Uneven Heights

[salad]

Hi

I have been playing around with the heights in my car a bit lately and can not get them right. When the strut is at the same height side to side, the front left is around 15mm higher and the rear right is about 15mm higher. I have swapped struts side to side so there is nothing wrong with them.

I have only had one accident where I hit an air barrier, but it was like this before hand. I do not know the history of the car in japan but it came over with 25,000kms on the clock and seemed genuine, everything was in amazing condition and no signs of repair

I was wondering what do I measure from/to on the chassis or anything else to see if this is bent/twisted. If it is, what can I do about it?

Has anyone else got any other ideas what it might be? I was also thinking maybe the strut towers were a little out of whack.

Any help would be great

Cheers, Showza

Edited November 30, 2006 by salad

[blind_elk]

Try measuring the heights with the swaybars disconnected.

[Sydneykid]

So you have an uneven chassis, nothing unusual in that, 90% of the cars I corner weight are uneven. You have the capacity to even the car up with the height adjustment, so just do it and move on.

Make sure there is no preload on the stabiliser bars, just space the D brackets to eliminate it.

Then check the wheel alignment once it is level and with zero preload.

cheers

[salad]

Would having different amounts of preload on each strut effect handling much? I always thought that the effects of strut preload would be bugger all, but some other people have been trying to convince me otherwise

Best way to check for preload on swaybars?

Edited December 1, 2006 by salad

[Sydneykid]

Would having different amounts of preload on each strut effect handling much? I always thought that the effects of strut preload would be bugger all, but some other people have been trying to convince me otherwise

Best way to check for preload on swaybars?

Preload is only relevant to travel, the small amount you are talking (10mm) would have ZERO effect. Some people incorrectly believe that preload increases the spring rate. The spring rate is constant in a linear spring, it is always X lbs per inch, no mattter which inch that is. The first inch of travel or the 10th inch of travel, it still takes X lbs to move it that inch.

Undo one of the stabiliser bar links and then put the car on level ground. The link bolt should slip in and out of the hole on the stabiliser bar arm pretty easily. The arm of the bar shouldn't need to be "preloaded" in order to get the bolt in. If the bolt doesn't line up by more than a few mm, then space the D brackets (that hold the bar to the chassis).

Cheers

[salad]

Thanks Gary!