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Post by zonker on Oct 21, 2019 4:25:09 GMT
I have been looking at the ride height of my 46 and noticed it sits 1/2" higher in the left front than the right front.
I'd like to bring it level, or even lower the car a little. Anyone have any experience adjusting the ride height on a 46?
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Post by swissdave on Oct 21, 2019 19:26:59 GMT
I think that the 46 front suspension is basically the same as the 66, hopefully someone can confirm? If so there are adjusters on the end of the torsion bars in the crossmember roughly under the leading edge of the front seats. If you want to go lower than that the torsion bars need to be moved around one spline. I have spent ages messing about with the ride height on my 66, if the 46 is the same it gets a bit involved to go more than about 1” lower and do it properly, Some info on page 1 here; dafcars.proboards.com/thread/3078/gordon-express-dolvo |
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Post by Richard DAF Webmeister on Oct 21, 2019 21:57:27 GMT
I'm not sure about this and I have never looked under a 46 front end.
But I wonder whether it actually is more like a 44 - i.e. leaf spring arrangement.
I await to be possibly corrected on this though.
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Post by zonker on Oct 22, 2019 5:13:26 GMT
It's definitely a transverse leaf spring, no torsion bars - that would have made this question much easier to answer.
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Post by swissdave on Oct 22, 2019 7:20:49 GMT
It's definitely a transverse leaf spring, no torsion bars - that would have made this question much easier to answer. Ah, ok I stand corrected. Not a clue then sorry 😄 |
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gromsound
Likes DAFs
Everything Must Work
Posts: 82 
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Post by gromsound on Oct 22, 2019 20:31:57 GMT
Haha you are really trying to make the typical granny's shopping trolley into a boy racer? Might have started with a 66 coupe that would be quicker...
To all you non-dutch daffers: the 46 is just a third type 44 (1972->) with the rear suspension and (half of the) vario of the 66. The rest is completely identical. There has been a famous classic car racer (Arnout Stam) who used a 46 body to rebuild his crashed 55 because it was the only option available. So he had to weld the complete front suspension stuff over. Of course that is possible, the basic bodyshell is the same. And then you could adjust it at wish.
In time the 44/46 leaf spring wil start sagging until it touches the rubber cone bump stops. You cant adjust anything, only replace the thing. With a 33 a possible cure is to place an additional top leaf in the stack (longer central bolt). Never heard this was done with the 44/46 but maybe that is because the springs are still available. I think as long as it is still free of the bump stops, dont bother. What is half an inch difference, put a flagstone in the footwell at the highest side ;-)
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Post by zonker on Oct 23, 2019 4:59:25 GMT
Haha you are really trying to make the typical granny's shopping trolley into a boy racer? Might have started with a 66 coupe that would be quicker...
I think as long as it is still free of the bump stops, dont bother. What is half an inch difference, put a flagstone in the footwell at the highest side ;-)
Even granny's shopping trolley needs a new lease on life. I like the fact that it's an air cooled boxer 2 cyl. engine than another water cooled inline 4. By the time I'm done with it, there should be enough semblance of acceleration that could actually get granny's blood stirring. So far the new high water mark is 81mph, when I got it you'd have to pray to get it to 60 mph. But back to the front - yes it's not touching the bumpstops yet, but I plan on trimming those down a bit and at this point I'm of the mind that I will be flipping a leaf and bolting it back together. Hopefully that will preload the spring a bit and offer a firmer, flatter cornering experience than the floaty bendy feeling it exhibits now. |
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Post by starider on Oct 23, 2019 23:03:56 GMT
Hi, might just be the 46 has always been driven solo,which would always load the right end of the spring.You could try turning the whole spring assembly 180 degrees i.e.the left side to the right.Then see what the height differences are then......starider
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Post by starider on Oct 23, 2019 23:14:00 GMT
PS I wouldn't try to make the 46 into something that it can never be.It was built as a good family automatic with adequate performance, good reliability, adequate fuel consumption and good road holding for a family car.At the time I had my 44 Estate there weren't that many cars that could keep up with it from traffic lights.........starider
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Post by zonker on Oct 24, 2019 5:15:47 GMT
PS I wouldn't try to make the 46 into something that it can never be.It was built as a good family automatic with adequate performance, good reliability, adequate fuel consumption and good road holding for a family car.At the time I had my 44 Estate there weren't that many cars that could keep up with it from traffic lights.........starider I disagree - learning how to improve the breed is something worth considering. Making a 2 cyl DAF competitive in vintage racing against the likes of other 2 cylinder models like the Fiat 500, Subaru 360, or Honda N600 would be a real treat. |
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Post by swissdave on Oct 24, 2019 19:06:27 GMT
I’m of the same opinion, 100%. It’s great fun and the cars are so underrated, anything we can do to raise the profile with our one off specials had to be good for the brand.
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dafix
Likes DAFs
Posts: 76
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Post by dafix on Oct 27, 2019 18:02:13 GMT
Hi, not sure if it can help but I had this problem some months ago: the body was too high at the front (on both sides, but I didn't measure exactly the clearance between the top of the wheel and the the highest point of the wheel arch on each side). Actually, the left front damper/shock-absorber was stuck. I replaced both dampers (procured from dafhobby.cl. They are sealed units different from what the maintenance manual describes). Afterwards, the body was still too high but the first time I braked firmly, the dampers came to their normal positions (on each side, the connecting rod of the steering is aligned with the central notch of the plastic part that is around the feedthrough of the body for this rod, not sure if I explain well  ). Since that time (it was in May), I never had problems of wrong high and my DAF 46 behaves very well on the road. |
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Post by Nick the man with a daf.... on Dec 4, 2019 18:38:39 GMT
i ran a 46 for years, rear is single parabolic spring each side so no leaves to flip, you might get away with lowering blocks, 81 is good, just keep that belt tension adjusted regularly (makes massive difference on the 46) and enjoy her, free flowing exhaust will get you good gains too
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Post by Nick the man with a daf.... on Dec 4, 2019 18:49:32 GMT
also if the shock absorbers are going wrong at the front they can affect the ride height, the ones on my 44 effectively pinned it onto the bump stops as the internal valves had failed
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). Since that time (it was in May), I never had problems of wrong high and my DAF 46 behaves very well on the road. 