Talking spring pads, dot 1-2-3

[PatAllen]

How true or correct could it be possible to have to install a thicker spring pad one just one wheel ?

My 02 seems to be higher at the rear right corner of about 1/8 and it drives me nuts. I confirmed the rear to be the problem by raising the front on the center subframe ona small spot so the front was not affecting the rear leveling.

The car has originaly 1 dot pads at the rear, installing a 2 dot on the rear left side would cure the height difference...

EDIT: that car has 2 dot pads already, installing a 1 dot pad on the right would cure it...or a 3 dot on the left...

Any comments ?

[frank]

I have the same problem and have been thinking of the same solution.

[PatAllen]

I have the same problem and have been thinking of the same solution.

what is your actual suspension set-up, stock ?

mine is 100% original and stock. Relaxed spring lenght was the same when i checked them. So i am puzled as to where the difference comes from. When the car is on a level surface, from a distance one can tell its not leveled at the rear %$#@*%@#$?

1/8 of an inch is not a lot, but enough to see it !!

[Swiftus]

Could it possibly be that one of the shocks has a little less pressure in it than the other?

[PatAllen]

Could it possibly be that one of the shocks has a little less pressure in it than the other?

since when the shock is responsible of the ride height ?

the car use oem sachs oil shocks...no presure in them.

[DUDONLY]

Or the screw ends of the shocks that attach to the shock towers is tighten more on one side than the other?

[Guest Anonymous]

The Left Front is the heaviest corner, even more so with a driver sitting behind the wheel. If the LF dips from the extra weight, the RR gets lifted.

Are you sure the fronts are dead-nuts even height? If so, how did it get that way? If the LR is low, that should impact the front as well.

If the car is uneven AND the sway bars are not pre-loaded, then the sway bars will become pre-loaded after you even out the ride height. Disconnect one side of both the front & rear to remove any influence until the correct even height is achieved, then re-attach the bar end-links & adjust out any preload.

Some new springs come with a tag on one coil to indicate it is LH (or RH) to compensate -- even when the nominal dimensions & rate are supposedly the same the mfg can select the preferred part when an application calls for it.

Dinan was the most careful aftermarket spring supplier for the 2002. They had different coils for different years, A/C or not.. most other brands just considered one size fit all 02 models

[Swiftus]

Could it possibly be that one of the shocks has a little less pressure in it than the other?

since when the shock is responsible of the ride height ?

the car use oem sachs oil shocks...no presure in them.

Sorry, I drive an Opel, not a BMW. Something that happens when we lower our Opels (Which have gas shocks), is that the shocks themselves begin to contribute to alterations in the ride height. It is not that they are bottoming out, but that they have a build up of pressure and begin to themselves act as springs.

Just trying to help . . . a simple no can suffice . . .

[Ray_73Turkis_OH]

I had KYB gas shocks 20 years ago that raised my 2002 an inch over bilsteins. Only changed the shocks, drove quite a bit and measured several times. Also found out that KYBs suck.

Regarding ride height, is corner weight more imporant?

[PatAllen]

The Left Front is the heaviest corner, even more so with a driver sitting behind the wheel. If the LF dips from the extra weight, the RR gets lifted.

Are you sure the fronts are dead-nuts even height? If so, how did it get that way? If the LR is low, that should impact the front as well.

If the car is uneven AND the sway bars are not pre-loaded, then the sway bars will become pre-loaded after you even out the ride height. Disconnect one side of both the front & rear to remove any influence until the correct even height is achieved, then re-attach the bar end-links & adjust out any preload.

Some new springs come with a tag on one coil to indicate it is LH (or RH) to compensate -- even when the nominal dimensions & rate are supposedly the same the mfg can select the preferred part when an application calls for it.

Dinan was the most careful aftermarket spring supplier for the 2002. They had different coils for different years, A/C or not.. most other brands just considered one size fit all 02 models

thanks for those clarifications...yes the car dips on the front left a bit...well not a bit but like 3/4 of an inch, when i raise the rear by the middle of the car (so the rear uneven thing dont affect the front)

so you confirm that weight distribution on the 02 L-R is not even ?

that explain it all by itself then.

I have aluminum spacer up front, just for a test i removed the one on the right and the car becase much more leveled...

what should i do, leave that alone or mess up with spacers,...

[frank]

Actually the LR is lower on my car. The car was like this when I purchased it and remains the same after extensive restoration. Suspension upgrades include Bav Auto lowering springs and IE anti sway bars. I've even been stopped on the road and told I had low air in the rear left tire.