front left wheel sagging a bit

[kismetcapitan]

since getting my rear suspension settled down, it now seems that the left front is lower than the right front - depends on the surface, but generally it measures about 3/8" lower - enough for a sharp eye to notice.

I'm brought back to the question of whether I should have the dealer check my DRC pressures to insure the circuits are balanced, and after that, if I need to "resettle" the suspension by loosening things again and weighting the car, then torquing everything up again while on an alignment rack. Is this procedure only for the rear, or can it be done on the front as well?

If it's a shock issue, then it'll be a problem for sure when I install my H&R springs - the 1.4" drop will be fine on the right, on but the left, the wheel will REALLY be flush with the fender, if not tucking in under a bit...which can't happen due to the spacers I'll be installing.

The way my car is sitting now...I could use just an inch drop in front, and 1.4" on the rear, not the other way around!

It's something I want to have taken care of before I try installing the springs. Any thoughts or ideas?

[kismetcapitan]

ok, maybe it's my imagination?? here's my car:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v191/tobereeno/file.jpg

distance from center of wheel to fender arch:
left rear: 14 3/8"
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v191/tobereeno/file-4.jpg
right rear: 14 3/8"
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v191/tobereeno/file-3.jpg

Sometimes the right rear shoots up to 14 3/4", and the left rear is 14 1/4" - a 0.5" difference!

right front: 14"
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v191/tobereeno/file-2.jpg

and the left front: 13 5/8". It has never gone over 14" no matter where I park, and the right front has never gone below 14".
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v191/tobereeno/file-1.jpg

With H&R springs, going from 14" to 12 7/8" is the absolute maximum drop possible without getting that ghetto wheel-inside-fender look. 12.75" would be preferable. A 1.4" drop on the rear to bring it to 13" would be nice, but the H&Rs only do 1" for the rear. Apparently, the fronts will go down to 12 5/8, leaving 1/4" of tire to rub inside the well? And if the left front is indeed sagging for some odd reason, going down to 12 1/4" is just too much.

Does anyone have H&R springs and have their wheel to arch measurements? And are you running spacers?

[RSSIK]

I see it. I know what you mean and it prob bugs the hell outta you like it would me.

[skribe]

A bit out of my depth here... I would visually inspect everything, looking for any bends in control arms, bad bushings, loose subframe bolts, whatever... I suppose it's even possible you broke a spring and lost a coil? Possible previous owner drove into an enormous pothole or what have you and bent stuff out of spec? From the pic it almost looks like the RF wheel is newer than the rest, or is that just the pic? That would be a dead giveaway.

Or it could be those additional RS logos on the flanks. De-badging is cool. Add-a-badging is, wellllll...

[Spidercat]

De-badging is cool.
...but only if you're at the top of the product line.

Seen a few of these-
De-badged A4: You're not fooling anyone. It's not an S4.
De-badged S4: You're not fooling anyone. It's not an RS4.
De-badged RS4: Cool.
De-ringed Audi: :vhmmm: Wait, why would you even want do that? But whatever, it's your car. To each his own.

A4s an S4s are damn fine cars. Nothing wrong with them. Drive it proudly! I'm sure there are more than a few tuned examples out there that can beat the snot out of my car.


By the way, your rear looks way too high. That's post-DRC recall, right? They had told me mine would "settle" after a little while. It never did. I'd try the loosening and re-torque discussed many times on hear to see if that helps, or just get the springs.

[hahnmgh63]

Were all of those measurements taken without anyone in the car? I ride height adjust my cars with my 200# weight sitting in the drivers seat and drivers side floorboard (cast iron olympic weights). If your car is that much lower without you in the car then there is a bigger discrepancy with you sitting in the car. Any descent race shop does the same, asks you how much you weight before they ride height and weight balance your car. I know you can't get any normal adjustment with DRC but that seems like a large difference.

[kismetcapitan]

the rear was a solid inch higher before; the dealer performed the loosening/weighting/tightening trick, but it still does seem a bit high. I just want to get my suspension level, and lowered a reasonable amount. I think the car may have needed more time sitting on its bushings with the links loosened before buttoning up the car.

My Skyline is corner weighted with my weight in the driver's seat, but that has adjustable coilovers. A session with coilover wrenches and corner scales would solve my issue - if I had coilovers. I'm making do with lowering springs for the time being, as I have an (apparently) fully functional DRC system. But there is truth in that a set of coilovers solves all suspension problems - I could get the exact lowering that I want, no worries about DRC leaking, and now this potential issue - unbalanced pressure in DRC circuits.

Does anyone have measurements to compare notes with? Either with stock or H&R springs?