I need some assistance with the ride height of the SDL. I changed shocks this weekend and installed the Bilstein comforts. I am quite pleased with the improvement in ride quality. The shocks that were removed, although supposedly gas charged shocks, could be easily moved by hand. Clearly, they were doing nothing to slow the movement of the front end.

The problem that has now surfaced is the ride height in the front.

The fender is 28" off the pavement! The tire is 24" (205-65-15) and there is 4" of space above it. You could host a party in there.

Prior to the new shocks, the fender was at 27". Still seems a bit high, but not unreasonable. At 28", the vehicle looks ridiculous. The additional inch of height was caused by the resistance in the new gas filled shocks that actually work.

I am at a loss to explain why the ride height would be this tall. I would seriously doubt if the front springs are anything but original. The rubber seat at the top of the spring does not appear to be more than 5/8" or so.

I have installed the shocks with a steel washer and rubber bushing underneath the fender and with another steel washer and rubber bushing on top of the fender, in the engine compartment.

It would appear that the vehicle would need to be lowered by 2" to look "proper".

Any and all comments are requested. If anyone else (SDL only) can measure their fender height, this would also serve to provide some data for comparison.