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Go Back   Madabout Kitcars Forum > Mad Build Area > Marlin 5exi builds

Marlin 5exi builds Calling all you sexi builders....sorry 5exi builders, show us your progress.

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  #1  
Old 31st December 2014, 09:57
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Default Damper length

Sorry to go back over old ground. The rear of my EXi sits stupidly low, the open length of my rear dampers eye-to-eye is 335mm.. same as the fronts.

Have Marlin supplied me with four fronts? I've done a quick bit of searching on the forums and I've seen figures higher than this.

Cheers
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  #2  
Old 8th January 2015, 12:53
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Additional to this, is anyone selling any standard rear dampers as I doubt Marlin will exchange mine now, I bought them a very long time ago and only just getting around to fitting them...
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Old 8th January 2015, 20:34
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I replaced the rear gaz dampers supplied by marlin with some protech ones that were a little longer to get a usable ride height so I have a pair of the dampers that are 330mm/13 inches that have been sitting around a while but are basically unused but by the sounds of it you're having the same problem that caused me to replace them in the first place.

J
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Old 9th January 2015, 12:47
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Thanks for the reply J. What length Protech dampers did you go for in the end?

Cheers
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Old 9th January 2015, 13:08
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P.S. sorry, should have asked your name.
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Old 9th January 2015, 14:46
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Name is Jake so J works

after lots of calculations and measurements I concluded that my best length from the off the shelf parts would be a 14inch/355mm shock for ride height but that that would lead to the lower wishbones pressing against the chassis if/when I jacked it up or left the ground which I wasn't sure would be good. The actual maximum length would have been 13.75inches/350mm but that was a custom job. So for off the shelf parts I got 13.5inch/343mm shock and once I'd preloaded the springs I got a ride height of 10cm out of it which is still lower than I'd like for the intended road use but should be usable.

HTH

J
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Old 9th January 2015, 17:37
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Exclamation Damper length

Hi Guys,

My 2 penny worth....the gaz dampers have threaded spring platforms, and so can be adjusted up and down along the entire length of the damper body. To set the ride height up or down simply screwing this up or down does this a treat.

The problem you have is more likely to be springs that are too short so that you can't adjust enough; or too soft spring rate - this would probably see the spring coil bound.

From memory (but please don't take this as definite)I think my springs are either 10" or 12" and 325lb or 400lb on the rear....this gives loads of adjustment for ride height on the mk 1 suspension (I run approx 140mm ride height to bottom of rear chassis rail)

Rich
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Old 9th January 2015, 20:12
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I dream of 140mm The problem on the chassis I'm working with, which I believe is the MKII chassis [circa 2.5 years ago], is the lower wishbone simply isn't capable of getting to that kind of ride height as it'll contact the lower chassis rail before it does. The tabs that are welded on simply don't give you the geometry. The CAD model I created gave me an absolute best case scenario of 125mm with the ideal 13.75in max open length. And that's with the screws wound quite a way down to preload the springs. I'm running 450lb 9 inch springs on the back and probably have at least another inch I could wind them down if I wanted to but this wouldn't actually change the ride height any as they're pretty much at max extension.

The second problem, however, is that even if you replaced the spring with a steel tube so the damper couldn't compress at all the maximum open length of the supplied shocks gives you the crazily low ride height.

I have a suspicion this was design intent for track use but never got to have the conversation with Mark as he was going through his treatment whilst I was discovering this.

J
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Old 10th January 2015, 07:40
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Have a word with Dave at Track Developments. He might still have my springs and shocks I had from Marlin.
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Old 14th January 2015, 20:45
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I removed the dampers completely from the car and they were 335mm open. The collar is wound a fair way down so the springs are under constant compression. When installed on the car, but the car jacked up off the ground, the rear wishbones are almost horizontal... doesn't seem right.
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  #11  
Old 20th January 2015, 20:39
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Ok just to close this thread. I removed the rear dampers today, put a jack under the chassis and set the ride height to 135mm. I then measured the void where the damper should go, bolt hole-to-bolt hole, 350mm. I have the Mk1 chassis and it will allow for a greater ride height than this before the wishbones hit the chassis rail.

So yeah, front dampers 330mm open, Rears 350mm (or more) open. It would seem that Marlin did indeed supply me with four front dampers. My fault for leaving it so long before checking!

Thankfully Alex200mph can help me out with a set of four Protech dampers and shocks of the correct size. Phew
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Old 29th January 2015, 11:47
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When i built my Kit, I had to get some upgraded rose joints, from GAZ directly.
Marlin should know about these.
http://stsa.co.uk/gallery/5EXi/Build...earSuspension/

Steve
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