Ride height issue - what would you do?

[Toad]

Hi folks.

Bloody hard work these French cars. :boxing: I decided on lowering the rear of my car again, as will all the stripage, it's gone a little toe heavy. Typical of my kindda luck, when I was pulling out one of the torsion bars, the bolt I screwed inside it snapped off! :fcuk: I still managed to get the bar out, but I had to take it to an engineering shop to get the bolt drilled out - bastard...

Anyway, I've finished lowering now, but I've got a slight dilemma. The rear ride height isn't even. The rear left is around 6mm lower than the rear right. I'm not sure if this was always the case, or it was my lowering skills. Anyway, I measured the front, and the front left is opposite to the rear left in that it's about 6mm higher than the front right. Hmmm... So, as I can't adjust the front, would it be better t leave the rear as it is, so in a way it might counter the balance issue? Or should I correct the rear so it's equal, and it's just the front that's out? Finally, should the ride height be identical all round anyway? :ponder:

[grantlowery]

sounds a bit tricky, I would think that its best to be the same height allround but I dont think being slightly lower front or back is a problem.

[Toad]

Trouble is, to get the ride height correct at the front, I will most likely need to purchase new springs, dampers and mounts. I will get some eventually, but not right now. For the time being, I've got to make a decision on whether to have just the front uneven, or both back and front uneven. I don't know whether it's a bad thing to have the opposite uneven right height back to front as opposed to just having the front uneven.

[bullit]

i have no idea, pm alexR toad

[BENSAX3]

both sides should be the same but back dosnt have to be the same as fronts.

the fact one side of your car is higher on the front isn't right!!

[AXracing]

I am a bit confused as you are saying left and left but I am assuming the car is just lower on the passenger side. If so this may be a daft one but was the car on the flat? I only ask as a small gradient in to road makes a big difference. Also where are you taking the height from? How does it sit with you in the drivers seat? (will need friend to have look) also how low are you going? As looking at your av pic you are on the bump stops.

[craigy_87]

here is a pic of toads car from the side before he has tried lowering it again (before this incident)

http://i27.tinypic.com/2ia54jo.jpg

[ryhornvtr]

Passenger side front will always sit slightly higher due to having less weight over it. Unless you get coilovers i dont think theres much you can do.

[scottyvtr]

Ours sits higher on the passenger side and only done this after it was lowered (50mm) !!!

[jpsaxo]

How did you lower it?

How did you measure lowering it?

The front can differ if you've taken the pas pump and other things out

[Toad]

Thanks for the input guys. The questions raised have given me the opportunity to show off my expertise in MS Paint. This took me a long time to do so no sniggering OK? Good...

http://i30.tinypic.com/2vulwm0.jpg


As you can see, this model extremely accurate. :)

Just to try and explain exactly what I'm getting at here. I'm comparing the difference in ride height between the left and right at the front, and then in a seperate comparison, I'm looking at the difference in ride height between the left and right rear.

Starting with the front, and remember, I can't adjust the front, the left side (measuring from the highest point of the rim to the bottom of the arch) is about 6mm more than on the right side. Effectively making the front left of the car sit 6mm higher off the ground than the front right.

Now the rear is the exact opposite of the front. In other words, the rear left (measuring from the highest point of the rim to the bottom of the arch) is about 6mm less than the rear right. Effectivey making the rear left of the car sit 6mm lower off the ground than the rear right.

So my question was... I can adjust the rear (left and right) ride height independantly, but as the front left and right is out, would it be better to leave the rear as it is, or should I level it?

[Toad]

Oh yes, and the questions about where I measured it... I took 3 sets of measurements, all in areas where the ground appeared to be level. I then took the average of all 3 to determine my results.

[jpsaxo]

Make the rear level for starters. Then crack on with the front...

[Toad]

Well after a few miles of driving and taking new measurements, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot in it. I weighted up the drivers side to give the reflection of a driver being in the car alone and too new measurements. The result was the front left and right heights being pretty much identical, and the rear left and rights were out by about 5mm, with the rear right being the lower side. I'll just leave it as it is I think, or unless I get some inspiration from somewhere to take it apart again, as the car is pissing me off so much right now, I really can't be arsed. :homme:

[scottyvtr]

How did you lower it?

How did you measure lowering it?

The front can differ if you've taken the pas pump and other things out

Garage paid £100 to get it done lol !!! :y:


couldnt be arsed pissing about with it tbh !!!! :wall: :panic: and it saved on the greif stakes !!!!!