Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
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Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
Incidently, Moss has been great to do business with over the years. Without them, getting parts would be significantly more difficult. They have agreed to make good on the springs. Let's face it. They don't manufacture the parts. They are in the middle. Besides I am out from under my car now and feel better with a cold beer in my hand.
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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Why do you want to raise the height?
[/ QUOTE ]
Hi Derek,
It sounds like Skip just wanted to get back to the stock height of 27" (height of opening at wheel center). I think the Phase II is 28".
I wouldn't say we are all driving around with low exhausts and no problems. Maybe we have more speed bumps in the U.S.
and the grading from street into driveways, gas stations etc. is more abrupt than in France. I know I have plenty of exhaust scraps (with 27" ride height) and hear of others losing their exhausts pretty regularly. I think the increase in ride height was less marketing driven than a reaction to all the complaints documented in magazine test reports. I agree with you that the look of the phase II is compromised but it must come in handy to have a little more room under there.
Cheers,
John
[/ QUOTE ]
Hey Guys,
Let's face it. For some reason the Big Healeys were designed with exhaust room as an afterthought. The exhaust was just hung on with nowhere to put it except hanging way down under everything else. See the attached pic of a muffler that really got high centered. Note that the "serious" rally cars that are required to go over bumps & also not drag on anything taller than a hockey puck, have the muffler inletted into the lower door side. Better than dragging, even if it does create other problems.
The rear suspension is another compromise that doesn't really work very well at it's best. There simply isn't much room for axle travel with the frame rails run under the axle. If you try to gain bump (compression) travel & ride height to clear the muffler, it uses up the rebound travel & VS. A good handling car on rough surfaces needs rebound travel as well as compression travel. To control the limited travel very stiff shocks are also required. Remember, Healeys were originally marketed as the "affordable" sports car. They weren't designed to ride & handle like a Jag.
Folks living in Europe "may" have the benefit of smoother roads. For those of us in the USA, the road conditions get worse with each passing year. The USA simply has too many miles of road per taxpayer. Too many other places for state & federal money to go to.
As far as the BJ8 goes, the small additional ride height/compression travel, did increase ground clearance at the expense of no increase in rebound travel which it badly needed. For those that put styling above utility, it was probably a bad move. For those trying to go faster than snail pace over rough road, it may have helped a bit.
D
[ QUOTE ]
Why do you want to raise the height?
[/ QUOTE ]
Hi Derek,
It sounds like Skip just wanted to get back to the stock height of 27" (height of opening at wheel center). I think the Phase II is 28".
I wouldn't say we are all driving around with low exhausts and no problems. Maybe we have more speed bumps in the U.S.
and the grading from street into driveways, gas stations etc. is more abrupt than in France. I know I have plenty of exhaust scraps (with 27" ride height) and hear of others losing their exhausts pretty regularly. I think the increase in ride height was less marketing driven than a reaction to all the complaints documented in magazine test reports. I agree with you that the look of the phase II is compromised but it must come in handy to have a little more room under there.
Cheers,
John
[/ QUOTE ]
Hey Guys,
Let's face it. For some reason the Big Healeys were designed with exhaust room as an afterthought. The exhaust was just hung on with nowhere to put it except hanging way down under everything else. See the attached pic of a muffler that really got high centered. Note that the "serious" rally cars that are required to go over bumps & also not drag on anything taller than a hockey puck, have the muffler inletted into the lower door side. Better than dragging, even if it does create other problems.
The rear suspension is another compromise that doesn't really work very well at it's best. There simply isn't much room for axle travel with the frame rails run under the axle. If you try to gain bump (compression) travel & ride height to clear the muffler, it uses up the rebound travel & VS. A good handling car on rough surfaces needs rebound travel as well as compression travel. To control the limited travel very stiff shocks are also required. Remember, Healeys were originally marketed as the "affordable" sports car. They weren't designed to ride & handle like a Jag.
Folks living in Europe "may" have the benefit of smoother roads. For those of us in the USA, the road conditions get worse with each passing year. The USA simply has too many miles of road per taxpayer. Too many other places for state & federal money to go to.
As far as the BJ8 goes, the small additional ride height/compression travel, did increase ground clearance at the expense of no increase in rebound travel which it badly needed. For those that put styling above utility, it was probably a bad move. For those trying to go faster than snail pace over rough road, it may have helped a bit.
D
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Keoke
Great Pumpkin
Offline
Thats correct John, I put a set of 185 X 65 X 15 tires on one of my BJ8's and I could no longer drive into my friends service shop without draging the mufflers.Back to 185 X 70's.I just went out and measured my BJ8 from the ground to the wheel arch. It measures 27 1/4".???--Keoke /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif
I used a yard stick this time Dave. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
OH My Gosh No they do not ride and handle like the JAG
West coast roads are very good all the way from Sandiego to Vancouver BC /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif
I used a yard stick this time Dave. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
OH My Gosh No they do not ride and handle like the JAG
West coast roads are very good all the way from Sandiego to Vancouver BC /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif
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[ QUOTE ]
West coast roads are very good all the way from Sandiego to Vancouver BC /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif
[/ QUOTE ]
I used to live in the Bay area. Last time I was back for a visit, the roads were in terrible shape, compared to years ago. Does condition of the roads depend upon who is governor?
D /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
West coast roads are very good all the way from Sandiego to Vancouver BC /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif
[/ QUOTE ]
I used to live in the Bay area. Last time I was back for a visit, the roads were in terrible shape, compared to years ago. Does condition of the roads depend upon who is governor?
D /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Offline
[ QUOTE ]
But Useto ain't now Dave.-Keoke /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
[/ QUOTE ]
I "used to" live there. The last visit was only a couple of years ago. Saw a whole lot that wasn't so "excellent". Hence my question about recent changes.
D
But Useto ain't now Dave.-Keoke /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
[/ QUOTE ]
I "used to" live there. The last visit was only a couple of years ago. Saw a whole lot that wasn't so "excellent". Hence my question about recent changes.
D
tahoe healey
Yoda
Offline
I'm not sure where in LA you live but we just visited the beach area (Huntington)and found the many roads to have pot holes and the freeways to be sagging. My wife even commented on them being as bad as ours where snow and ice dig out big chunks. (I guess we were technically in Orange County). Our California roads use to be the finest but they are all patched now. Maybe some of you who went to Klamath Falls from So.Cal. for the Healey conclave will prove me wrong. I-5 is good cause its newer.
John Loftus
Darth Vader
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[ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure where in LA you live but we just visited the beach area (Huntington)and found the many roads to have pot holes and the freeways to be sagging. My wife even commented on them being as bad as ours where snow and ice dig out big chunks.
[/ QUOTE ]
We did just go through a near all time record rainy season in Southern California. Still have a lot of roads with major damage and that's not the norm. Speedbumps continue to spread like gophers on steroids. Great suspension flexers for SUV's but not too good for the Healey and lowered rice rocket crowd (wow .. we might just have one thing in common!)
Cheers,
John
I'm not sure where in LA you live but we just visited the beach area (Huntington)and found the many roads to have pot holes and the freeways to be sagging. My wife even commented on them being as bad as ours where snow and ice dig out big chunks.
[/ QUOTE ]
We did just go through a near all time record rainy season in Southern California. Still have a lot of roads with major damage and that's not the norm. Speedbumps continue to spread like gophers on steroids. Great suspension flexers for SUV's but not too good for the Healey and lowered rice rocket crowd (wow .. we might just have one thing in common!)
Cheers,
John