Ride height ?

[oldtinsmith]

How does a person (me) determine the best ride height for a almost daily driven 1980 El Camino? I don't like the "donk" or "slammed" look. I do like a slight "raked" look and slightly lower than stock. How have some of you decided? ... I should add that on the centerline of the wheel, from the ground to the fender lip is 28 1/2" front, and 27" rear. Front tires are 215/65/15 and rear tires are 245/60/15.

Doug

[Josh@Ridetech]

Are you looking to change the suspension? If you go to a coilover or air suspension setup, a shock can be built to the (ride height) length that you're looking for.

http://www.ridetech.com/store/1964-1972-gm-a-body-coilover-rear-system-non-adjustable-clone.html

[oldtinsmith]

Josh,
Everything will be getting changed during my rebuild. The tire sizes and stance measurements are as the trucklet sits now (not drivable). As I said, the trucklet will be a mostly daily driver, will carry loads in the bed and pull a small class II trailer (air suspension?). How do adjustable shocks stand up to the 4-seasons of weather? Can you run coilover in the front and air suspension in the back (for load carrying and trailer towing?) I"d appreciate your input! Thanks

Doug

[Josh@Ridetech]

Josh,
Everything will be getting changed during my rebuild. The tire sizes and stance measurements are as the trucklet sits now (not drivable). As I said, the trucklet will be a mostly daily driver, will carry loads in the bed and pull a small class II trailer (air suspension?). How do adjustable shocks stand up to the 4-seasons of weather? Can you run coilover in the front and air suspension in the back (for load carrying and trailer towing?) I"d appreciate your input! Thanks

Doug

Either way you go, the Fox shocks are very durable, and designed to handle whatever you throw at them! The 1,000,001 mile warranty lets you put them to work :D.

You could do coilovers on the front and air suspension on the rear if you'd like, it just depends on what you're looking for. What are you looking to tow behind the car?

[oldtinsmith]

Josh,
As my "shop truck" (I'm retired and play in my back yard shop), I will occasionally be hauling up to 650 lbs. in the bed. I may also at times tow a class II trailer (a utility flat bed with a max of 300 lb tongue weight and 3000lbs. total load). These "occasions" will be not be all that often! I will not only be up grading the suspension (front and back) but, also up grading the braking system and reinforcing the frame. My goal is to have the best handling El Camino within those parameters. Thanks!

Doug

[Josh@Ridetech]

Josh,
As my "shop truck" (I'm retired and play in my back yard shop), I will occasionally be hauling up to 650 lbs. in the bed. I may also at times tow a class II trailer (a utility flat bed with a max of 300 lb tongue weight and 3000lbs. total load). These "occasions" will be not be all that often! I will not only be up grading the suspension (front and back) but, also up grading the braking system and reinforcing the frame. My goal is to have the best handling El Camino within those parameters. Thanks!

Doug

Doug,

You could always look into our Coolride kit that we offer for the rear, you'll have a little more load capacity that the 7000 series Shockwaves would allow. Running it along with one of of HQ smooth body shocks would give you a very nice ride and a good amount of lift when you do go to put something in the bed.

http://www.ridetech.com/store/1978-1988-chevy-g-body-coolride-rear-system.html

Thanks!

[SSLance]

How does a person (me) determine the best ride height for a almost daily driven 1980 El Camino? I don't like the "donk" or "slammed" look. I do like a slight "raked" look and slightly lower than stock. How have some of you decided? ... I should add that on the centerline of the wheel, from the ground to the fender lip is 28 1/2" front, and 27" rear. Front tires are 215/65/15 and rear tires are 245/60/15.

Doug

When Ron Sutton first started helping me with my suspension, one of the first things we did was put zip ties on my shock shafts and ran an event measuring how far the shocks traveled during a run. Choosing my ride height was more of a function of suspension travel than aesthetics. While a lowered stance may look appealing, if the suspension is bottoming out over bumps or is so stiff to keep it from bottoming out due to short bump travel, handling and comfort will be lacking.

The lowest I've had my car was 25.5" F 26.5" R at the center of the fender wells. At this height, my front shock was about 3/4" from bottoming out. With my new setup (including re-engineered shock mounts front and rear) my fender wells are at 26.5" F and 27.5" R and I have over 3" of bump travel at the shock from that static ride height.

I guess what I'm getting at is each situation is different, there is no "correct" answer to your question. Putting the whole package together takes some time, thought, and reality checks about what you really want the vehicle to look like and how you want it to perform. Then, how much work and expense do you want to put into it to get it there. Extreme lowered rides look great and perform well...if they've got the suspension setup to still travel even with the lowered static ride height.

[oldtinsmith]

Josh,
The Coolride kit is, well, COOL! Questions: I didn't see what all is included in a "kit", so can you tell me? Witch shocks would you suggest (I do like a "spirited" drive)? Do you have any install pictures (A or G body)? What kind of life expectancy for the 7000 Shockwave (warranty)? Exhaust clearances? ... I like what I,m hearing here, Thanks!

Doug

[SSLance]

Doug,

I just measured my car in it's current state for someone else asking for frame height measurements, so I thought I'd pass them along to you as well in case it helps.

Bottom of frame to ground at #2 body mount is about 6", Bottom of frame to ground at #4 body mount is about 7".

That puts my fenders at 26.5" F and 27.5" rear measured directly inline with the spindle\axle to the bottom of the fender lip.

I measured this out in the parking lot, not a perfectly level and square alignment rack...so take that for what it's worth, but it might help steer you in a direction for helping to start mocking up your bare frame.

[oldtinsmith]

Hey Lance!
I've been reading through your post with Ron a lot (also Ron's stickies on Lateral-g). Very good info (I'm writing many, many notes) and a lot of "WOW, now I see what he's talking about" moments! I really like what Josh (Ridetech) has been saying too! He seems to understand the hauling/towing/handling parameters I'm looking for (he's the only company "rep" to give me any time so far!). ... Yeah, I'll be changing (engineering?) the rear shock mounts because of the Camaro disc brake set-up I'll be installing. ... Your car now has a 26.5" F and 27.5" R at the fender wells? Wow, it sure looks lower! Must be the wheels and tires give me that illusion (looks good!). What size street tires and wheels are you running? ... Your statement is correct. Each situation is different and there is no "correct" answer. I'm asking all these (inane?) questions to figure out the direction I want to go, somewhat of a budget (I am on a fixed income being retired), and a plan for completion (1st item in that plan is to CLEAN THE SHOP! LOL!).

Doug

[oldtinsmith]

Thanks Lance! I'll have to go out to the shop to see what I have at those same body mounts. Speaking of body mounts, did you install P-S-T polygraphite body mounts in your SS?

Doug

[SSLance]

Your car now has a 26.5" F and 27.5" R at the fender wells? Wow, it sure looks lower! Must be the wheels and tires give me that illusion (looks good!). What size street tires and wheels are you running? ...

I'm running 275/40/17s on all four, they are just under 25" tall with a load on them. I just remeasured and the front fender is at 26.25" and the rear fender at 27.5" sitting here in the parking lot at work.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/07/DSC04453JPG-1.jpg

[SSLance]

Thanks Lance! I'll have to go out to the shop to see what I have at those same body mounts. Speaking of body mounts, did you install P-S-T polygraphite body mounts in your SS?

Doug

Yes...

[oldtinsmith]

Hey Lance,
I looked on "Rims&Tires Comparer" And they showed the 275/40/17 tire (unloaded) at 25.7". I checked the 195/75/14 tire my El Camino came from the factory with and it was 25.5"! How odd is that! The stock tires and rally wheels looked so tiny compared to your SS's wheels and tires! I think it has to be the wheels.

Doug

[oldtinsmith]

Well Lance, just for laughs, I went out to the shop and took some measurements ( I actually sat on the floor and laughed out loud!). DF fender lip was 28 3/8", PF fender lip was 27 7/8", DR fender lip was 27", PR fender lip was 26 1/2". Measuring from the floor to the forward edge of the body mount holes, DF was 9 3/8", PF was 9 1/8", DR was 8 5/8", PR was8 3/8"!!! It's a wonder I didn't get a nose bleed with the front that high! It was about 18 years ago when I had the front steering replaced as well as all four springs. The rears were heavy duty progressives and the fronts were to be able to support a big block ( the big block never happened!).

Doug

[SSLance]

Sounds like it was ripe for a 4x4 conversion!!

Actually it isn't that uncommon for the fronts of these cars to sit higher than the rears and if you've been hauling things in your bed you mave have squished the coil springs even more with the weight over the years. If I remember correctly, stock height on my fenders was in the 28" range too.

[oldtinsmith]

Lance,
When you replaced the old factory body mounts, was there an increase in the body to frame distance and did you have any body panel fitment issues (just curious)? Oh, I've still got the old, dead 229 V-6 in the engine bay. A SBC V-8 will weigh about 150 to 175lbs. more (w/ bigger radiator and more fluids) ,that's my guess. My El Camino only came with Bumper guards and the AM radio when bought new. It came from Georgia to Michigan (where I bought it) and the paperwork (for what that is worth) states it weighs 3154 lbs. Useless gab again! Sorry.

Doug

[SSLance]

The PST body mounts were very very close in height to my stock bushings. I had to put a couple of washers between my driveshaft loop and driveshaft to move it down just a touch for clearance was all. I didn't pull the dog clip off so all of my panel gaps all stayed the same.