Why is my car wonky?

Why is my car wonky?

Author
Discussion

Kozy

Original Poster:

3,169 posts

225 months

Monday 8th June 2009
quotequote all
Any ideas?

Drivers side sits 30-40mm higher than the passenger side. The car drives in a straight line, handles fine, the damping seems fine, Northwood Honda couldn't find any issues when I took it in for a check up and nothing came up on the MOT.

Had it have been a broken spring/knackered damper (the easy fixes) surely this would have been spotted at either the MOT or the checkup?

Drivers (High) side.



Passenger (Low) side.



Bent wishbones looks like a possibility, but would a pothole of that size (2m long, 1m wide, about 15cm deep) be enough to knacker the subframe/chassis? I don't have the funds to just start replacing bits willy nilly, if this looks like it could be expensive then I'll just have to break the car for parts. frown

Kozy

Original Poster:

3,169 posts

225 months

Monday 8th June 2009
quotequote all
I forgot to mention, the suspension is Koni adjustable dampers and Tanabe GF210 springs. Stock front ARB, 24mm rear ARB. Recently changed the RTA bushes for poly items.

The springs/dampers are about 4 years old at an estimate.

ad551

1,502 posts

220 months

Monday 8th June 2009
quotequote all
If it was set up when the suspension was installed, it could be that the car was corner weighted (I think that is the right term?) so that it sits level when the driver is in it?

Kozy

Original Poster:

3,169 posts

225 months

Monday 8th June 2009
quotequote all
With the spring rates I have, I calculate that the drivers side should compress by no more than about 12-15mm with me in it. That still leaves around a 20mm difference. This has happened since I went potholing, it's definately not a setup issue.

NateWM

1,684 posts

186 months

Tuesday 16th June 2009
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If its only started happening since you've been "potholing" then you must have bent something. Get it up on a ramp and have a proper look around.

Failing that, maybe its been like it for a while and you've only just noticed it?

Kozy

Original Poster:

3,169 posts

225 months

Friday 19th June 2009
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Had the car up on axle stands yesterday, nothing looks bent or out of place when the wheels are off the ground, however the angle of the wishbones/steering arms is massively different when the car is on the ground.

The only thing that I noticed might be slightly out is that the top two coils of the spring on the low side are closer together than those on the high side. OTher than that, there is no obvious damage to the spring/damper although I did not get them off for a full inspection.

Will be taking them off tomorrow for a proper inspection and to swap them over left/right to see if it moves the problem to the other side.

GasolineFire

2,907 posts

186 months

Wednesday 24th June 2009
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Right Idea to do the swap, should make anything suspension related easily noticeable.

Are you going to take off the ARB's and check for warping/fractures?

Kozy

Original Poster:

3,169 posts

225 months

Monday 29th June 2009
quotequote all
Not got round to swapping the stuff voer yet, but the car comes off the road tomorrow whern the tax runs out so will crack on with it this weekend.

What I did notice is a loud creaking coming from the steering on the low side? Only noticable when stationary or crawling in traffic, and it's not always there? Bizarre, still not noticed any 'strange' handling from it!

Kozy

Original Poster:

3,169 posts

225 months

Tuesday 30th June 2009
quotequote all
Possible found the cause of the creaking, there are marks on subframe where something has been rubbing on it...







At first it looked like it could be the steering arm while it was up on a jack, but after putting the wheel back on and dropping it down, there was plenty of clearance between the two. Unfortunately it had got too dark by this time and I couldn't really see anything so this will need a closer look on a proper ramp.

Looks worrying though!

Kozy

Original Poster:

3,169 posts

225 months

Wednesday 8th July 2009
quotequote all
Problem solved!

Turns out, being the clot that I am, I managed to fit the OSR LCA upside down when I fitted my rear anti-roll bar. Easily done when you look at them, they are the same part left and right, just one faces the opposite direction to the other. Not knowing this, I fitted them both in the same direction meaning one was upside down and so jacking the car up on that corner! Doh!

GingerWizard

4,721 posts

205 months

Thursday 9th July 2009
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pleased you got it sorted fella! bounce