Car front sitting high

[marioz4]

Well, i have another post where i explained that i changed from adaptive suspension to non adaptive ( due to cost of adaptive shock absorbers just being rip off).

So i changed 4 coil springs and 4 absorbers, i put Sachs . All good except that front keep sitting some 15mm higher. This is driving me mad!!!

First time when garage did job back in the UK they did mistake as they have instated M springs on rear and standard on front so car was sitting high on front as M suspension is 10mm less.

After few weeks we realized this is the reason for car sitting high, so they sent me new springs by post as i took the car across Europe to Barcelona.

Yesterday we had new "correct" spring installed and to my horror car keeps sitting high again. M suspension Z4 E89 35i with 19" rims front needs to be 621 my one is : driver side 631 and passenger 635mm. Now this was instated yesterday, and i did some 50km but after measuring its keeps being the same.

Standard non M height is 631mm so this made me believe that they again sent me wrong springs, but as i also purchased M springs i compared and measured with the one they sent me and spring was aprox 315mm and thats M spring height.

So what are we missing, why is front still stubborn sitting high? i read somewhere that if control arms were tightened while suspension was hanging, causing both the upper and lower control arm bushings to be pre-loaded could this account for some of the increased height? Can wrong installation process be at fault?

I checked only difference between M and standard suspension is the springs being 10mm lower, so i think we have all parts correct.


Oh and to add little extra, rear end passenger side sit correctly at 609mm but driver side sit 600mm so i added yesterday 10mm spring pad I as car has standard 5mm at rear) and now i got this extra 5mm...i think need to measure the rear...just been so focused on the front

 

[mcbutler]

Have you checked your tyre profiles? Sounds silly but worth checking..
What was it like before new springs, nice and level?

 

[marioz4]

Have you checked your tyre profiles? Sounds silly but worth checking..
What was it like before new springs, nice and level?

Tires etc all ok. car was sitting too low b4 as shock absorbers and springs ware busted. Changed all but now i cant get it to be at correct height with correct new spring and shock absorbers...

 

[mcbutler]

I am trying to think what would make 15mm difference!
Is adaptive suspension the same as M suspension?
I not think you need to check if there is a difference between the spring for adaptive suspension that you had before and the std spring you have now, check by part number.
I am pretty sure you have the wrong springs either front or back to be honest, the only way to tell is to remove them and measure them I guess.

 

[marioz4]

I am trying to think what would make 15mm difference!
Is adaptive suspension the same as M suspension?
I not think you need to check if there is a difference between the spring for adaptive suspension that you had before and the std spring you have now, check by part number.
I am pretty sure you have the wrong springs either front or back to be honest, the only way to tell is to remove them and measure them I guess.

there is NO difference between spring between M and adaptive....

 

[keving1]

If the spring is M Sport and car was sitting at the correct ride height before dampers & springs were changed, then it can only be the following-

• Spring is not located properly in strut, there is a set location at top and bottom of the strut that the spring sit

• Strut is not fully pushed down into hub

• The strut is not correctly located at the top going into the car body

• The strut is incorrect, there are different struts for different models - I don't know if this would make a difference to the height but worth checking?

 

[mcbutler]

That means the same ‘ mistake’ would need to be made on both sides doesn’t it?
This narrows it down to wrong strut maybe!

 

[Player 1]

Did you change the top mounts along with the struts/springs?
The rubber in these "sits down" as they wear in so will be higher at first but should settle and return to normal.

 

[marioz4]

Did you change the top mounts along with the struts/springs?
The rubber in these "sits down" as they wear in so will be higher at first but should settle and return to normal.

no we did not change top mounts

 

[marioz4]

That means the same ‘ mistake’ would need to be made on both sides doesn’t it?
This narrows it down to wrong strut maybe!

No as one side is 10mm higher and another 15mm...also shock absorbers are correct ones and they do not affect height of the vehicle

 

[mcbutler]

Very confusing.
Where are you measuring the height? If your measuring from the ground up to the vehicle then try out of interest measuring the distance from the wheel centre to the top of the wheel arch. See if you also have a 5mm difference there.

Do you know anyone else with a Z4 you can pop the wheels off and compare?

Frustrating problem but I am sure we can get to the bottom of it.

 

[keving1]

Very confusing.
Where are you measuring the height? If your measuring from the ground up to the vehicle then try out of interest measuring the distance from the wheel centre to the top of the wheel arch. See if you also have a 5mm difference there.

The ride height is measured from the bottom edge of the wheel to the underside of the wing so that tyre size or inflation does not have any effect.

 

[mcbutler]

Very confusing.
Where are you measuring the height? If your measuring from the ground up to the vehicle then try out of interest measuring the distance from the wheel centre to the top of the wheel arch. See if you also have a 5mm difference there.

The ride height is measured from the bottom edge of the wheel to the underside of the wing so that tyre size or inflation does not have any effect.

Understood but the question is directed at the OP, if your not measuring on a level surface then it could account for the 5mm

 

[marioz4]

Very confusing.
Where are you measuring the height? If your measuring from the ground up to the vehicle then try out of interest measuring the distance from the wheel centre to the top of the wheel arch. See if you also have a 5mm difference there.

The ride height is measured from the bottom edge of the wheel to the underside of the wing so that tyre size or inflation does not have any effect.

Understood but the question is directed at the OP, if your not measuring on a level surface then it could account for the 5mm

Measure taken on flat surface and taken correctly

 

[mcbutler]

You could have the car inspected professionally by a vehicle inspector. He will tell you definitively what is wrong. If it turns out to be installation error or incorrect part then you would have a claim against the garage.

 

[marioz4]

You could have the car inspected professionally by a vehicle inspector. He will tell you definitively what is wrong. If it turns out to be installation error or incorrect part then you would have a claim against the garage.

Thx - vehicle inspector, sorry i even dont know that vehicle inspector exist...are they "experts"? i am not looking to claim money ( at least not at this point) i just want to get to bottom of this and resolve the issue

 

[mcbutler]

Just ref read the thread and see you are in Barcelona, lucky you.
I am sure you will have these people in Spain. In the UK you can access them through motoring organisations like the AA or the RAC.
Disregarding any claim they will examine the vehicle and tell you what is wrong, which is what you want.
At that point you can decide how to proceed to correct the issue.
I just googled vehicle inspectors in Barcelona and had a few come up.

 

[marioz4]

Just ref read the thread and see you are in Barcelona, lucky you.
I am sure you will have these people in Spain. In the UK you can access them through motoring organisations like the AA or the RAC.
Disregarding any claim they will examine the vehicle and tell you what is wrong, which is what you want.
At that point you can decide how to proceed to correct the issue.
I just googled vehicle inspectors in Barcelona and had a few come up.

Oh Mark i wish i can share your optimism...yes i am in Barcelona and when u have an UK car and try to do anything here price goes 5x in addition i must say here are useless... except good party and food...

 

[Silverstar]

Just ref read the thread and see you are in Barcelona, lucky you.
I am sure you will have these people in Spain. In the UK you can access them through motoring organisations like the AA or the RAC.
Disregarding any claim they will examine the vehicle and tell you what is wrong, which is what you want.
At that point you can decide how to proceed to correct the issue.
I just googled vehicle inspectors in Barcelona and had a few come up.

Oh Mark i wish i can share your optimism...yes i am in Barcelona and when u have an UK car and try to do anything here price goes 5x in addition i must say here are useless... except good party and food...

I am in southern Spain and have to say after being here a few years I have now finally managed to find some decent mechanical and body shops who do a good job at a very fair price. I generally tend to find that the ones that overcharge the Brits are other Brits or others that serve primarily Brits and other northern Europeans. In Spanish they call vehicle inspectors Peritos, try googling peritos de Coches Barcelona. Here a similar body to RAC AA would be RACE perhaps they can help with inspections too.

 

[marioz4]

Just ref read the thread and see you are in Barcelona, lucky you.
I am sure you will have these people in Spain. In the UK you can access them through motoring organisations like the AA or the RAC.
Disregarding any claim they will examine the vehicle and tell you what is wrong, which is what you want.
At that point you can decide how to proceed to correct the issue.
I just googled vehicle inspectors in Barcelona and had a few come up.

Oh Mark i wish i can share your optimism...yes i am in Barcelona and when u have an UK car and try to do anything here price goes 5x in addition i must say here are useless... except good party and food...

I am in southern Spain and have to say after being here a few years I have now finally managed to find some decent mechanical and body shops who do a good job at a very fair price. I generally tend to find that the ones that overcharge the Brits are other Brits or others that serve primarily Brits and other northern Europeans. In Spanish they call vehicle inspectors Peritos, try googling peritos de Coches Barcelona. Here a similar body to RAC AA would be RACE perhaps they can help with inspections too.

Thanks, i was thinking that Peritos are just when you have an accident to evaluate damage to the car for the insurance purpose, at least this is my experience with them... will have a look and speak to few locals. However i really would like to pick other people idea on what it may be wrong...i think ( and just guessing) that springs need to go in a specific place and that suspension should not be tighten while car is in the air...