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Front ride height discrepancy

Old Oct 10, 2024 | 07:10 PM
  #51  
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From: Japanabama
So, the front pinch welds are within 5 mm of each other, but everything is measuring about 10 mm higher on the front of the car.

The rear fenders are within a bee's dick of each other.

I wonder if I should go ahead and shim the floor before I start chasing my tail, or leave well enough alone.

Or maybe I should measure from the subframe.
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Old Oct 11, 2024 | 02:59 AM
  #52  
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"shim the floor"? How are you going to accomplish that?

You sure have interesting terminology.
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Old Oct 11, 2024 | 09:27 AM
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Originally Posted by Billj747
"shim the floor"? How are you going to accomplish that?

You sure have interesting terminology.

He's talking about putting shims under the tires as I suggested to raise the garage/shop floor height under the footprint to be level or at least on the same plane.

Last edited by DaveW; Oct 11, 2024 at 10:23 AM.
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Old Oct 11, 2024 | 11:08 AM
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From: SoCal
Originally Posted by DaveW

He's talking about putting shims under the tires as I suggested to raise the garage/shop floor height under the footprint to be level or at least on the same plane.
Haha, makes sense now (it was a long night).

Personally, I wouldn't bother. Even with the laser tools and process that I mentioned earlier, because even if he gets the floor relatively even at the 4 tire points, he will likely be measuring to the uneven ground and still have errors.

I would just leave it and adjust front heights evenly (right to left) and rear heights evenly to set the ride height and take that you want.

If the spring perch and lower collars are even right to left, you'll likely be close on your cross weights. Once you start chasing individual corner heights to get the "look" you want, you'll just be chasing your tail and will likely get lost with a goofed up suspension.

0.02
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Old Oct 11, 2024 | 04:56 PM
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From: Japanabama
Originally Posted by Billj747
Haha, makes sense now (it was a long night).

Personally, I wouldn't bother. Even with the laser tools and process that I mentioned earlier, because even if he gets the floor relatively even at the 4 tire points, he will likely be measuring to the uneven ground and still have errors.

I would just leave it and adjust front heights evenly (right to left) and rear heights evenly to set the ride height and take that you want.

If the spring perch and lower collars are even right to left, you'll likely be close on your cross weights. Once you start chasing individual corner heights to get the "look" you want, you'll just be chasing your tail and will likely get lost with a goofed up suspension.

0.02

I was going to account for the height of the floor!

I just want to figure out why a 3 mm discrepancy at the pinch welds in the front is nearly 10 mm difference at the fenders.

The subframe (measured from a bolt) was almost exactly the same height, as far as I could tell.

The fact that there is a ~15 mm difference in ground clearance at the bumper seems to be a combination of fender height and the way the bumper hangs.
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Old Oct 11, 2024 | 05:00 PM
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It sounds like a bodywork issue, NOT a chassis issue. If your pinch welds and subframe heights are even, leave it alone and fix the bodywork.

You said the car had a front impact that bent the front fenders and your oil cooler bracket. Look for cracks or creases in your frame rails, fenders, mounting points, etc... to figure out the uneven bodywork issue.

I would NOT adjust the ride heights based off of your fender heights.
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Old Oct 13, 2024 | 06:55 AM
  #57  
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From: Japanabama
Originally Posted by Billj747
It sounds like a bodywork issue, NOT a chassis issue. If your pinch welds and subframe heights are even, leave it alone and fix the bodywork.

You said the car had a front impact that bent the front fenders and your oil cooler bracket. Look for cracks or creases in your frame rails, fenders, mounting points, etc... to figure out the uneven bodywork issue.

I would NOT adjust the ride heights based off of your fender heights.
Yeah, I have come to that conclusion as well. I'll have it looked at at some point.

I did buy a cheap laser level for ***** and giggles, and the garage floor was much less flat than I thought. And the right was actually higher than the left.
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