Shark Racer

I've had an issue with header clearance since I installed my headers. I decided to order coil spring spacers from VBP. They were supposed to lift the car 1". tsw71 trimmed them down on the bandsaw to 5/8" and that should have been about the lift I got from them. However, when the car came down the lift was actually more like 1.25". IE Sickly stock appearing.

Now I'm trying to decide should I fight with it and get it to the actual raise I wanted, keep it at its current height(28.75" wheel lip), or just slam it back down like it was? I'm tempted to go with the slam and just deal with speed bumps as best I can... maybe someone on the forum can teach me how to make skid plates.

Of course, in the future I'll be going with AFR heads, which apparently have a higher exhaust port. Coupled with less weight on the nose(I lose about 1/8" clearance for every extra hundred pounds in the car, maybe more clearance on the nose), I'm thinking that it'd be fine slammed completely.

What do you guys think I should do?

-Steve

VegasJen

hey steve, i had to vote for the clearance. as you know, my car is pretty low too. i don't have a problem scraping some stuff, but engine parts? i don't think engine parts need to be making contact with the ground.

LFZ

my hookers sit really low...i never dragged them once, but also avoided situations where i could have dragged. lower the better.

Chuck Harmon

Steve,

You are now experiencing one of the reasons why I went to side pipes. I really hate Vettes that sit high like a 4WD. The lower stance really makes the car. They handle better that way too. An advantage of the shorty headers is that they make almost as much power yet give you the same clearance a stock system would.

If you do jack up the front, you better raise the back by the same amount. This is pretty typical of any variation from stock. When you change one thing there is usually a consequence somewhere else. I have learned a lot about consequences!

Chuck

tsw71

Since I'll likely be getting bloody knuckles and grease in my hair when dropping it back down, I'll have to vote to leave it the hell alone! :D :reddevil :D

Shark Racer

Well Tom - it has dropped half an inch.

I went to get an ultrasound today. Will find out from the doctor what's going on with me...

-Steve

PS If I scrape when I go over a speed bump @SCU, I think I'm DEFINITELY going to just slam it back down! :D

timbo79

Bring it back down: I lowered mine and YES, I am careful on speedbumps, BUT I also got some Sanderson Headers which have a higher collector than before, so now no scrapes unless I race over the bumps.... Good Luck

74 vert

My car has VBP 460 coils now. I think the front is about 28 inches. I like the feel of the rebuild front. I have not tried a speed bump yet, but I don't think the speed bumps will be a problem with my hookers as they are sidepipes.

Good luck.

PRESSURERAT

Man, you're not living untill those collectors ocasionally scrape the pavement!!!!!!!! :reddevil

fireball

I used to scrape headers all the time. My problem wasn't clearance, it was soft springs. Once I put stiff springs and good shocks on, I had no more scraping.

Shark Racer

My problem is definitely not soft springs and is definitely clearance. I walked the car over a bump, no scraping. Then let it roll forward ever so slightly.
*ksh*

It scraped, JUST BARELY, in two spots. I think the BEST solution is aluminum heads with higher exhaust ports. Less weight so the car naturally sits higher, lower center of gravity because the weight at a higher point from the bottom of the car ahs been removed, more power, and more clearance! :D

Anyone got $1200 they'd like to donate?

-Steve