ClioSport.net

Register a free account today to become a member!
Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read more here.

Ride height - what is best?



  53 Clio's & counting
Going to have a play around with my KW's this weekend/next week, but the rear is set high at the moment - very high, due to the larger wheels that were previously on it. Now im on 15's, can I get peoples suggestions on what ride height would be good? Combined road and track use. I know there should be a rake at the rear, but can anyone give any defenative(sp) front and rear ride heights to start off trying?
 

Coby.

ClioSport Club Member
  XC60-R.......V40-R
The Fletchbus is sitting nicely I think

5974972244_0772534b43_z.jpg
 
  CBR1000RR Fireblade
You must be silly low at the back to get rear rake.

IIRC you want to have about 15mm front rake for the best set up. If it's a dedicated track car you want to go as low as possible. If it's used on brittish roads I would recommend 45mm front 30mm rear ish.

(Don't make the mistake of measuring rake by looking at the arch gaps)
 

Jamie86

ClioSport Club Member
  RS175,595,205gti,172
You must be silly low at the back to get rear rake.

IIRC you want to have about 15mm front rake for the best set up. If it's a dedicated track car you want to go as low as possible. If it's used on brittish roads I would recommend 45mm front 30mm rear ish.

(Don't make the mistake of measuring rake by looking at the arch gaps)

That's not strictly true
 
  53 Clio's & counting
Sorry, miss typed there, I meant the rear is very high, so a big rake.

Im lucky in that i have played around with suspension before, so manily measure from rear axle point to floor, and front subframe to floor - NEVER arch gaps :)
 
  CBR1000RR Fireblade
That's not strictly true

Yes, yes it is true. Air creates lift under a motorsport vehicle. Lift is bad, the less air under the car the better. Bernoulis therum plays a big part in this, long story short tue lower the better.

For proof of this have a look at any rally car that's in a tarmac rally or any brittish touring car. They are all slammed. This is only practicable if the car is a pure track car though. Driving on brittish roads is not possible and is dangerous running very low.

I hope this info has helped.
 
  ITB'd MK1
Yes, yes it is true. Air creates lift under a motorsport vehicle. Lift is bad, the less air under the car the better. Bernoulis therum plays a big part in this, long story short tue lower the better.

For proof of this have a look at any rally car that's in a tarmac rally or any brittish touring car. They are all slammed. This is only practicable if the car is a pure track car though. Driving on brittish roads is not possible and is dangerous running very low.

I hope this info has helped.

but Clios aren't race cars. They dont have suitable front geometry to go as low as possible without utterly ruining roll center
 

pure-motorsport

ClioSport Trader
  Clio 172
A full on track car will generally be as low as the regulations allow due to aerodynamics and lowering the centre of gravity as much as possible BUT the roll centre will be raised with different wishbone mounting points and outer ball joint mountings and the body will be modifed to allow sufficient suspension travel. If you are going to keep all of your suspension pickup points as standard have a look at the angle of the wishbone in relation to the ground - if you've gone a long way beyond parallel (ball joint higher than the wishbone bushes) it's too low, your roll centre will be too low giving odd handling and make the car slower on track. Also if you draw an imaginary line through the centre of the top mount, bottom ball joint and back to wishbone bush axis you should always aim to have an angle greater than 90deg, if you haven't your negative camber will reduce in bump. Also make sure you have enough suspension travel for your given spring rate - run out of travel = run out of grip very suddenly!
Setting a car up with rake basically turns the whole underside of the car into a diffuser (although very crude and probably not very effective!) giving you some downforce. Set the back lower than the front and you've got yourself a lovely wing!
Basically don't be tempted to go too low at the front and set the car up with some rake (measured from the underbody to ground) and try it!
Hope this helps.
 
  53 Clio's & counting
So whats everyones ride heights then? anyones measured? had a bit of a play after work on the ramp but run out of time, needs to be lower, fronts almost right
 
  CBR1000RR Fireblade
mine is silly low, i bought my car with the coilovers already on and they are seized at that height. the v maxx are a horrible ride low and the ride is silly crashy.

im hoping for a 30mm drop, nice and subtle but not low enough to scrape the floor / speed bumps / wheels catching on the arches.
 

Jamie86

ClioSport Club Member
  RS175,595,205gti,172
So whats everyones ride heights then? anyones measured? had a bit of a play after work on the ramp but run out of time, needs to be lower, fronts almost right

Will measure mine tomorrow for you
 
  SQ5
I always believed I had one of the best setups on my Clio and I will continue to run this or tell people too.

Was on FK Konigsports with 25mm spacers on the front and 5mm on the rear. I ran -1.5 degrees on the front and the rears stayed standard camber, next car I will run -1 more on the rear.

I had both wheels the same from the arch, if you fold your fingers over and out them on the tyre your knuckles should touch the inside of the arch. Being the same from the arch it gave a little bit of nose down.

DPP_0006-Copy.jpg


DPP_0001-Copy.jpg


DPP_0018-Copy.jpg
 
  172 Ph1
Here is mine atm, running same as you Danny at rear, -1 neg camber and 5mm spacers, front are on 20mm a side.

4b0bbff2.gif


aa254f9b.jpg


ee51a0bb.jpg
 
Last edited:
  CBR1000RR Fireblade
I always believed I had one of the best setups on my Clio and I will continue to run this or tell people too.

Was on FK Konigsports with 25mm spacers on the front and 5mm on the rear. I ran -1.5 degrees on the front and the rears stayed standard camber, next car I will run -1 more on the rear.

I had both wheels the same from the arch, if you fold your fingers over and out them on the tyre your knuckles should touch the inside of the arch. Being the same from the arch it gave a little bit of nose down.

DPP_0006-Copy.jpg


DPP_0001-Copy.jpg


DPP_0018-Copy.jpg

that has about 30 to 40mm front rake. spacers wont help the handling in any way and if anything the weight of the spacers will be increasing rotating mass. equal arch gaps are a common misconception of "rake" unfortunately thats not how it works.

car looks nice though, im assuming you are going for looks rather than handling with this set up?
 
  CBR1000RR Fireblade
Tool low on the rear. 30-50mm F/R drop, you need some rake mate.

Wrong, as that car stands there the car has 15mm front rake. (the car does not sit like this any more)

you are making the common mistake of measuring rake from arch gap.
 

pure-motorsport

ClioSport Trader
  Clio 172
that has about 30 to 40mm front rake. spacers wont help the handling in any way and if anything the weight of the spacers will be increasing rotating mass. equal arch gaps are a common misconception of "rake" unfortunately thats not how it works.

car looks nice though, im assuming you are going for looks rather than handling with this set up?

Actually (theoretically at least) the spacers on the wheels should help overall grip levels especially large ones on the front. Widening the track reduces the weight transfer in a corner, of which a FWD hatchback has in abundance. Anything you can do to reduce this weight transfer on the front should improve overall grip levels and make the car more balanced front to rear. Obvioulsy downsides to spacers are large scrub radius on the front tyres and wheel bearing replacements!
 


Top