Suspension Droop

[tonyp]

Hi All, My 84 S3 NA has a bit of list to Starboard, being about 1/2 " lower on the drivers side, both wheels. Going to strip down soon & replace bushes, springs & dampers (current ones ok when cold, feeble when warm) which normally cures this sort of thing. Don't think its been bumped or mistreated, only done 50,000 miles. Should be a nice job if I can keep the garage warm. Think that'll cure the list ?

Any tips on replacing front engine mounts, near side one clonks occasionally (at least I think its that).

PS rebushing the gearchange mechanism makes a BIG difference.

Merry Christmas to all from the UK Lake District

[slade]

Hi All,  My 84 S3 NA has a bit of list to Starboard, being about 1/2 " lower on the drivers side, both wheels.  Going to strip down soon & replace bushes, springs & dampers (current ones ok when cold, feeble when warm) which normally cures this sort of thing.  Don't think its been bumped or mistreated, only done 50,000 miles. Should be a nice job if I can keep the garage warm. Think that'll cure the list ?

Any tips on replacing front engine mounts, near side one clonks occasionally (at least I think its that).

PS rebushing the gearchange mechanism makes a BIG difference.

Merry Christmas to all from the UK Lake District

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

if I remember correctly...

the list was engineered into the car, so the car would be level when the driver (and only the driver) was in the car.

Don't take my word for it though. I can't even remember where I heard that. But mine has a bit of a list too. As I recall, there are some spacers that were added and can be removed to level the car.

...Additionally, they didn't reverse the listing for US cars, so the effect is cancelled out completely

As for the front engine mounts... I had one clonk very often.

It turned out that when I was lazy and had my oil changed at Jiffy Lube, they removed a support rod that blocks the oil filter to get to the uhh... oil filter, and that attatched to the motor mount at the block. They forgot to put the bolt back in. And because that happened to be the ONLY bolt that held that motor mount on, *clunk* and it tore apart my AC compressor belt too. That was convenient because it finally forced me to replace all the belts.

They're pretty easy to get too though as I recall...

slade

[Guest teigan]

add my car to the list list. i hope the story about the double jeopardy for left hand drive cars isn't true. i heard it before on pistonheads and thought it had to be a myth. even lotus can't be that inept.

[slade]

assymetry has happened in designs before.

The Pacer was designed with a longer passenger's side door to make it easier for folks to get from the curb to the rear seat.

Which meant it had a useless, longer driver's side door when imported to the UK

Good thing nobody bought them

slade

[Guest teigan]

i didn't know the pacer was ever exported. when i was in a child freakshow, the drummer's mom used to fit a 5 peice trapkit in the back.

[scooter]

I am very reliably informed that the FJ Holden was half an inch wider on one side than the other. If you measure from the 'formed' centre of the car (from a point that defines the notional centre of the car, rather than the measured centre), the distance to the side is 1/2" longer on one side than the other. No reason, just a mistake with clay modelling in the 1950s.

The FJ Holden is an iconic Australia vehicle from the early 1950s that was never exported (except to New Zealand, which was/is economically part of Australia anyway) to other markets. Holden is the Australian arm of GM.

[TSD]

I think if you get adjustable shockers, you can adjust the ride height perfectly.

[WayneB]

Wierd coincedece this subject being raised

I measured the ride heights on mine yesterday on the level surface in the shop I use for alignment.

Mine measured exactly 6 1/4 inches from the ground to the bottom of the sill at the front(both sides) and 6 1/2 inches at the back(both sides).

So its level from side to side.

Saw the rubber spacers on the rear springs when I had the suspension apart.

I always presumed they were anti-squawk isolators.

[catty s2]

My rear drivers side shock has just given up!

[bramble111s]

The Elise (S1) front clam is uneven on the ridges in front of the lights, always has been, error in the sculpt again. Can't remember which side is slightly higher than the other though....

[molemot]

Mine used to be a lot lower on the offside... THINKS! Spring weakened, new springs, then. SWEATSWEATHEAVE STRAIN PUFFPANT CURSE SWEAR COMPRESS WRENCH ETC.ETC.... Shiny new springs.........

No difference!! Then I changed the anti-roll bar bushes for poly. and it sat level. This was in 1989 or thereabouts - it's sagged slightly since but still pretty much OK.

Teigan - just what were you doing in a child freakshow? I had you down as a savant, but not an idiot savant!!

[WayneB]

Hmmm Savant, thats a good one I hadnt thought of that

[Guest teigan]

Mine used to be a lot lower on the offside... THINKS! Spring weakened, new springs, then. SWEATSWEATHEAVE STRAIN PUFFPANT CURSE SWEAR COMPRESS WRENCH ETC.ETC.... Shiny new springs.........

No difference!! Then I changed the anti-roll bar bushes for poly. and it sat level. This was in 1989 or thereabouts - it's sagged slightly since but still pretty much OK.

Teigan - just what were you doing in a child freakshow? I had you down as a savant, but not an idiot savant!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i'll try changing to poly bushes. don't want to say too much about the childerbeast years, suffice it to say we played the hollywood bowl.

[molemot]

Weird business, music. Best I managed was the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in about 1968 IIRC.

[Guest teigan]

twasn't music. twas tiny children dressed up in funny outfits. good going with the drury lane gig.

[tonyp]

Thanks all, amazing what you can learn ! Will give feed back if anything found during rebuild.

Cheers, T.

[tonyp]

Clearances miles out at 6.5'' & 7'' at rear, 6.5'' & 6'' at front, lower ones on RH drivers side. Rear shockers rubbish, joints all seized up, flexing on rubbers only. Springs ok. No packing. Dissembled now & cleaned up but rod on lower hub carrier on n/s side all seized up & refuses to budge. Have removed hub & drive shaft to take to engineering shop. Looks like droop stems from front end somewhere. Must sort out & get alignments checked.

Might as well replace dodgy rear discs& pads too whilst in bits. Hmmm what next ? still, what fun on a dark & frosty night.

[hilly]

Be careful when removing the lower stud as the rear hubs/upright are quite fragile and expensive to replace. I have heard of a few people who have had the old studs pressed out ending up with broken uprights. This is because it is very hard to support both bottom sections of the hub while applying pressure, ending up with one side breaking off.

When I did mine a few years back I decided to cut the stud in half near the lower link and then pull the old bits out from each side using the 1/2" thread and spacers. A bit tedious to do (you may need to get a 1/2" UNF die to recut the thread as the bits pulls out), but much less likely to snap bits off the hub

Andy

1981 S3

[tonyp]

Phew, give us a cuppa. All done now, Got the bolt off the hub carrier by cut/heat method, now put back with new bushes (what a b****r) all cleaned, painted, new Protech shocks all round etc. etc.

Cause of List now found - 'frozen' rear link joints + upper spring mounts on n/s have been welded on a little bit higher to the frame than the o/s, Everything else ok, must have been a Friday perhaps (or a Monday, or a new month on the Pirelli calendar ...) when it was put together. Rectified by adjustable spring mount on shocker.

What an endorsement to galvanised chassis though, cleans up like new under the much & grime of 22 years.

Test drive - Big difference - ride smooth, twitchyness entirely gone, Roll on springtime.

Thanks all for advice, Cheers.