Tyre to wheelarch clearance - Ride height

[lwarrine]

Want to set the ride height on my Mk1 at the weekend ... as will hopefully be getting it on the road in the next week or two after 21 years !

Anyway, what is the minimum gap I should have between the tyre & wheelarch chrome trim in order to avoid a rubbing / contact issue ?

Car will be used on the road & potentially have a passenger in the rear at times .....
Thanks.

[rich@minispares.com]

as a rule of thumb


3 fingers at 12 o clock is the ideal for road use with out it looking too high

2 fingers is about the min on a road car for acceptable use

any less will rub the tyres, especially at the back

[lwarrine]

Rich, thanks for the swift reply .... yes I had '3 finger' rule in the back of my head

...... although the difference between 3 of my fingers & my Dad's is significant !

[andy1071]

I remember being told by someone old enough to be there... that the correct clearance was when you could get the toes of your "Winkle-pickers" (those pointy shoes of the '60s), between the tyre and the wheel-arch.

Any help?

[rich@minispares.com]

I remember being told by someone old enough to be there... that the correct clearance was when you could get the toes of your "Winkle-pickers" (those pointy shoes of the '60s), between the tyre and the wheel-arch.

Any help?

and no fat chicks in the back........................

[sclemow]

As it's obviously adjustable on yours don't forget to put about 25mm rake between the back and the front.

I run mine at 255mm from floor to sill seam at the rear and 230mm at the front if it helps.

['S'-type]

The figure given in a 1966 BMC workshop manual is measured from the wheel centre vertically to the arch:
Front: 13" +/- 1/4" (330mm +/- 6.35mm)
Rear: 13 1/2" +/- 1/4" (343mm +/- 6.35mm)

That was for when repressurising a hydro car. Not sure if this made them slightly higher than 'dry' cars. I tend to think hydro cars were slightly higher than dry when fully pressurised, and lower, much lower when they leaked! Rubber cones can also sag with time of course leading to lop-sided dry cars

Those figures confirm the tail-up stance or rake mentioned above which is so familiar.

[lwarrine]

Thanks for the info .... gives me something to work with. Yes I probabaly should of mentioned the car is adjustable ..... fitted with some homemade hi-lo's !

Is there any 'techincal' reason for the rear being 25mm higher than the front ? .... my assumption was this just allowed for rear passenger / luggage in boot / fuel loads i.e. so still ok when fully ladened..... I was intending to set it pretty 'level' front to back as any loads in the rear will be fairly minimal.

[1071 S]

One of or top racers from back in the day (he partnered Rauno Aa in a few long distance events) once told me that the rear end needs to be jacked up to promote turn in.

Cheers, Ian

[lwarrine]

One of or top racers from back in the day (he partnered Rauno Aa in a few long distance events) once told me that the rear end needs to be jacked up to promote turn in.

Cheers, Ian

Oh, ok. Makes sense I suppose .... well certainly made a difference on my ZX7-R (motorbike) when I raised the rear on that a fraction quite a few years back.
Thanks.