[DML] Re: Lowering the DMC-12

["Doc" <doctor280@xxxx>]

I just love a good debate! don't you!

Lee
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Yes and I have to throw in my two cents,



Lee is correct for the most part about cutting the springs on a car. One can
not just go out to the driveway pull the springs out, cut them with a torch
or hack saw, put them back in the car and go. But they can be cut and the
tops can be reshaped to fit the holders correctly when reinstalled.

Now if you are thinking that this is the cheap way to lower your Delorean,
it is not! The expense can run up there, because to get the springs cut
correctly you have to, take the car to a spring shop that specializes in
this.

Now the one shop that I have had experience with here local has to get the
weight of the car, get the travel of the wheels, how much you want it
lowered and ect. ect. They then remove the springs and work out the data to
see if the existing springs will work correctly when it is cut and
resurfaced. Some cars the stock spring will not fall in the correct
specifications and they will not cut them.If the spring will not meet the
required specification they will use a different spring that will meet the
specifications and will go from there. As you can see this can get costly,
but for some cars, lowered spring are not available and this is a must. The
DeLorean does not fall into this category, as far as the front spring are
concerned.

Now as far as I know a lowered rear spring kit is not available for the
Delorean, but I maybe wrong on this. But I will say that it is my opinion
that the car was raised in the back. And I also think that the rear of the
Delorean has to be lowered to really give it the very squat wide look. Don't
get me wrong here, the front springs help the car's looks greatly, but mine
is so much cleaner looking, lowered all the way around. The reason for this
is the tire edges are the same distance from the fenders, front and rear.
This does not occur when only the front is lowered, because there still
remains, that space between the rear tire and the fender, that is greater
then the front. Also it is my opinion, that my car ( lowered all the way
around ) comes closer to the prototype car, then a front lowered car comes.

Now as far as cut and swap , well that is a no no. the front springs can not
properly support the rear under a load. Now my Delorean does have, cut
springs in all four corners that have had the tops resurfaced to fit the
holders correctly and there is not any undo wear, binding and ect. that
occurs when a spring is not set up correctly. Oh yea, by the way, the
springs that were used to accomplish this were four, new Delorean rear
springs.

Well now that you all know that my Delorean has been lowered all the way
around and that Lee, most likely will consider that my Delorean is a ground
hugger, we come to tire wear and this is a good point. When the front of a
Delorean is lowered ( I will keep this on simple terms ) the tire contact
patch will stay flat to the ground. What this means is , no problem, the
tire is not going to wear out. The rear of the car is where the problem
comes in. When the rear is lowered the tire contact patch will not stay flat
to the ground. Upon lowering the rear of the Delorean the inside edge of the
tire is the only part of the tire that will make contact with the ground and
this will cause the inside tread of the tire to wear out rapidly. Well now
we know that there is a problem when lowering the rear of a Delorean.... the
tires are going to wear out. But what many people on the list are not aware
of, is that, there is a fix for this problem. The fix for eliminating rear
tire wear on a Delorean that has been lowered in the rear is....... rear
adjustable control arms. The stock rear control arm are fixed and there is
no adjusting them, but thanks to Don at Delorean Motor Center, he saw the
how good the Delorean looked lowered all the way around and sought the
answer, to correcting the alignment problem that it created. So as far as a
tire wear problem on my "ground hugger" .........I have no tire wear
problems. :)

Now for the last part, ride and handing. The ride of my Delorean really is
very close to the a stock Delorean , I have got to compare mine and a stock
one and really could not tell that I have compromised any comfort by
lowering my Delorean. Handling, lets see, what is the best way I can put
it....... It's like driving on rails baby , rails I say!!!!!

Robert Starling

Vin#5252

PS. Lee, Hope that this is a open debate and in no way will effect me
getting my limited edition kit....LOL