they're heim joints... But those wear out too.

Matt

 

Yes, Precision Motorsports. Call Don at 732-259-5941 or email at dmh7443@optonline.net .
Of note, Precision prepares the J Stock and J Prepared BMWCCA class championship E30 M3 of John Paton. We have close to 20 years of race/track preparation in both BMWCCA and PCA.

 

Onasled, I've just noticed that my car on M7 lowering springs sits noticeably lower on the driver side (3/4" lower). Would preloading as described here be a potential cuprit? Or is it something more obvious that I haven't considered?

 

...did you forget to install something? That's a very big difference.

 

...as far as I know, no. The weird part is that this setup has been on the car over a year, and I only noticed the difference Saturday. So I'm wondering if something has changed (broken) to cause what I'm seeing.

 

Does the car drive funny? Is this semi-dry weight - without you?

 

I've done some additional digging, and it appears what I'm seeing really isn't new after all.

First, I went back and found my original 'before and after' measurements for height, and the current measurements are the same as they were a couple of weeks after the spring installation (the right rear is 1/2" higher than the left rear). The additional 1/4" I measured the other day on the RR is from measuring when the car's e brake was applied on a slight grade, and the car was bound up slighty. Doh!

The car had this same difference between the rear springs on the stock suspension, so it's not new. Is there any way to correct this factory condition, and therefore corner balance my car, short of coilovers?

I apologize for the dumb mistake on the ride height. Again, doh!

 

you have to check everything very carefully. One area that may or may not affect the mini - but certainly does with other cars - is when you perform the final torquing on all suspension components. On Honda/Acura products for example, you cannot perform the final toquing until the entire weight of the car is on the wheels. The bushings in these cars will definately bind. This will cause height adjustment problems and for sure, and, corner balancing difficulties.

I never ever torque any suspension component until the weight of the car is on the wheels - you have to get reasonbly close so threads aren't destroyed.

Then, check tire pressure, and for sure, re-check the build sequence in each of the struts. I've had problems in the past where my children interrupted my thinking and I forgot to add a washer or two or something. Unfortunately, the only way to isolate this is to start over, but from the most logical and least invasive places first. If these yield nothing, get your wrenches warmed up.