Suspension Trouble, got pics

fastsc92

Registered User
OK guys, a few weeks ago I posted some stuff about my ride height being higher than normal. Last year I installed S/T 1.5 drop springs, and it looked like this.
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Now after just installing new shocks, and strut rod bushings, it stills a lot higher in the front. Before i started i measured the ground to the fender and it was somewhere around 26.25-26.5". Now it measures 27.5-27.75". Here are the after pics. I've tried everything and nothing helps. Give me some feeback guys.
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Sounds like the rears settled and took some weight off the front. You can buy some rubber spring isolaters that are thiscker than stock to get the rear up. Maybe this will put some weight back on the front. How much drop does the rear have?

Check out this post

Installing H&R Lowering Springs

Jerry
 
Did you measure just after putting the car back down on the ground after it was in the air for a while??? ...The springs can require a little time to settle back in again.

I just had my car up on stands for two full weeks, and now it's back up as high as when I first replaced my springs and shocks last year. I'm sure it will settle again in a few days.

...This may or may not be your problem too, but perhaps you can give it a little time to be sure.

Cheers,

Sean
 
The thing is was that the car has had the springs installed for about a year. When i installed the rear springs i bought new insulators. The whole car should have settled evenly. And it was perfect before i changed the shocks. The front was dropped 1.5 inches exactly from stock and the rear dropped about an inch. The rear sits up higher in the first pic cause i have 1" taller tires in the back that in the front. I added some KYB shocks, they are set-up for reg t-birds as a listing, but i think its just cause its a non-arc application. I drove around for about 100 miles after i installed the shocks, figuring they needed to settle. Plus it has been on the ground for about a month, with the same measurment. Its just a really frustrating problem. I thought it was bushing wind-up, but i tried tightening things a bunch of different ways( weight on the car, off the car, more weight on the front, etc...) and its still the same. IMO it looks goofy cause i liked the look of the lowered stance. Now its only .5 lower than stock...which I DO NOT like. Help me out guys.
 
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Let see. I think you said before that you checked for bushing wind up, right?

Just to be sure, what you normally do is with the wheels off and the car on jack stands, and all of the bushing bolts for anything you loosened or replaced (upper arm at tower, lower arm at frame, shock mount) loose enough to allow them to move, you place a jack under the lower arm and raise it up to where the car starts to lift off the jack stands, and then torque them down.

Note: the lower arm at frame bolt is what controls the aligment. If you never touched it, you don't need to reloosen it; its set.
Hope this helps.
 
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I can remember this once before. This is very basic though and you just have to work the problem.

How does it drive? Does it feel too stiff up front?

Shocks don't hold a car up. Only the springs and suspension hardware can support the chassis.

Either the suspension is binding, or the front springs are too long, or too firm or something is making the front springs too long.

Could the spring be hanging up on something in it's pocket?

Could the control arms be hanging up on something?
 
The car drives very firm since the new shocks. Before they shocks were 100% blown and it was bouncy and handled like poop. Now its very responsive, but stiff. The springs are the same as i used last year( suspension technique) and i made sure they are installed correctly. I have a large wall mounted commpressor at my house and i made reference marks when installed the springs and they are seated in the perks correctly. This isn't the first time i've installed these springs. I can eliminate that the springs are too long...seeing that it was fine last season. Nothing seems to be binding at all. As a long shot i loosened the lower control arm bolts, and shock mounting bolts, and strut rod to frame nut. Everything else i left tight. I then lowered to car to the ground, bounced it around a few times, and let it settle for about 4 hours. It was exactly the same. The only thing i have left is to change the lower CA bushings and shock bushings. I dont think this will help, and i rather not spend the $70 on parts. I'd like to get to the route of this problem before i start buying parts left and right.

I have had weight on the car the entire time while tightening bolts and such. I have not got an alignment since the new shocks and strut rod bushings. I dont think would change much if anything seeing that i marked everything before i took it apart, and installed it all the same.
 
Did you drive it around after lowering it? Due to the way the tires tuck in a bit when lifting, lowering the car will leave it a bit high until the tires are able to scrub back into position.
 
I drove it around for a year before hand, and after the shocks were swapped i drove it around for at least 150 miles. I think it would be plenty of time for anything to settle out, considering the springs had already broken in for a year.
 
fastsc92 said:
As a long shot i loosened the lower control arm bolts, and shock mounting bolts, and strut rod to frame nut. Everything else i left tight.
So, did you loosen the upper arm to shock tower bolts (18mm nuts actually) ? If those are cranked tight at the wrong spot, then they too can cause an offset due to wind up. :cool:
 
i see what you guys are saying...but logically....if i didn't move them from when the car was fine 2 hours before i changed shocks... then i dont see why it would make a difference. Just a thought
 
Check the spring perch height of the KYBs vs the original shock. Maybe the KYBs are off. It doesn't sound likely, but if you are convinced it happened after the shocks.....


Jerry
 
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