Front ride height. How low is too low?

[tocheck]

I've had my Backdraft for a little over a month and am trying to get everything sorted out. The previous owner had apparently raised the front ride height about 3/4". The car seems to sit a little nose high for my taste. I would like to lower the front, but currently I only have 3" clearance from the oil pan to ground.

How low is too low?

Will the additional camber from lowering it down be excessive?

Does changing the ride height change the ride quality?

Any advice on this?

[keezling]

Speed bumps, curb stops in parking lots, driveways vs. the body and oil pan.

[Britishstev56]

I have about 1 and 1/2 fingers above tire just make sure lower part of nose clears speed bump

[lippy]

And put clear helicopter tape along the front/bottom. It saved me from many scrapes.

[Winchester67]

Low is cool looking, no doubt. But I drive my car around town, not around a track. I would leave it as is for a while...I bet the former owner jacked it up a bit for practical reasons, not for show. Since it is still new to you, I would keep driving it a while before I decided.

[cycleguy55]

When I had a new oil pan built for mine, it was carefully measured, then built, so the bottom of the pan is 1/4" above the bottom of the frame rails. The bellhousing is lower, but it's better able to take a hit from a speed bump than a sheet metal oil pan.

[RACERAL]

3" ain't much... I would not drop the front any lower. Besides.. the Cobras normally have a front up look. Just as long as the top of the tire to the bottom of the wheel well opening is about a finger,,, that's about right to me anyway.

[Dwight]

what oil pan do you have?

Dwight

[eunosracr]

Get Armando's oil pan. Gave me almost 3 more inches of clearance.

[twin turbo]

Can you post a pic so we can see the stance? You may need a different oil pan so you can drop the nose down a little. My oil pan is about 3.5 inches off the ground and I have to be really careful on speed bumps and watch out for potholes. My front spoiler used to be at 3" but I had to trim it up slightly due to hitting driveway entrances and the like.

[tocheck]

There are some pictures in my album.

Starting to think lowering it would be a big mistake.

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by eunosracr

Get Armando's oil pan. Gave me almost 3 more inches of clearance.

Armando built my pan. Great work. Highly recommended.

tocheck: Tell Armando you want a Cobra-style road racing oil pan for your SBF. It's not listed on the Web page, but he will custom build whatever you want.

I took front and rear oil pan rail measurements on my BBF to a straightedge across the bottom of the frame rails, then subtracted 1/4" to get the bottom of the pan at that level, and that's what Armando built. He also installed drain plugs front right and left side rear in order to properly and completely drain the sump, plus he installed a bung in the pan for an oil temperature gauge, as well as a dipstick fitting.

I almost forgot, the pan will come with a matching pickup. In my case I was switching from front sump to rear sump, so I also needed to change the pump and add a main bearing stud with provision for the pickup attachment.

Link to Armando's Road Racing oil pans: Road race oil pan

[eunosracr]

Originally Posted by cycleguy55

Armando built my pan. Great work. Highly recommended.

tocheck: Tell Armando you want a Cobra-style road racing oil pan for your SBF. It's not listed on the Web page, but he will custom build whatever you want.

I took front and rear oil pan rail measurements on my BBF to a straightedge across the bottom of the frame rails, then subtracted 1/4" to get the bottom of the pan at that level, and that's what Armando built. He also installed drain plugs front right and left side rear in order to properly and completely drain the sump, plus he installed a bung in the pan for an oil temperature gauge, as well as a dipstick fitting.

I almost forgot, the pan will come with a matching pickup. In my case I was switching from front sump to rear sump, so I also needed to change the pump and add a main bearing stud with provision for the pickup attachment.

Link to Armando's Road Racing oil pans: Road race oil pan

I took this advice and bought Armando's oil pan. Best money ive spent on the car yet. The extra 3 inches of clearance makes a world of difference.

[tocheck]

I will check it out.

Thanks all.

[twin turbo]

In looking at your pics it does look like your car is slightly raised in the front. A custom pan would help or if there is room in the tunnel you could raise the motor mount height.