WTF? I don't get this thing/rear suspension July 08, 2006, 09:29:46 PM After my post the other day about my car's lopsided rear suspension, I decided to try something today to see if I could correct it. I took one of my original TC rear springs, and cut it so that it was slightly shorter than the SN95 rear that was in there (basically it came to just below the flat top coil of the Sn95). I put everything back together, and the passenger side still sits 1" higher than the driver's side. WTF? How is that possible when the spring is PHYSICALLY shorter on the passenger side? Doesn't make any sense. Also I checked the control arm bushing (at the axle end anyway) on the driver's side so it is fine. I can't see anything that would explain the difference in height between the two sides. Quote Selected
WTF? I don't get this thing/rear suspension Reply #1 – July 08, 2006, 09:35:17 PM Are the rear control arms stock? (I don't remember). If they are, you may need to loosen and retighten then to take out the preload in the bushings.. Quote Selected
WTF? I don't get this thing/rear suspension Reply #2 – July 08, 2006, 09:52:13 PM Yes they are stock. Preload? How would there be preload in the bushings?I did attempt to take the driver's side lower off at the axle end (to remove the spring), but once I got the bolt halfway out the arm got itself all pen 15eyed in there. I couldn't even get the bolt all the way out because of that. I had to push on the back of the axle with a prybar to get the hole in the bushing to line back up so I could get the bolt back in there. Is that a sign of something being messed up? Quote Selected
WTF? I don't get this thing/rear suspension Reply #3 – July 08, 2006, 10:13:51 PM Different spring rates could cause it to still sit the same way despite one spring being shorter. Quote Selected
WTF? I don't get this thing/rear suspension Reply #4 – July 08, 2006, 10:16:32 PM they get preloaded when they are tightened in any position that is not ride height. the spring rate also determines the ride height, not jus the free length of the coils. a shorter free length with a highter rate can make the car have a taller ride height Quote Selected
WTF? I don't get this thing/rear suspension Reply #5 – July 08, 2006, 11:13:09 PM Well I figured the TC springers were a higher rate than the SN95s were, but I didn't really want to cut the SN95 springs. Anyway I figured the sizeable difference in spring height would make up for the spring rate...guess I was wrong. Quote Selected
WTF? I don't get this thing/rear suspension Reply #6 – July 08, 2006, 11:31:09 PM What about the front end? Is something wrong in the front, becuase weight transfers diagonaly. Quote Selected
WTF? I don't get this thing/rear suspension Reply #7 – July 08, 2006, 11:33:41 PM Is there any possibility of frame damage? Quote Selected
WTF? I don't get this thing/rear suspension Reply #8 – July 08, 2006, 11:43:18 PM Quote from: Chuck WAre the rear control arms stock? (I don't remember). If they are, you may need to loosen and retighten then to take out the preload in the bushings..Yeah! What he said! I learned of this whole preloading procedure reading a ford TSB for mustang rears. I'm glad I saw it because if I didn't, I probably woulda tightened 'em with the rear dropped all the way down. Quote Selected
WTF? I don't get this thing/rear suspension Reply #9 – July 09, 2006, 01:12:57 AM Quote from: IfixyawataYeah! What he said! I learned of this whole preloading procedure reading a ford TSB for mustang rears. I'm glad I saw it because if I didn't, I probably woulda tightened 'em with the rear dropped all the way down.the perhaps the bushing needs renamed,,,Postload bushings? Quote Selected
WTF? I don't get this thing/rear suspension Reply #10 – July 09, 2006, 10:09:22 AM i havnt seen the other thread. if its always been like that, than id have a body shop through it up on a frame machine and look at it. i also would steer clear of putting different length springs and different rate springs at different corners of the car. if its not an isue with the bushings or fudged up arms then there is an issue somewhere that needs to be taken care of correctly. how do all your shock towers look? also, a front end problem can affect the rear. maybe a set of 4 new springs and possibly some adjustable lower rear arms would be a better solution? Quote Selected
WTF? I don't get this thing/rear suspension Reply #11 – July 09, 2006, 10:22:07 AM Basically what you need to do to rule out control arm bushing preload is to jack the car and loosen (not remove) every bolt (all 8 of them). Then set the car down and bounce it around a bit. Then jack the car up by the diff, and with the weight of the car on the suspension, retorque the control arm bolts. That should rule out any reload. The bushings could be holding onto an old position, or one has given up and allowed that side to drop while the other hasn't.It is normal for the control arms to twist around a bit, esp at the axle, when you pull the bolts all the way out...they don't just drop straight back in. Quote Selected
WTF? I don't get this thing/rear suspension Reply #12 – July 09, 2006, 11:04:52 AM how would you avoid pre-load in general? Is there a possibility of using some very thin plastic washers between the bushing and mounting surfaces to help with that? Quote Selected
WTF? I don't get this thing/rear suspension Reply #13 – July 09, 2006, 12:17:43 PM With the stock stuff and the rubber vulcanized to the sleeves, there isn't much you can do once the teeth on the sleeves bite in. The stock bushings aren't designed to rotate freely around the sleeve.On most aftermarket set-ups, if designed correctly, there will be a little pre-load on the bushings, but they will still be free to rotate around the sleeve. Quote Selected
WTF? I don't get this thing/rear suspension Reply #14 – July 09, 2006, 01:09:02 PM I am almost positive the car hasn't been wrecked. I ran a carfax on it after I bought it and there were no accidents whatsoever on record.Also I'm pretty sure the front isn't causing the problem as I fixed that problem the other day too. Now granted, one spring was broken and I cut the other one, but they were the same height, although I've noticed the passenger side front sits about 1/4" higher than the driver's side- but being that there's such a big difference between the sides in back I'm thinking it's probably the reason for that.Anyway, four "new" springs? I don't even know where I could get those, plus the SN95 rears I put in were basically "new", I do know they are low mileage as they still look practically new. I guess I could try the preload thing but I kinda doubt it'll do much, personally...Chuck when you say "all 8 bolts" are you talking front AND rear? Quote Selected
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