Just for fun, let's talk about lifting an Escort

Preface: I don't know anything about suspension engineering beyond how to replace parts.

It's time to think about new struts for the trusty Escort wagon. I drive the thing through snow all winter in Michigan and it sees camping and adventure duties that involve dirt and two track type roads. It would be useful to have an inch or so of extra ground clearance and it would probably look pretty cool (to my questionable tastes.)

Would there be an easy way to accomplish this without losing too much comfort and driving dynamics? It's an entertaining hypothetical concept but I will probably just end up getting KYB replacement struts. I'm just bored at the moment. Can't find any useful information on the feoa forum.

Heavier springs. That'd be the quickest way. Find some small truck springs you can modify to fit.

This topic would have been much more lively if you had said "pick up" instead of "lift."

Edit for helpful response: what about spring rubbers like the oval track racers use?

Spring rubbers go "in" the spring, not on top of it. They don't change ride height, only relative spring stiffness.

How about something like this on the top of the strut assembly?

FSP_ZX2 wrote: Spring rubbers go "in" the spring, not on top of it. They don't change ride height, only relative spring stiffness.

Don't they keep coils from compressing? Won't that raise the ride height?

Will wrote:

FSP_ZX2 wrote: Spring rubbers go "in" the spring, not on top of it. They don't change ride height, only relative spring stiffness.

Don't they keep coils from compressing? Won't that raise the ride height?

Not without a whole E36 M3load of them. They're designed to change spring rate, not increase ride height. The only way they're really going to increase height is if the current springs are beyond shot, and if that's the case, you've got bigger problems.

Will wrote:

FSP_ZX2 wrote: Spring rubbers go "in" the spring, not on top of it. They don't change ride height, only relative spring stiffness.

Don't they keep coils from compressing? Won't that raise the ride height?

No--they slide inbetween coils under static compression...and can be pulled out.

Find the spring part number for the heaviest Escort and replace with those. With Vw we'd use diesel automatic with a/c and it would lift the front about an inch on a car without.

or see if something like the Taurus has compatible suspension bits?

I built some pieces to lift a MK2 Golf 3". It was a fun project. Up front I cut the strut tubes, welded in another section of tube and then machined an aluminum slug that fit in the bottom. When he re installed the strut inserts and tightened the caps it was pretty much invisible. Out back I made some plates that relocated the bolt on spindles down 3". It widened the rear track 1/2" per side and added to the badass look. The owner threw some 235/75-14 light truck tires and a roof basket on it and has been driving it every day for the last 5 years or so. I see it every so often and it still makes me smile. He said it felt like stock since I didn't mess with the spring rates.

Kinda like this only a bit higher.

Ditchdigger wrote: I built some pieces to lift a MK2 Golf 3". It was a fun project. Up front I cut the strut tubes, welded in another section of tube and then machined an aluminum slug that fit in the bottom. When he re installed the strut inserts and tightened the caps it was pretty much invisible. Out back I made some plates that relocated the bolt on spindles down 3". It widened the rear track 1/2" per side and added to the badass look. The owner threw some 235/75-14 light truck tires and a roof basket on it and has been driving it every day for the last 5 years or so. I see it every so often and it still makes me smile. He said it felt like stock since I didn't mess with the spring rates. Kinda like this only a bit higher.

I would DD this so hard.... and I'm scared of Volkswagens.

It's like a Golf Country with just the right amount of anger on top.

In reply to Ditchdigger:

I dig this greatly

I actually know the owner of the car in that picture. It did get daily driven for years until the engine died, now its waiting to get made into something more interesting (bigger tires, more power, awd) since he has a couple other cars for daily use now. It just had modified front struts and spacers in the back with mk3/passat/corrado suspension parts and Passat springs, and a modified tdi. It did eat CV joints quite often though.

What year escort are we talking about here? If its from the 80s, there was a Diesel option and rockauto shows two coils for it.

Really the easiest way to lift a vehicle is the tallest tires you can stand rubbing against the fenders.

Ze Escort in question is a '94 LX wagon which has heavier duty rear springs already.

And that's a sweet VW. Something like that is the hypothetical fantasy I have floating around in my head.

Is the goal more travel as well, or just higher ride height? That will help determine which compromises make the most sense.

FSP_ZX2 wrote: How about something like this on the top of the strut assembly?

This ^^^^^

Simply using spring length/rate to lift it will cause the struts to be always at the very upper end of their travel. If you space the whole cartridge down, that will give you the lift you want without changing any ride quality.

You will have to possibly come up with some clever engineering to correct your camber. The lower arms on those as I recall are pretty short. Your tires will be cambered way out (tops tilted out). Things you can do include adjustable upper strut mounts, or you can also get a fair amount of camber correction by making the lower bolt holes oblong for more range of motion before torquing down the bolts.