rear height for a Speedster

Is there any concensus as to how low a Speedster can be before the muffler or whatever else is hanging down will scrape the pavement.

My A-1 was a bit low for my liking as it occasionally scraped the pavement---mostly when pulling into a service ststion and other places like that---a driveway sometimes. So I raised the back end and to me it looks a little high but will never scrape. I wonder how much I lower it back down and still not scrape.

How many inches from the lowest part in the rear to the pavement is regarded as ok?

Thanks for any input.

Jack-

It's a matter of opinion, but on a standard body Speedster- I think a good compromise is when the top of the rear wheel arch is about 1" above the top of the rim. The car looks better with the wheel arch about even with the top of the rim (or even with 1" or so of coverage), but this will likely be too low for your liking.

Rick Davis had Henry solve this problem on his car by dropping the wheel arches an inch or so in the rear, creating the illusion of a car that was quite low, but which in reality is set up to be pretty conservative. It's the best of both worlds.

As far as the A1- be happy it drags. If it didn't, the first thing to touch down would be your extended sump. This is NOT a cool thing (ask me how I know).

Jack and I talked yesterday, he has the Allen head adjustable torsion arm plates so it was an easy fix.

Jack,
Use caution when messing with the suspension heights either front or rear. Strange things can take place...over steer, under steer, pushing, etc. Carey set mine so that the car handles like the original Porsche. He also supplied a written record of all the adjustments. I have an A-1 with center outlet. I only drag the outlet tip when going down or up extra steep inclines.

What, like that Mount Everest of a driveway you have?

Jack - I set up my VS so the rear wheel well arch is 1/2 inch above the wheel with the front torsion bars adjusted (lowered) to make the car level.

My VS is built on an early platform (1995) and one of the characteristics is the position of the muffler is situated higher in the engine compartment than in the newer platforms. My A-1 scraped on entry/exit of driveways (as you described). I cut 2" off the center exhaust tip which improved my entry/exit angle. Still scrapes once in a while because my car is pretty low.

Here are some pics for visual reference....

Under hard-cornering, the front and rear sway-bars help keep the car relatively flat...

Jim--you have a good looking car!!

I measured and find that I have 4 1/4" from the lowest part of the muffler pipes to the ground. Also I have 2" from the wheel well to the top of the wheel---not the tire--the wheel.

It does look higher than before ----could I live with 3" instead of 4 1/4" clearance and still have no problems scraping?

Stan--I don't have the deep sump since I traded engines. I hold 5.25 quarts of oil with the cooler and have never seen 200 degrees. Mostly it's 185 at all times.

Anyone have just 3" of clearance with no scraping??? Thanks!

I set mine up with the rear wheelarch even with the top of the rim; it's the way I've seen real 356's on photos. I have learned to be careful so I know how to maneuver around to prevent scraping the muffler tips but if you were thinking about an oversize oil sump; forget it.

When doing any adjusting for height, it's helpful to remember that the height of the car changes when we're in it. Under the mantra of "measure twice, cut once", measure relevant distance with the car empty, then sit in it, and have someone measure again. I don't know about you tri-athletes out there, but I'm about 40 lbs. over my college boxing weight (at least that's all I'll admit to).

I found it best to set the center of the rear wheel well arch 1-1/4" above the rim, this allows for the add'l weight of two persons.

The Doctor of Clocks wrote: "I found it best to set the center of the rear wheel well arch 1-1/4" above the rim, this allows for the add'l weight of two persons."

OK, but that assumes an expected average weight for the car occupants (with or without pants) of whatever you chose for them.

What if those occupants have heavier pants (like Jack) or lighter pants (like me)??

And who cares what height the top of the wheel well is? What the heck does THAT have to do with how low your eccentric, after-market exhaust hangs down below the rear body valence??????? THAT is what's going to hit the pavement, not the top of the wheel well!!!!!!

Seriously, Jack.......I think 3" of ground clearance to the lowest point is a tad too low. I just got under Pearl with her dumb-ass-design Berg header collector and it's sitting at 5" above the deck - That's about the lowest thing under the pan. And I think Pearl is pretty low (but not a weed scraper).

I definitely scrape a lot when going onto of off of the trailer, but that's about the only time I scrape unless I'm entering Lane's driveway (which I now take on an angle so it won't scrape).

Hope this helps.

Light-pants Gordon

YOu are right about clearance, Gordon. I have it adjusted to be 5 1/2" from the lowest part of the pipes to the deck. It's a tad high in the back but only I will know it. I HAD it that way before launching for Asheville and didn't have a scrapr in 2,300 miles.

Nice to just not worry about it!

I just measured the clearance on three speedsters (two stock and one flaired) I have here(4.5 to 5.5")

Thanks, Alan--good to know I'm within specs. It's higher in back but looks fine.

That "higher in back" gives it that racy, '50's kinda "hot rod" look.

Don't you think?

That's one of the reasons why I love my Tangerine exhaust. It's all tucked neatly up high. I even had Carey lower my rear end last week.
Have only scraped on some rare, BAD curb. AND, BTW, Why don't my photos
appear better here on SOC? These same photos upload just fine on Facebook and STF.

Hmmm,

Rich, your car looks to have better ground clearance than mine even while your wheel wells are closer to level of the wheel rim than mine.

Makes me wonder if all wheel wells from various makers are are not necessarily equal.

Here's a slightly older profile shot from July of my car when the rear end stood a little taller and a another view of the exhaust. I do not know if body specs vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Mine is a Beck. I need to get another shot to compare ride height. Oh, one more time, BTW, why don't my photos appear better here on SOC? These same photos upload just fine on Facebook and STF?

Rich - you did a beautiful job on that car!

very clean!

Rich---great looking car! That Type IV looks no larger than a Bug engine and the Tangerine is da bomb. Good clearance too. I'll look forward to seeinmg you and that beauty in persn at Carlisle next year.

Thanks for the profile shot, Rich.

I guess it was the low angle that made me think your car was lower on the wheels than mine - now in profile it's about identical.

I hadn't seen a type IV engine installed and had not realized that the exhaust ports downward. A whole new set of problems for 356 owners/builders, looks like.

Anyway, yours is gorgeous!

on the uploading......the software this site is using seems to be, ummm, old school. I'm sure it effects photo upload results.

Sorry but I don't like the "Baja Bug" look with the back sitting high. These cars are made to ride low in the back. In the past 7 years I've become an expert at preventing tailpipe scrapes.