Criterion vs Lifeliner ride height

Richard Vyse

Richard Vyse

I have both rigs out today and as you can see, the Criterion rides quite a bit higher than the Lifeliner. Lifeliner has air shocks which are fully inflated. I ran out and counted leaf springs and the Criterion has 9 whereas the Lifeliner only has 7. Perhaps after the 74 Criterion came out it was decided it needed more leaf springs due to the added metal side panels.
 

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Yes i would say that is quite a differnce. The Criterion must have a pretty tall shock on it. I would have guessed that the Criterion was the one with air shocks.

josh
 
Like many have told you before in your other thread about this, and also you saw in the M-M thread, that is how these sit. Its just as it should be.
 
You are probably right John. I just reviewed my photo album of Criterions and it seems the newer ones did ride a bit higher than the 74's and at the same time there were many that rode low too.
 
Here are shots of both sides of the '75 Criterion that I used to own. Obviously sits a lot lower in the back than Richard's.
 

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Terry Lange said:
Here are shots of both sides of the '75 Criterion that I used to own. Obviously sits a lot lower in the back than Richard's.
Click to expand...

And sits lower on one side compaired to the other. I know in Flint when I parked my 85 Eureka Pontiac next to Matt Taylors 86 Eureka Pontiac mine sat much lower in the front, its just how it is.
 
Richard: the reason for the higher stance is two-fold. It gives turtles more room on the highway and when you have to load the car on a flatbed tow truck, you are less likely to drag the rear bumper!
 
the criterion has to be at least 1000 lb more then the lifeliner. mainly the difference is in the interior. the cabinets are not light then the squad bench and header wall. so it's conceivable that they added to the newer one. but look good at the pictures of the two side by side and the only difference in the tops is the back board box. the roofs are with in inches of each other.
 
could be but as the CC only came with one set it would have to been put on by MM or after it was built. Richard has all ready stated that it has more leaves then his lifeliner. the question would be how many leaves are in other 75's. I guarantee you park a dozen of these cars side by side and they will all be different ridding height. but this one from all the pictures of it has not changed in the last 30 years at least.
 
Oh here I go,might be blowing smoke out my...however.in my experience more than I care to count, backing these units,any of them into a laneway etc.with patient and crew they would bottom out,wonder if some services got fed up and boosted their springs,rather than scrape bottom.just a thought:smileflagcan:
 
or done by hacking it up in your drive. one way you get to drive the car again the next you get to look at it and all.

but lets get realistic. 90% of the handling of the car is in the rear end. so that being said how does it handle. if it doesn't under steer driving it into a corner at speed then leave the thing alone. your not loading people in and out of the back so 2 inches higher makes no difference. if it rides like a lumber waggon and plows into the corner, take a leaf out. but if you like the way it drives and handles don't mess with it. you'll get use to see it that way.
 
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