Rear end ride height not level
11-20-11, 03:08 PM
#1
Rear end ride height not level
I'm trying to figure out why the passenger side rear is about .5" higher than the driver side. I'm measuring from the garage floor to the top of the wheel well. I recently put on a set of eibach springs. It measures 26" on passenger rear and 25.5" on driver side. I believe it was not level before I installed the springs because I had thought in the past that my FD did not sit perfectly level. Today I pulled the shocks/spring assemblies out an measured them to make sure they were both the same length and were reassembled properly. They both look correct and are identical in length. I am not sure where to begin. The FSM troubleshooting mentioned a bad bushing as a possibility for a "leaning" car. My car only has 42k miles and it does not make any clunking noises.
11-20-11, 09:59 PM
#5
Through the springs carry most of the weight of the car, the shocks still provide a little support. With that in mind, consider that your shocks were built in 1992 and have been helping support the car for the last 19 years. They're not going to be perfect at this point.
It might be time to invest in some coil-overs.
It might be time to invest in some coil-overs.
11-21-11, 04:44 AM
#6
Is there a way to test the shock and see if it's any good? Also, this side of the car is higher than all other corners. I know the front will be a little lower but it's the only wheel in the 26" range, all other wheels are in the 25" range. What could cause this side to be higher than all the others? It seems like worn bushings, shocks would cause the car to sag. I figured stock ride height with Eibachs should be somewhere under 26"
11-21-11, 08:02 AM
#7
RX-7 Bad Ass
iTrader: (55)
Few things here -
First off, if the spring hats at the top are old and worn, you'll get inconsistent ride height. Also, I've seen many rubber spring hats that have the bump stops worn away to nothing, if that's the case, the bump stop is now the tire hitting the top of the fender well. If they are shot, replace with new.
If you pulled the upper Y-shaped arm off, it IS possible to install it upside-down. Had that happen once, a buddy was helping and he goofed up. You should be able to read the "Mazda" logo on the arm. It can easily be installed upside-down and that will give you ride height issues.
Howard Coleman has done a lot of documentation on the stock shocks, in general they're good as long as the seal is good, even if they have a lot of miles. If they are leaking oil, they're done. Next test is to push the shock in (off the car) - it should require a good amount of force to push it in, and it should slooooowly come back out. If it easily pushes in, you've lost pressure in the shock and it's bad.
Ride height is actually pretty simple, it's mainly the spring and the spring hat. Measure ride height at each corner, note the difference, then remove the shock/spring combo and measure for differences.
Dale
First off, if the spring hats at the top are old and worn, you'll get inconsistent ride height. Also, I've seen many rubber spring hats that have the bump stops worn away to nothing, if that's the case, the bump stop is now the tire hitting the top of the fender well. If they are shot, replace with new.
If you pulled the upper Y-shaped arm off, it IS possible to install it upside-down. Had that happen once, a buddy was helping and he goofed up. You should be able to read the "Mazda" logo on the arm. It can easily be installed upside-down and that will give you ride height issues.
Howard Coleman has done a lot of documentation on the stock shocks, in general they're good as long as the seal is good, even if they have a lot of miles. If they are leaking oil, they're done. Next test is to push the shock in (off the car) - it should require a good amount of force to push it in, and it should slooooowly come back out. If it easily pushes in, you've lost pressure in the shock and it's bad.
Ride height is actually pretty simple, it's mainly the spring and the spring hat. Measure ride height at each corner, note the difference, then remove the shock/spring combo and measure for differences.
Dale
Trending Topics
11-21-11, 08:32 PM
#9
Dale,
Thank you for the clear instructions. I only removed the shock/spring assemblies from the rear end, none of the aluminum components. Maybe the previous owner did something, I will check it out to make sure Mazda is visible. The boots were a little cracked, maybe all the rubber has lost it's charm? I keep going back to the low mileage on my car but I guess it is 19 years old when you factor in the 92 build date. I think one of my front shocks may have been leaking a little oil because it had some greasy build up that the other shock did not have. Unfortunately I was a bonehead and assumed it was something else. I will disassemble all the shocks, test them, and replace what seems worn or no good. Hopefully the stock shocks are fine, I was planning on keeping them since Howard had so many nice things to say about them.
Thank you for the clear instructions. I only removed the shock/spring assemblies from the rear end, none of the aluminum components. Maybe the previous owner did something, I will check it out to make sure Mazda is visible. The boots were a little cracked, maybe all the rubber has lost it's charm? I keep going back to the low mileage on my car but I guess it is 19 years old when you factor in the 92 build date. I think one of my front shocks may have been leaking a little oil because it had some greasy build up that the other shock did not have. Unfortunately I was a bonehead and assumed it was something else. I will disassemble all the shocks, test them, and replace what seems worn or no good. Hopefully the stock shocks are fine, I was planning on keeping them since Howard had so many nice things to say about them.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
