air ride or hydraulic lift system for the Europa

[Fulvia-hf]

Hello,
I own an S1a and am about to move to a more rural hillside area were the only acces to our new home will be a 2ml gravel road. A road the low Europa would definitely ground out on.
In holland were I live more than enough speed bumps make Europa life miserable. This change in environment will get rid of the nasty speed bumps in change for a gravel road. Has anyone with the same challenges invented or sourced a lift kit for the front? Lift kits exist but mainly for much bigger and heavier cars resulting in big units.
Cheers,
William

[Grumblebuns]

 

Interesting problem you have. Most owners are looking for a way to lower the front. No matter what method you use, most likely you will have to come up with your own solution, you will compromise the shock travel on the front.

[BDA]

  Fulvia-hf!!

The lowest part of the front end is the anti-roll bar mounts at the bottom of the shocks. Some have mounted the roll-bar higher to gain ground clearance. Our own Serge posted a youtube video on how he did it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfDneY0k_cE).

Over the years, I've seen several methods of doing this but at the moment, this is the only one I can find. If I can find others, I'll post them:

https://www.prevanders.net/europa/frontsway.html

[Fulvia-hf]

I have started a modified ARB location a while ago but never came round finishing it. In contrast to the car of Serge is my body still firmly bonded to the chassis. this makes the installation of a inboard mounted ARVB extremely difficult. But besides the ARB I think the whole front end can serve as a sledge on poor roads. I would regret scraping my precious fiberglass floor.

[BDA]

The good thing about that video is that you and Serge both have S1s. The bad thing is, as you say, he is dealing with a frame that is not bonded to the body yet. IIRC, one guy made shorter drop links and then connected it similarly to the shock bolt or even somewhere on the lower A-arm. I'll look some more and see if I can find something.

But you're still left to protect your fiberglass underside. You've probably already thought of a skid plate made of galvanized sheet. Another option is to get adjustable shocks and raise the ride height with them. After that, other than inventing a hydraulic lift for the bottom spring perch, I think you've pretty much run out of options.

Do you have any idea how much you want to raise the front?

[BDA]

Turbo has some interesting pictures of how he is raising his front roll bar (http://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=4034.msg54025#msg54025).

[Fulvia-hf]

But you're still left to protect your fiberglass underside. You've probably already thought of a skid plate made of galvanized sheet. Another option is to get adjustable shocks and raise the ride height with them. After that, other than inventing a hydraulic lift for the bottom spring perch, I think you've pretty much run out of options.

Do you have any idea how much you want to raise the front?
[/quote]

I was hoping somebody had taken the route of designing hydraulic lifts. I know KW suspension makes something but caters for 52mm strut bodies only. My S1 has got a meagre 44mm shock body.

[Chuck Nukem]

But you're still left to protect your fiberglass underside. You've probably already thought of a skid plate made of galvanized sheet. Another option is to get adjustable shocks and raise the ride height with them. After that, other than inventing a hydraulic lift for the bottom spring perch, I think you've pretty much run out of options.

Do you have any idea how much you want to raise the front?

I was hoping somebody had taken the route of designing hydraulic lifts. I know KW suspension makes something but caters for 52mm strut bodies only. My S1 has got a meagre 44mm shock body.
[/quote]

How much would it cost to grade your driveway? Maybe offsite parking?

[kram350kram]

I relocated the bar like this, if you're still interested.   

[Fulvia-hf]

My car is an S1. it has the narrow Koni front coil-over shocks. It also has the Banks tubular upper and lower wishbones. Does anyone know if the 'beefier' S2 /TC coil-overs fit my car?
A local Koni repair shop has remade the Alfa Romeo SZ monstro front shocks which use an air compressor and a dash mounted switch to raise the front a few inches when needed. The hydraulic section on top of the damper measures 82mm wide and is 60mm tall. This hydraulic unit can be fitted to any shock with a 2" diameter body. I believe this is the size of the S2/Tc shock correct?

Cheers,

William

[MRN I J]

here is a link that may help https://airride.it/en/shop/

[JR73]

Found this;

https://www.ramliftpro.com/