Ridetech OUT, 4 link Watts-link in.

[MonzaRacer]

Ok so I'll jump in here a bit, probably not good idea BUT I personally know the founder of Ridetech, in fact much better than you know. First of all the 4 link was NEVER designed as a full on race designed kit. It was a way to FIX inherent design issues and restrictions of leaf sprung cars.
Coming in and bashing them for making a part or parts that "failed" for you. Well that's a stretch, then getting into a cussing match, because you think your current parts are junk when they are simply THE WRONG PART.
Now we have ALL bought some part that's not worked as well as they agould have.
Im a 30+ yr alignment tech, with engineering skills and chassis tuning under my belt, I bought " How to make your car handle" by Fred Kuhn,,,,twice.
I could reread it weekly while tuning cars. The biggest thing I see is you have bought a partor a kit that didn't meet your specifications, you're claiming that the front didn't do what you wanted to do or didn't function the way you were told it would, and you had to modify it to make it work. Well I'm sure David will agree with me that you can buy a kit from ridetech you can bolt it on, and you're possibly going to have to fine-tune some things to get everything perfect because those cars an eighth of an inch or 3/16 of an inch was accuracy when they were built because they were built as daily drivers not race cars. The precision in the front sub frames, well they weren't exactly what you would call precise. This is why we measure check and adjust. Now I'm not sure what your inspection criteria are in New Zealand, but just because it didn't pass their inspection doesn't mean it's a bad part, nor do your issues with the results indicate it's a bad system. It says that the combination of Parts being your OEM subframe and all the other bits and pieces you've cobbled together for that car we're playing nice and you had to adjust from there. When you consider the fact that that car probably had anywhere from 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch of bump steer from the factory on a good day and probably ran a tire anywhere from third to a half the size of what you're putting on it now width wise, also change things.
But when you consider the fact that this company build Parts in certain parts have a million and one mile guarantee, that says a lot about what they believe about their parts. You want to redesign stuff to meet something that you claim is necessary for what you're getting out of your car which is in whatever condition great that's wonderful that's hot rodding that's what we all do we all buy parts and modify them to work. Because that's what hot rodding always has been, taking one part and modifying and putting it in a different position a different job a different role, possibly even putting it aircraft part on a car, and the parks don't necessarily play nice.
Please understand you come on here with one of the Premier suspension companies that builds their cars builds their parts use their parts and beat the living garbage out of their part in if they break they redesign them if they have a problem or see something that isn't right they'll redesign or reinvent that part all over again. Look at their shocks I know for a fact they went through at least two or three shot-makers before they partnered up with a different company and design some of the Premier coil over shocks in the market now. I know for a fact because I've put several sets on for people, more than cerebral and I had a guy take a $4,000 set of Premium coilovers off and put ridetech on because that enormous set of professional-quality race oriented named perfectly tuned shock set we're absolute bear to deal with.
Now I know Brett's not with the company anymore, but the attitude you came on here with and some of the language you thrown out because people were trying to say and maybe you need to back up a little bit on bashing, and perhaps some people came at things the wrong way or the translation or the intent in writing didn't come through quite the way it should have. But I can tell you there's a lot of people on here who buy used and enjoy ridetech parts they've been treated like the only customer and taken well care of few people have had some issues and a lot of times it comes down to miscommunication somebody misunderstanding something or missing an email or a message or not conveying what they needed to say right off. But when it comes down to for the easiest part bashing a company built by a friend to many of us, and a company whose original founder literally would unbolt parts from his car and hand them to a customer if they needed, when coming on here and saying that it to bad design rather than simply the wrong design for your application, or possibly not quite installed 100% ride text way but your way and it's not functioning the way you think it should it comes off as a little petty and please don't misunderstand what I'm saying I'm just saying that ridetech came from nothing in the mid-90s started out building a niche air ride suspension for hot rods, a car magazine went out and tried to get some suspension companies to compete in a handling competition to prove that the materials parts and search would work and another suspension company president opening his fat trap and claiming that are ride couldn't handle like a regular suspension oh, and I heard round 1 bell ring and Brett Came Out Swinging and six months later we had air suspensions and they were competing with metal spring suspensions and running just as hard if not harder improving the air ride was not just something for a fairground. Round up a few years and Brett noticed he needed to change and build a better shock and did and needed to design better Springs and he did oh, he found companies to partner with and in all honesty they are the premier shock on the market when it comes down to the difference between straight race performance and straight Street ride comfort and they're back by one of the best warranties in the business.
Please understand I'm not trying to berate or Bosch you I'm just saying the way you came off swinging hard like you did against ridetech oh, well that doesn't make you any friends or Allies and honestly will make people who have more experience knowledge and compassion walkaway from you and your post and let you wander in the breeze and figure something out some other way.
I can tell you straight up I put a true turn on a friend of mine's car and we thought bump steer issues on her car for 6 months and we did Untold number of things trying to fix the issue, and finally we decided to Jack the car up support the front body drop the subframe out and we took it somewhere and measured and I mean measured it with a computer oh, and this thing had some issues that were in it from the factory you can tell this thing has never been wrecked or tweaked or anything so we went and found a different subframe checked it it was ten times better cleaned it all up powder coated at threw it back under there in our issues disappeared. And we had some issues with installation and ride height Etc, but we figured out where a problem was and we had some issues when we were moving away from where we were told to run the car even. But once we figured out that it worked better where they said it should run then she drove it, the car works so much better than we ever expected and we didn't have to do major adjustments and modifications, just because we moved away from where we were told it should be.
Anyway that book that I told you about that taught me a lot about suspensions and then I learned the Rest by experience and I got to go through a driving school that taught us how to modify cars many years ago, and I can guarantee you that it's taken 30 years plus to get to where I am and I'm over 50 now and I still don't know everything. But generally I can figure something out when other people can't, because I've learned paying attention to the car could possibly show me something that I didn't know.
You have a nice car you have a decent plan but losing your temper and showing something that you shouldn't be showing, rather than listening and asking questions and researching things and throwing out buckets of mud in the way you bash won't get you where you need to be. Good luck, good building, and safe driving.
Lee

[79T/Aman]

I just want to know why some are ganging up on a guy that is trying to design his own suspension system because he found that he could do better than a "bolt in system" that is a compromise ?

[raustinss]

I see the corona has everyone bent outta shape lol

[pitts64]

Its amazing the places some people can go without leaving the room......

[raustinss]

Lmao

[F-Body International]

I just want to know why some are ganging up on a guy that is trying to design his own suspension system because he found that he could do better than a "bolt in system" that is a compromise ?

x2

Yea, the OP downplayed the ridetech setup but he is trying to design/build an interesting setup and is clearly making an effort.

I love this forum but some people are way too loyal to brand names and being in a club rather than understanding and processing technical aspects of subject. I have seen advice to questions a few times that go, “Go with a forum sponsor here and you’ll be good.” What kind of advice is that? Does sponsorship and advertising suddenly make parts good?

This reminds me, as you know I’m a leaf spring guy, we explain how a well-sorted leaf spring setup is all most people need.....but some people are dead set on changing what they have for some sort of internal satisfaction. I’m not against super expensive or extremely modified suspension but I feel it’s often not needed for many who go that route.

[Rod]

so much fun, but after reading it all, its not done?

[Tweak]

New top arms, watts link and sway bar installed. Still using the ridetech bottom arms.
Put 400 mile on new setup, really happy with how it feels. The 200lb springs that ridetech supply ride really nice, but don't offer the resistance on the big bumps and hi speed corners. Have done a heap of reading and am going to try a duel rate eibach spring setup.

[stab6902]

Looks good, nice job going through with it. I'm glad you're happy with the results.

What car did that watt's link setup originally come from?

[Tweak]

Looks good, nice job going through with it. I'm glad you're happy with the results.

What car did that watt's link setup originally come from?

Watts is out of a 2000 Australian falcon

[stab6902]

Watts is out of a 2000 Australian falcon

It looks like it was made for your car. You did a nice job integrating it. I like the rubber bushings for a street car vs the heim joints you see on a lot of the aftermarket stuff.

[Tweak]

It looks like it was made for your car. You did a nice job integrating it. I like the rubber bushings for a street car vs the heim joints you see on a lot of the aftermarket stuff.

Yeah putting rubber in was a no brainer, no need for the heim joints as I have smooth articulation through all travel know.

[Tweak]

The plan is dual springs next, keep the same rate as the existing 200lb springs at cruising, then adds lbs under extreme conditions.
It's a complex formula, so may need to trial a few different springs.

[Tweak]

[Vogelsong]

Sorry no build thread. I am using front and rear Dobbertin cradle adapters along with a longer torque tube. I have to run C6 offset wheels due to using the stock C5 track width.

Dobbertin website:

https://rick486.wixsite.com/dobbertinperformance

Don

Are you mounting the transmission at the rear?

[anguilla1980]

Does anyone know of a company who makes a 1st gen IRS kit with cantilevered coil-overs that will mount in the trunk behind the rear seat and under the package tray? I think that is the route I'll be going.

[Gmc427]

Does anyone know of a company who makes a 1st gen IRS kit with cantilevered coil-overs that will mount in the trunk behind the rear seat and under the package tray? I think that is the route I'll be going.

speedtech