Sagging bottom

[Simon]

After two and a half years, my Atom has now decided to start, ever so slightly, to scrape its bottom on the hump in my mother's drive.
Tyre pressures are as normal (14psi front. 17psi rear), none of the suspension doohickeys are hanging off, no excess stuff in the nose compartment and I've not put on weight. The lowest point seems to be the coolant pipes that run front to back and they seem to be as fixed as they should be: no loose connections or hangers.

Is this likely just to be a simple case of suspension settling?
What's involved in raising ride height by a mm or two, that's all that is required ?

S.

[phil4]

If it was super close to begin with then, it's likely as you say to just be the car settling.  You'd not visibly notice it.  My race engineer next door neighbor suggested you alter the ride height by adjusting the pushrods.  Of course there are probably any number of other adjustments required afterwards (alignments, camber etc.).  Hope that helps., even just a tiny bit.

[AtomMadStew]

if you adjusted them by the same amount/ 2-3 turns? Raising the height slightly shouldn't have that much/if any effect on camber or toe.

Stew

Stew

[Simon]

Thanks guys,

Is this a relatively simple procedure? I have never done any suspension work but consider myself to be reasonably mechanically competent.  I'm happy to have a go but it there are major pitfalls I'll wait till MOT is due and get lads at Ariel to do it.

Thanks once again.
Simon

[Cjg62]

You could try and flatten the hump!!

[Simon]

If I twiddle the push rod ends the wrong way flattening the hump will be the next option.
S.

[AtomMadStew]

Mark both sides of the pushrod (either some  masking tape with a pen mark on or a small paint dot, undo the locknut and adjust all 4 rods equally in the direction required - lengthen the rod one full turn at a time (re-aligning up your marks each time)

Stew

[AMH 142]

A bit of bedding in, a bit of tyre wear, a change in the hump or more likely the hollow, and there you have it. First I'd be thinking about jumping out the car and pushing it over, carrying a couple of little pieces of ply, blowing my tyres up when I visit (or not visiting my mother so much , all before I'd play with the pushrod lengths. On a perfectly flat floor you could check your front and back ride heights first and then see if the car has settled. If that is the case, then tweaks as suggested by Stew will do the trick.

Good Luck

[Simon]

[quote="Stew Bartley"]
Mark both sides of the pushrod (either some  masking tape with a pen mark on or a small paint dot, undo the locknut and adjust all 4 rods equally in the direction required - lengthen the rod one full turn at a time (re-aligning up your marks each time)

Stew
[/quote]

Ahh, I think I see! No need to dismantle the ends, the actual tube rotates.
Thank you.
S.

[Simon]

[quote="Aidan"]
First I'd be thinking about jumping out the car and pushing it over,...
Good Luck
[/quote]

Yep did that. Only problem with a 94 year old mother is that they don't have the strength to push even a lightweight car. Had to do it myself. Tsk!
S.

[meladdo]

Buy a NOMAD

[Flying Phil]

You're getting fatter...! Exercise, eat better, spend some time at the gym. Your partner/wife will appreciate it...and so will your car. Best fix for a saggy bottom

[meladdo]

[quote="Flying Phil"]
You're getting fatter...! Exercise, eat better, spend some time at the gym. Your partner/wife will appreciate it...and so will your car. Best fix for a saggy bottom
[/quote]

Those control pants do ok for the older woman! could they be deployed here for his sagging bottom, I wonder?

O hold on its the cars sagging bottom?

Its more than likelu one of the water pipes that run under the car maybe fastener has come off / loose?

[Simon]

[quote="Flying Phil"]
You're getting fatter...! Exercise, eat better, spend some time at the gym. Your partner/wife will appreciate it...and so will your car. Best fix for a saggy bottom
[/quote]

Whoa there Mr Flying Phil !
I'll have you know my power to weight ratio has improved by a whopping 1.107% (approximately) since purchasing the Atom and that's without a power upgrade. So less cheek about fitness, gyms and satisfying partners. :-)

Like the idea of the control under crackers though. Combined with incont....

S.

[meladdo]

Like the idea of the control under crackers though. Combined with incont....

Get the flesh colour and you can barely tell the difference, You can where them in the  continent too no issues there!