Rear spring sag

$700Spider · #1 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 04:45 PM

Well, the $700 Spider is looking like a million (well, almost) now with the new wheels and tires, polished paint, and repainted rollbar. If I can figure a way to get pics here I'll do it, but I'm at work (Flowmaster, Inc.), and our firewall won't let me even LOOK at pics here. The wheels are mid-eighties Mustang LX "10-hole" alloys, 15x7, and I put Dunlop SP Sport A2's, 205-60/15's on them. Looks great, turn-in is very crisp, and no rubbing anywhere! It also sounds great, with our Hushpower II and a 12" glasspack (at the rear).

My question to you folks (today) is... Is uneven rear sagging common, and is it the springs? I have almost 1" of difference right-to-left measured at the side marker lights. Thanks once more for your expertise!!

Pat's91 · #2 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 05:08 PM

No expert but I'll relay my experience. I recently bought a '91 Veloce, drove it home (about 12 hrs) and the first time I jacked it up in the front one of the rear springs broke!! Better in my driveway than the highway. Going with new performance springs from IAP.

Good luck, Pat

$700Spider · #3 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 05:28 PM

MUCH better in the driveway! I thought about the performance springs, but I figure the car sits low enough (at the sump guard) anyway... no reason to tempt the fates. I probably will get the replacement rears from IAP.

Keven · #4 (**permalink**) 01-20-2004, 07:42 AM

US Alfa's had a headlight height requirement, so they came with spacers or shims on the front springs making the rear look lower. But, as with most cars(and people) that are old, things sag. Might be a good time to replace all four springs, and remove the front spacers. You can get stock rate and heigth springs from the overseas vendors such as OKP. I have used them, and they are great to deal with. Contact Christian at:

kontakt@okparts.net

Pat's91 · #5 (**permalink**) 01-20-2004, 05:35 PM

Kevin,

I just want to clarify, I would like to lower my front height to the stock European height with the IAP performance springs ( about 1 inch lower than US spec?).

I assume installing the IAP springs WITH the aluminum spacers and new rubber cushions will give me this height - do you know if this is correct? I have one in and will install the other in a couple weeks.

Thanks, Pat

Keven · #6 (**permalink**) 01-21-2004, 07:36 AM

Pat,

It depends on what spacer was installed by Alfa. According to my Alfa parts book, spacers came in 4 sizes: 3.5, 4.5, 7.0, & 10.5mm.

If you had the largest spacer in there (10.5mm), this is equivelant to 0.413",
so if the IAP springs lower by 1", adding the spacer still makes your car 0.587" lower.

Pat's91 · #7 (**permalink**) 01-21-2004, 05:01 PM

Keven,

Thanks for the info - I definitely didn't realize how the spacers affect the height (I assumed the euro Spiders have the same spacers as the US Spiders, just different height springs, and the IAP springs are just shorter).

My spacers are 7 mm thick so the springs should lower mine about 3/4 in. So to get to the euro height I need to leave the spacers out (?).

Thanks, Pat