First and foremost i hate working on suspension, it is my nemesis and so far every car ive owned ive had problems with the suspension (accept the Citigo)

Anyway, I have AP Coilovers fitted to my vRS and after about 1500 miles i have noticed that all 4 corners are at different heights when on flat ground.

This afternoon I jacked up all 4 corners and measured from the adjuster rings to a datum point, on the front this was both of the ARB drop link brackets on the strut. I measured as close to the strut to eliminate and parallax errors and measured it with my steel rule.

Approx 69.5mm on the rear side and 69mm on the front side (i.e. from the ring to the ARB bracket on the headlight side and to the same bracket but on the door side). Both fronts matched.

On the rears it was to the top of the threaded tube to the top of the adjuster ring, 12mm each side.


However with the car back on all 4 wheels, i then got these measurements (with fingers between the tops of the tyre and under the wheel arch, inline with the centre of each wheel)

Front O/S 1.5 fingers width
Front N/S 2 fingers width
Rear O/S 2 fingers width
Rear N/S 1.5 fingers width

so despite all the measurements being the same when the car is on the ground they are different across the axles! When im driving lifting off or with heavy acceleration, it feels like the car is pitching diagonally (nearside going up and down the most, offside staying fairly level) imagine a table with two legs which are diagonally opposite and are shorter than the other two legs.

am i missing something?

No one?

That does not compute.

 

Suggest, you adjust the spring preload until they're the same.

i guessed that provided the adjuster rings were to the same length i thought that would preload the springs evenly

i guessed that provided the adjuster rings were to the same length i thought that would preload the springs evenly

 

You would have thought so, corner weights will give the game away.

so i guess if i get the car on 4 corner weights it would show how the weight is put across the 4 wheels and then adjust accordingly?

so i guess if i get the car on 4 corner weights it would show how the weight is put across the 4 wheels and then adjust accordingly?

 

Yup.

It's kind of the point of coilovers. Not to slam it so it riding on the bump stops.

Faboka im a bit confused what you mean as Its not on the bump stops, its only lowered about 20-30mm and is far from the bump stops.

so i guess if i get the car on 4 corner weights it would show how the weight is put across the 4 wheels and then adjust accordingly?

do you know anyone with a set of recently acquired corner balances :think:

No help at all but you could put some bags of sand on the corners that are higher up. HTH

do you know anyone with a set of recently acquired corner balances :think:

No help at all but you could put some bags of sand on the corners that are higher up. HTH

 

Yea i was going to ask he who does not need to be named, i just wasnt sure what Faboka was trying to say

Yea i was going to ask he who does not need to be named, i just wasnt sure what Faboka was trying to say

me neither, maybe he misread something?

me neither, maybe he misread something?

I agree, i think when he read the "69mm" he thought thats how much i had dropped it.

 

Its not, that is just a dimension i measured with a datum point and the bottom of the adjuster ring. it actually sits at a fairly sensible height, we have some really nasty speed bumps at work and this doesnt scrape, but my citigo does if i go over in a certain way!

Faboka's post is regarding coilovers in general,I can understand it!!!!!

 

They are designed so you can alter them so you can set up/corner weight a car spot on is what he meant,they are not just designed to let you slam a car on the deck.

 

If your really keen and got a well equipped and handling car you get it corner weighted with the driver sat in it

Faboka's post is regarding coilovers in general,I can understand it!!!!!

 

They are designed so you can alter them so you can set up/corner weight a car spot on is what he meant,they are not just designed to let you slam a car on the deck.

 

If your really keen and got a well equipped and handling car you get it corner weighted with the driver sat in it

 

Right! im with you now!

 

What confused me was when i first fitted it all it did sit level, but with wear and bedding in they have gone all over the place. ill try and get it sorted.

is the 1.4MPi considered a 'well equipped and handling' car? (I take it they're on the vRS?)

Yea this is for the vRS.

 

Not working on Richards 1.4 MPI as ive got alot on with work and other bits.

Yea this is for the vRS.

Not working on Richards 1.4 MPI as ive got alot on with work and other bits.

Didn't get that one in for sale section then? :(