Rear Suspension Setting-Link Length - Anyone struggled with this ?

[rfs1957]

I am puzzled about the length of the Rear-Setting Links as specified Page K.16 Fig.22 of the original 3.8 workshop manual.

The critical dimension is the "inside" length from the hook to the bottom of the eye, and this is given as 229mm



I've made a pair, but even with 3/4 of a tank of fuel, and maybe 60kg in the boot, there's no way the lower eye will reach the lower hub nut - I'm still about 20mm too short.





I think I've got standard shock-absorbers, they'll have been Boge from SNGB about 10-15 years ago, but I suppose any variation in their length would compromise my rear ride-height in this way. Hard to measure on the car ..........

Has anyone else had this disparity ?

The ones I made for the front, on the other hand, fit easily.

I think I'll probably just make a new set for the rear that are 20 or 25mm longer, as I suspect that the most important thing is their function as providing a standard and repeatable ride-height for suspension-geometry measurements ?

[mgcjag]

Yes the rear setting links wont fit unless a huge amount of weight in the rear...some suggest disconnecting shock/spring unit...many set the rear camber useing the setting links when the irs unit is on the bench...after discussing setting camber/castor I think it's far better to set it as the car is going to be driven....Steve

[abowie]

We never used the rear setting links, just put in an equal number of shims (6 or so per side), then measured the rear camber when we took the car for a wheel alignment and adjusted it then.

[rfs1957]

Each to his own, but having done the taut-threads, measuring, Gunson Trackrite etc until I'm blue in the face on both the Mini and the Jag, sometimes I prefer to pay 35€ and get my cheerful local Dutchman run his mirrors and scanners over my set ups, and print me off a this-is-where-you're-up-to document.

And ride height makes a big difference to the read-outs.

I made rear hooks that were 255mm long, instead of the 229 that Jaguar show in their drawing, as with a 1/2 tank-full they fit with just a modest compression of the rear bumper.

Just don't tell anyone it was me that welded 26mm lengths of re-bar into the middle of these