Hey everyone, need some help in an area that is not one that I spend much of my time, the suspension! Over the winter when I put my r53 up, the rear suspension dropped noticeably , so much so that there is no gap around tire and only roughly 1" of tire that can be seen at the top.

With that being said, what suggestions do you have in returning the ride back to normal?Would just a spring replacement suffice in this case? Or spring and strut?

I did some digging and see that there is a lot of performance replacement kits out there, and honestly, I was fine with the original feel, so OEM items are OK with me when it comes to suspension. Engine items are a different story though

 

My first guess would be the struts are dead....the oil likely leaked out....if original, they have likely been on the way out for years....mine were pretty weak after 4 years and maybe 50,000 miles....
Springs can fail, but not all that common....you should be able to see a broken spring in most cases...Jack the car up and look IMO....

 

Could bump stops that have collapsed contribute to this?

 

The car should only compress the "bumpstops" when the suspension is fully compressed....like a speed bump or pothole....if the car is resting on the bumpstops, the struts a blown, and the springs are gone....

 

I'd wonder what the condition of the rear shock mount bushing is in. Also, definitely check the condition of the shocks/struts. How many miles are on these suspension items?

 

I would also guess that the rear top shock mounts might have collapsed/squished.

 

Big drop in ride height pretty much narrows it down to the spring, unless the
lower shock bolt snapped.