I know, I know, there's bits all over the internet, but I want to do it 100% right and that's how you guys work!

I have cut nylon rod calibration blocks to the standard lengths, I have Nanocom, so what's next?

Do I start at Access and work up, or Extended and work down?

Do I jack up front and back, insert the blocks, drop it and say to Nano, "Fill yer boots," or is there another stage I need to go through?

I set it up a while ago using the tape measure method, but finding a flat piece of road isn't easy here and recently, as I have to drop to Access every time I put her in the garage, she's been playing silly buggers. Nothing I can't sort, but she shouldn't be doing it in the first place.

When I swapped her back to air, after buying on coils, bags (Dunlop) were three months old, compressor was new, valve block was rebuilt, so I see no reason, apart from properly calibrating, why it all shouldn't be happy.

As I say, a simple idiot's guide would be brilliant. 'cos I'm an idiot!

Thank you.

George.

I always start at extended and work down. One jack under the towbar and another on the front crossmember just in front of the radiator. Jack it up, fit the extended blocks, then use the Nano to let the air out and lower the jacks so it is sitting on the blocks. Note the Live Heights and store them in the extended height boxes. Jack it a bit so you can get the blocks out and fit the standard height set, lower the jacks and do the same. Same for the motorway height and access. With two people, one at each end, and a couple of trolley jacks, it shouldn't take longer than about half and hour. I found that the access blocks are only marginally taller than the bumpstops which makes getting them out a pain so drilled and tapped an M6 hole in the end so I can screw a bolt into them and use that to pull them out.

Another vote for starting at the top and working down.

First time I used axle stands under the chassis to support the car whilst playing with the blocks. Made for a slow job, especially as I only have one high lift jack. But easier on the nerves. Got reasons for not trusting jacks! Second time round I used a friends short "between the wheels" hydraulic lift. When the third time comes round I now have similar lift of my own.

I reckon it equally important to have a nicely set out "form" to note down the values on so you can keep track of what you are doing. Write them all down as you go. Then file for future reference. Being Captain Anal or Inspector Meticulous tends to be something of a chore but when it pays off it pays off big.

Not a bad idea to do a dummy run through first and see what Nano says it has then come back for a proper go. If the values for the proper go are significantly different than they were for the run through could be a poor connection or a sensor getting to the end of its life. If either a sensor or connection is unreliable you will get nowhere fast. We have to accept that our cars are getting old and things are as likely to age out as wear out. Objectively 20+ years is a decent run for almost anything really.

Naturally make sure the battery is up to snuff and well charged too.

Clive

Thanks for replies all.

Forgot to mention the height sensors were new with the compressor, etc., and correct for 1995.

Should have done it this weekend but seem to have wound up working which, I think, should be illegal!

Yes, Richard, working high to low makes sense.

Good idea on the dummy run, Clive, just to double check.

Gilbertd wrote:

I always start at extended and work down. One jack under the towbar and another on the front crossmember just in front of the radiator. Jack it up, fit the extended blocks, then use the Nano to let the air out and lower the jacks so it is sitting on the blocks. Note the Live Heights and store them in the extended height boxes. Jack it a bit so you can get the blocks out and fit the standard height set, lower the jacks and do the same. Same for the motorway height and access. With two people, one at each end, and a couple of trolley jacks, it shouldn't take longer than about half and hour. I found that the access blocks are only marginally taller than the bumpstops which makes getting them out a pain so drilled and tapped an M6 hole in the end so I can screw a bolt into them and use that to pull them out.

This is something I'll be doing shortly I think. I've put 'new' sensors on the front, and will be putting them on the rear too. When I say new, I mean from a breaker, but with the sensor legs in better nick than mine which are crumbling away.

Easiest bit of guaranteed level ground is my garage floor. So, looking at the instructions above, are you doing this with the engine running, or because the process is from high to low, and letting air out, is it being done with ignition on, but engine off?

The issue for me is just exhaust gasses in the garage if I do it with the engine running.

Ignition on but engine not running (as long as you've got a decent battery).

Thanks very much. I've been in the habit of pulling the battery whenever the car's not mobile and keeping it on a maintenance charger so it should be up to it. I'll need to make do with wooden blocks I think, as I have a 'chop saw' which will allow me to make those up rather than trying to cut delrin, but for very occasional use I can't see that being an issue.

A few people have made them from wood and they've worked fine, 30mm diameter is more important so they are a snug fit into the bumpstops and don't fall out between putting them in place and lowering the jacks. I made mine from Nylon but cutting that was fun. Started with a hacksaw but it was hard work so tried a cutting disc in an angle grinder which melted it's way through rather than cutting.....

Further question on this for me, as the moment approaches… and I certainly have the potential to be the aforementioned ‘idiot’!

To all intents and purposes, are the airbags secondary/redundant to the calibration process, assuming there was insufficient air in them to allow the chassis to drop to access mode?

By this I mean, if the airbags are empty, this could be done with two jacks, front and rear, doing the lifting/lowering onto the blocks?

Any downsides to this? (No pun intended!)

Yes, air springs need to be empty anyway, or at least have insufficient air in them to support the car at Access height. I start with the car at High, jack it so the first set of blocks can be fitted, then use the Nano or EASUnlock to open the valves and let the air out so it drops onto the blocks. After that lift on the jacks take the blocks out, fit the next set, drop it again and so on.

Thank you. Appreciate that. Might get that done tomorrow, depending on the weather.

How apt that to find this thread I had to search for 'idiot'....!
As you might guess, I didn't get this done yet, but an axle refurb will do that to you.

I was reviewing what's above - all very clear, but then I noticed the reference to the "extended" blocks. I thought that "extended" was a special ECU setting which the car went to automatically if grounded, and wasn't something that would be set by the user.

I have made up blocks in 4 heights - High, Standard, Cruise, and Access.

I was going to start with the High ones, and work down, as outlined above. Just checking that I haven't missed anything?

My fault, I referred to Extended when I should have said High. Don't forget the tapped hole in the end of the Access blocks so you aren't trying to lever them out after you've set it.

"Thumbs up" Gd, thanks very much. I absolutely assumed that's what you'd meant, but just wanted to be sure. I haven't tapped the access blocks yet, but it's on the list.

I am going to fit a couple of new height sensors soon so will be calibrating the various heights using some blocks. The $64k question, not covered in this idiot’s guide, is what length should each block be for each of the four heights? I am also given to understand that the rear heights are a little different than the front heights!

HIGH SETTING:
145mm rear setting
140mm front setting
STANDARD SETTING:
105mm rear setting
100mm front setting
LOW SETTING:
80mm rear setting
75mm front setting
ACCESS SETTING:
40mm rear setting
35 mm front setting

Make them out of 30mm diameter material, Delrin, Nylon even wood but if too fat they won't fit into the bumpstops and too thin they will fall out. Level floor isn't essential as you are setting the distance between the axle and the chassis just make sure it is sitting on the blocks and not any residual air left in the air spring.

Thanks Richard.