Lowering the front end

[Daveyboy20 0]

15 hours ago, Beeper said:

Have you seen this guy on YouTube? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-W8jdFaMWw I think he's an eccentric millionaire but don't know for certain.   He has an Eagle SS, and a Nova kit car, or 'abandoned super car' as he calls it, to name but two of his projects. I've not seen much of the Eagle since he got it running though and the next upcoming episode seems to be about the Nova again.

 

 

Yes, I've been really enjoying the Nova series and the 2 Eagle episodes so far. I think he plans on doing a long distance trip in the Eagle soon 

[Daveyboy20 0]

1 hour ago, disco_monkey79 said:

Love the Nova, but its door/canopy - it looks super-cool but would surely be infuriating to live with? I would be interested to know how to the OP finds gull wings work in the real world.

 

 

All I know so far is I've had to do the hi-viz attached to the ladders trick that builders do as I've clonked my head on the open doors SO many times in the garage

[Beeper 82]

On 1/23/2026 at 12:34 PM, Daveyboy20 said:

 

All I know so far is I've had to do the hi-viz attached to the ladders trick that builders do as I've clonked my head on the open doors SO many times in the garage

 

Paracetamol is your friend, along with a cycling helmet.

[Daveyboy20 0]

 Morning guys. I've raised the whole car up nice and high and I've taken multiple pictures of the front subframe/suspension so you can see it better 👍🏻

[disco_monkey79 29]

On 1/22/2026 at 2:12 PM, sheffieldcortinacentre said:

If you go much more than an inch you'll start scrubbing the inside of the front tyres due to increased negative camber .

If memory serves 1 degree needs the lower arm mounting bolt  moving inwards 5mm.

Used to run 3 degrees negative on racer (cornering was great) but tyres would be bald on inside edge in circa 4k miles on road.

So you have to get adjustable arms or redrill cradle, best supplier is rally design, most places don't understand Cortina running gear as escort is king,  especially Burton power.

Same will happen with rear I think there used to be wedge shaped spacers for the rear bearing mounts on sierra to correct camber.

 

Most of all remember with state of roads it will soon drive you crazy  dodging potholes, speed bumps etc.

If you really must have the collapsed suspension look go air ride.

Do you know the lb rating for standard V6 springs? Ignoring the potentially iffy ebay sellers (who proclaim suitable for all models regardless of engine type!!), the only ones I can find are 275lb at Burton Power. I was hoping to go firmer than standard, but it seems like it's these or nothing. I looked on Rally Design but they don;t seem to stock 'tina springs any more/

 

Thanks

[sheffieldcortinacentre 747]

As the ohc was the most common engine this is what everyone stocks nowadays.

I'll check but seem to recall cologne V6 ones are 295, Essex V6 are 340 & small block ford V8 360.

HD springs are an average 20lbin more.

The works rally car had twin rear anti roll bars ( never tried this) was a fair but about rear end work . 

The racers retained std single but were 5 linked & turreted ( unlike UK cars.

 

For improved handling bushes,anti roll bars & shockers are more important.

Edited January 28 by sheffieldcortinacentre

[disco_monkey79 29]

39 minutes ago, sheffieldcortinacentre said:

As the ohc was the most common engine this is what everyone stocks nowadays.

I'll check but seem to recall cologne V6 ones are 295, Essex V6 are 340 & small block ford V8 360.

HD springs are an average 20lbin more.

The works rally car had twin rear anti roll bars ( never tried this) was a fair but about rear end work . 

The racers retained std single but were 5 linked & turreted ( unlike UK cars.

 

For improved handling bushes,anti roll bars & shockers are more important.

Much obliged. If nothing else it would be handy to know what I am fitting!

 

I have polyushed it and will be getting snazzy shocks. I am on the hunt for a chunkier ARBs but will have to go with standard for the time being.

 

Thanks again.

[sheffieldcortinacentre 747]

The rollbars are hard to find nowadays.

[dgo 80]

White line used to sell uprated rear ARBs. Not sure whether they still do

[disco_monkey79 29]

3 hours ago, dgo said:

White line used to sell uprated rear ARBs. Not sure whether they still do

Thanks for the tip, but apparently not - they only have ARB bushes on their website.

[Beeper 82]

I'm not sure what springs I have on the front of my 75 XL 1600 but it looks/rides pretty high. Also, as it's been sat in the lockup since it's last MOT (pass) in 2014, I don't know if it's just me getting old and being used to PAS for almost 15 years but the steering is SO stiff, even when reversing out of the lockup. Any ideas on that would be appreciated.

 

Edited January 29 by Beeper

[sheffieldcortinacentre 747]

Probably both.

[Beeper 82]

As informative as always, thanks C.

[sheffieldcortinacentre 747]

The pas in cars over the last 10-15 years is ridiculous I find it's so over assisted its like being on a playstation there's no feel/feedback at all. But this is what people want total isolation from the world outside their box buyers are more interested in the amount of pointless toys a vehicle has than how reliable,drive able,etc it is & how impressed/jealous their friends, neighbours, colleagues etc will be by it & all they other stuff they've got that's one payment from being taken away from them thank they think is the route to happiness.

Alot of people can't believe I've never had anything on credit, finance,hpi,BBC,itv or whatever the latest name is for debt.

The only thing I think that's worth that life path is a house ( not houses ) it's somewhere to live not a commodity you may need to move if you start a family but not for vanity etc.

Anyway now I've put the world to rights back to cars.

If I cars been stood the grease in the ball joints & tca's may have gone hard , I've heard of people popping the boots off & dripping a couple of drops of oil in/on the ball  to soften it up.

[disco_monkey79 29]

18 hours ago, Beeper said:

I'm not sure what springs I have on the front of my 75 XL 1600 but it looks/rides pretty high. Also, as it's been sat in the lockup since it's last MOT (pass) in 2014, I don't know if it's just me getting old and being used to PAS for almost 15 years but the steering is SO stiff, even when reversing out of the lockup. Any ideas on that would be appreciated.

 

Dunno what wheel/tyre combo you have, but skinnier tyres would make it easier to turn the wheel at low speed.

 

Also a standard steering wheel, as opposed to a smaller diameter motolita/springalex etc etc.