Just measured the ride height on my Mk3.75 2.0 sport venture, and have the following:
Front left 365
Front right 365
Rear left 355
Rear right 345
Is someone able to tell me why the rears are lower than the fronts and why the difference between the rears?
To lift the rear right 10mm, was thinking of getting a 10mm HDPE shim to fit between the top of the suspension assembly and the shell, but are the fixing bolts long enough to cater for the shim and have enough thread to protrude through the body and still be fixed securely?
Would think it best to thoroughly check why this is first and try and fix the cause rather than the effect. Check around the mountings of both sides to see what is different side to side. Has any work been done there? Not sure what a shim might do to the geometry and hence handling…
The fronts wheel arches generally have more clearance (ride height) than the rear as the fronts have to cater for the wheels being at an angle whilst steering which the rears don’t.
If your car has rarely carried a passenger than it may be the drivers side has sagged a bit more with time as the drivers weight is taken up mainly by the rear offside spring.
You should also check that the spring has not broke. This can occur and give a reduction in ride height depending on where the spring has broken.
In either case, replacement springs would be a better option than packing. There are probably lots of good secondhand standard springs available from people who have had their cars lowered. I have a very new set of standard springs for the ND!
I have had a similar problem with my Mk1 for as long as I have owned it.
In my case new springs did not cure it nor does slackening off all the suspension bolts and allowing it to relax before tightening up again.
I have also considered packing the top mount of the rear o/side shock as I guess it has spent most of its life with just a driver onboard.
The problem with a MK 1 is the length of the studs would not allow any significant thickness. I am thinking that the studs could be ground off, the plate tapped and a longer bolt inserted, this would allow for a much thicker piece to be inserted between the body and the top mount.
The problem is, it is a fair bit of work, the outdoor fettling season is growing shorter and when I am driving the car I don’t notice the slight lean,
Perhaps next year.
Dave
