So today I've replaced the old worn out cone with a brand new one. Putting things back together and wheel on jack it down and there is a huge gap between wheel and arch. What does this mean?

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71 Clubman 1100

What cones ? Red dot or yellow are higher than standard - Do you have hi lows ? If so they may of been adjusted to compensate for sagging rubber - also is the upper arm catching anywhere ?

im not sure what cones. i did buy them from the uk if they are any different?? no high lows standard trumpets-is this a good idea? cant see that the upper arm is catching anywhere

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71 Clubman 1100

The trumpets are properly slipped into the cones and the cones are seated in the subframe correctly?

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Respect mine and I'll respect yours.

Is the engine and gearbox fitted?
If not then it will sit high, particularly with new cones.

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'68 Deluxe w/Metro engine

As far as I know they are properly in correctly both the cone and trumpet.
Engine and gearbox in.
Should it sit that high with new cones anyway?

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71 Clubman 1100

If you get then out again compare the old to the new.

When I fitted new cones they did settle quite a bit, and quite quickly, esp. on the front end.
Are they standard trumpets, or hilos (as one other contributor asked)?

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'68 Deluxe w/Metro engine

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Respect mine and I'll respect yours.

Do they eventually settle to a decent ride hight?

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71 Clubman 1100

I can't answer for sure on them settling in, because I used hi-los to adjust the height. Can't recall if I did an initial adjustment then a readjustment afterwards, sorry.
In theory, if all parts are correct,then yes, things will settle.
As you might imagine, a 40-50 year old cone that's had weight on it forever is a very different beast than a brand newie....
Hopefully one of the more experienced guys on here will chip in with a bit more detail on this job.

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'68 Deluxe w/Metro engine

All good. Yeah that's what I figured. The old ones obviously sagged. Can you cut the trumpets down to get the ride height?

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71 Clubman 1100

Yes, on the same note you can add washers between the trumpet and the knuckle joint which will raise the height of the car, were there washers between the trumpet and knuckle

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Respect mine and I'll respect yours.

Nope no washers

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71 Clubman 1100

Be very careful if you decide to cut - what gives you a good ride height today may well mean a low ride height later on - and short of packing back up with washers, it's a done deal. Also, the ratio on the front is greater than on the back, so each mm cut off the trumpet counts for more height reduction on the front than on the back.
I recall that it's about 5:1 on the front and 3:1 on the back.
I couldn't recommend cutting - if for no other reason than the heartache involved in assembling and disassembling more times than you have to. And that assumes that the ball foot comes out of the trumpet without heartache.
Adjustable trumpets also allow you to tune the ride height between sides, and front to rear.

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'68 Deluxe w/Metro engine