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Is it just me or does anyone else have regular quarrels with speed humps? The ride of the D' in question is no lower than the designed height (the one everyone puts their cars down to when they take it off the stilts) yet manages to scrape humps in the road on almost every outing unless one is constantly thinking about specifically avoiding them. I've often wished there was a button to make the car lift a bit then sit back down once its clear.
So, does anyone know of or own a DeLorean with air ride suspension? I'm not bothered about the car going any lower, but these systems can also be used to lift the car. There are also supposed to be handling benefits (?)
After a little research I've come accross chaps like
http://airride.co.uk/ who don't a system yet for the DeLorean specificallly, but have lots of useful info and advertise as being able to create air suspension for any car - you don't get direct fit on generic kits.
What are the views on this :?:
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For just clearing speed bump,s lifting the front a couple of inches would be helful and Lambourginis have this feature.
The systems you linked to replace both spring and damper, and on the front of the car this would mean uprating the lower arm so the weight can be carried on the lower shock bolt rather than the spring seat. There isn't a lot of room ther eeither.
However I would say that a lot of DeLoreans are riding too low at the front - they look fantastic but if your steering track rods are sloping uphill, then the handling is being compromised, and usually the front is a lot lower than the rear. Riding level or slightly lower at the front still gives a pretty respectable ground clearance.
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stunned_monkey Wrote:I would say that a lot of DeLoreans are riding too low at the front - they look fantastic but if your steering track rods are sloping uphill, then the handling is being compromised, and usually the front is a lot lower than the rear. Riding level or slightly lower at the front still gives a pretty respectable ground clearance.
Martin, this may sound daft, but would this apply to any car? I was thinking of lowering one
of my Vauxhalls (all round tho, not just at the front), and your comment has got me wondering
as to whether I'd be doing more harm then good......
Claire Wright - Club Treasurer
Jul 1981 DeLorean - Flopsy #2292
Aug 1989 Cavalier 1.6L - Guinney
Apr 2021 Mokka-e Launch Edition - Evie
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The honest answer is that I don't know. It almost certainly depends on the car.
As I understand it, with wishbone suspension cars are usually set up so their control rods/wisbones are just below level so that on minor bumps they pass through the level point and the track change is effectively neutralised, anbd makes hte car tend to track straight. Changing that "zero" point messes this very real intention up, but them most cars with double wishbone setups have afjustments everywhere to set things up as required.
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thats fine Martin, that explains things in language I can understand
I'll double check the standard set up on the car before I start messing about with it.
Cheers!!
Claire Wright - Club Treasurer
Jul 1981 DeLorean - Flopsy #2292
Aug 1989 Cavalier 1.6L - Guinney
Apr 2021 Mokka-e Launch Edition - Evie
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Here is a demo of what bump steer is
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKJAukSZRT0[/youtube]
All cars are designed with a certain amount of bump steering.
You can see both wheels moving when the suspension moves. So you can imagine what happens to the steering geo when you hit a bump. If you dont have the angel of the track rods correct then all that force goes into moving the wheels without your input !
Some manufactures allow you to reset the suspension to compensate for this, the Delorean doesnt. You can only adjust camber and toe.
A Simple fix Lotus use on there own cars is that of raising the steering rack if you lower the car. You can get shims that fit under the rack or move the mounting points of the rack so keeping the angle of the track rods correct.
Dan
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On the DeLorean, only toe is adjustable as standard.
Thongs get even more complicated with the DeLorean because the lower control arm traces an arc that moves the front hub through positive and negative castor, thanks to the anti-roll bar.
The bump steer in that video (which also has the track rods level at full suspension travel) would be removed by making the upper wishbone the same length as the lower, but that's done deliberately to make the tyre contact patch always square as the car experiences body roll...
It's -very- complicated stuff. !
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stunned_monkey Wrote:Thongs get even more complicated with the DeLorean
:lol: sorry I'm just in a silly mood...
Apparently Rich W (who does the big mods) is putting together an air ride system for some of his project cars...
I'm not interested in 'slamming' the car, but just for it to be able to clear these speed bumps - clearly whoever designed them had made zero effort to research what clearance is needed for lower road cars. Theres one thing having speed reduction measures, its another thing to have than damaging vehicles (even if only cosmetically). Seriously does anyone else get this problem or is it just consistent bad luck? The car is at the height Simon put it to, the height the DeLorean was designed to ride at...the body rides pretty level...
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Late 1970's-80's ===== NO speed bumps and better condition roads :roll: Is it just the front you have issues with, it may be the springs have dropped to low now?
Chris
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...I have the speed hump issue.
LEX is stored at my parents house, and when i take her out, i can only exit my parents housing estate in one direction.
Only tried the other direction once. Regretted it immediately. Very noisy and unsettling.
One of the reasons i'm interested in finally replacing my front springs actually.
The front of the car is sagging right now, meaning i literally only has about 3" clearance from road to front spoiler. I'll be interested in seeing what difference there is with my new springs fitted.
I'm only expecting another 1" clearance at most (hopefully - quite like her low! lol!) but that might make all the difference.
Rissy
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May 1981 vin#1458 "LEX"
Grey, Flapped, Black
Chassis: #1073
Engine: #2839
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2005 BMW M3 in Velvet Blue
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My car is quite low at the front (before the frame off anyway). I cant say I have had any problems with speed ramps and they can be quite big around here. Just have to take it DEAD slow over some of them.
Vin #4087
