on the springs. Seems like everyone goes with a bit stiffer than stock spring also. I'll have to look into this. I have read all the latest suspension threads, I'll have to go back and review them. Thanks for all the great input, you guys are the greatest! (even if you hate my new wheels :D)

    Cheers!
     
  16. gerritv

    gerritv Formula 3

    Jun 18, 2001
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    Hey, fundamentally you have good taste. Witness the fact that you bought a 308GT4 :) The rest becomes personal taste. Wanting to get away from 14" tires is a good thing.

    BTW the WSM (at http://dino308gt4.com) has measurements of the rear geometry that you can use to verify correct shocks, ride height, compressed spring length etc. There is no need to guess as to what the correct facts are.

    Gerrit
     
  17. Hans

    Hans F1 Veteran

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    okayyyy....

    If indeed the spacer lengthens the rod, then I take back my words.

    Why do we still need paperweights then, I wonder??? Or does upper spring cup move up with the rod length?

    Do you have a pic of this spacer (reference to a page in some catalog maybe??)

    Sounds like that spacer might indeed be just what the doctor ordered! I'm interested!!!

    This is getting interesting!!! Thanks!!

    Hans
     
  18. 208 GT4

    208 GT4 Formula 3

    Dec 27, 2003
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    Hans, that is a VERY good pic of your GT4, it looks simply stunning in that colour, from that angle, and with that ride height.
     
  19. Hans

    Hans F1 Veteran

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    #19 Hans, Sep 9, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  20. 208 GT4

    208 GT4 Formula 3

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    #20 208 GT4, Sep 9, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  21. Hans

    Hans F1 Veteran

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    Thanks Dan!

    And I like the color of your GT4 too! I just love them in blue....
     
  22. Aircon

    Aircon Ten Time F1 World Champ
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  23. Hans

    Hans F1 Veteran

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  24. Aircon

    Aircon Ten Time F1 World Champ
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    standard aussie delivery....i didn't know it had that combo!!

    they came with air pump and twin distributors. all gone now, of course.
     
  25. spucati

    spucati Rookie

    Jul 10, 2006
    17
    hi hans
    the spacer does effectively increase the rod length,but not its stroke length. it screws on to the top of the rod you then screw the spring cup to the top of the spacer effectively increacing the spring cup distance by 1" or 2" depending on which spacer you order from summit (there are two part numbers one for each size) i saw them on an earlier post relating to the group buy for paper weights and thought 'hello' there is your shock length and ride hieght right there.you could use paperweights and back off your spring pre load (verrel probably has 'caus he invented them).a cheaper option are these spacers.remember that the 12" spring does not work as you run out of threads just as the spring starts to compress,a 14" spring engages at the bottom of the thread aloughing manouver on the ride height without over compressing the spring (i hope!). my understanding is that the paper weights were engineered as an elegant alternative for the need to carve up the front 'a' arms on an unmodified qa1 shock.the added shock length came as a wellcome by product that verell like a good engeneer took advantage of there by creating a design classic.
     

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