Ride height adjustment
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taddpole
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2012 9:48 pm
- TOA Membership Number: 983
- Years Owned: 69 Olds Toronado W-34
Ride height adjustment
Does anyone know what the lowest ride height you can do without causing any problems? I want to lower my 69 toro as much as I can.
Re: Ride height adjustment
The ride-height is set to make life easy on the front CV joints. At normal ride-height, the front axle shafts are straight horizontally.
Drop the ride-height, and you'll no longer have the front axles straight, the CV joints will be flexed. Within reason, this won't be a problem primarily because these vehicles don't get Daily Driver use; and therefore don't rack up a lot of miles; and secondarily because the CV joints are nicely over-built.
Remember to jack the front end before turning the screw for the torsion bar anchor. It's not designed to be adjusted while still loaded with the vehicle weight.
"I" pull the screw OUT, clean the threads, lube the threads with anti-seize and the rounded end with a dab of chassis grease, and then put 'em back in at the proper distance to get the ride-height I want.
Remember that lowering the ride-height reduces suspension travel for the wheel going "upward" over a bump.
Drop the ride-height, and you'll no longer have the front axles straight, the CV joints will be flexed. Within reason, this won't be a problem primarily because these vehicles don't get Daily Driver use; and therefore don't rack up a lot of miles; and secondarily because the CV joints are nicely over-built.
Remember to jack the front end before turning the screw for the torsion bar anchor. It's not designed to be adjusted while still loaded with the vehicle weight.
"I" pull the screw OUT, clean the threads, lube the threads with anti-seize and the rounded end with a dab of chassis grease, and then put 'em back in at the proper distance to get the ride-height I want.
Remember that lowering the ride-height reduces suspension travel for the wheel going "upward" over a bump.
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xgecko
- Posts: 454
- Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2010 9:21 pm
- TOA Membership Number: 831
- Years Owned: My first Toronado was a 1968 W-34 with the bucket seats and center console... (weeps gently) It was a New England rustbucket in 1982 after less than 14 years. So sad. But it is what infected me and before I knew it I had another '68, a '69, a '70 and eventually inherited a friend's '67 and another friends '73. After buying my brand new Grand Prix in 1988 I retired the last of my Toronados and pulled the 455 I had rebuilt along the way and put it into storage in a friend's barn where it is to this day.
In Mid September of 2010 I happened to see a repeat of the show where Jay Leno did his 66 Toronado and had an instant remission of the disease which resulted in my purchase of a 1969 in very good condition. I am now in the process of fully rehabilitating it and hope to have it on the road in the spring of 2011. - Location: Gig Harbor, WA
Re: Ride height adjustment
Another way to reduce the ride height while also making the wheels look a bit better is to go with a 235-60 series tire. This will reduce the ride height of the entire car without changing the suspension geometry in any way.
It will alter your speedometer readout but that can be corrected for by swapping the speedo drive gear.
And the lower profile tires will add a slight increase in handling to the mix.
It will alter your speedometer readout but that can be corrected for by swapping the speedo drive gear.
And the lower profile tires will add a slight increase in handling to the mix.
I have my Fuel Injected Toronado. Life is good! 
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