I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: __ride height
2006 NC failed MOT, OSF broken spring.
Local garage supplied and fitted replacement, but now the ride height is too high at that corner by a good inch and a half. NSF corner is still ok at 15" (which I believe to be about right).
The garage say they have checked that it’s the right spring with both their supplier and Mazda themselves.
Appreciate any ideas what’s gone wrong here, as we are both scratching our heads…
Phil.
They really ought to be fitted in pairs on the same axle.
This is normal practice in the interests of age related wear & levelling.
I’d have the other side done as well after checking the coil’s code is correct and don’t forget, springs compress over the years so I’m not really surprised the fresh spring looks a tad jacked up.
I’d also consider a 4 wheel laser alignment for belt & braces if they were daft enough not to do a proper job…what did they get up to doing it?
They may also have induced “twisted bush syndrome” by tightening it all up with the suspension unloaded.
They did remember to actually tighten all the bushed joints with the suspension under load rather than hanging free on the lift?
If not then the suspension will be under tension, and stuck at the wrong ride height. Presumably the car has not been lowered with non standard springs?
“Mazda quote ride height measurements as being 356mm - 405mm for the front and 354mm - 403mm for the rear with 16” wheels and 351mm - 400mm for the front and 349mm - 398mm for the rear with 17" wheels.
That’s quite a wide variation but having said there should not be a significant variance from side to side.
They will have tightened everything up with the car in the air.
I would personally have bought at least 2 and done both sides… Although when I had a 2006 NC and this happened I ended up going all in and bought a set of Koni adjustable dampers and Eibach springs which transformed the car.
Sounds like they may have torqued up the swing arm pivot bolts whilst the car was still in the air.
It puts a load on the bushes and holds the car high.
OR
Your other spring is completely shot and the new spring is holding the car high on that side.
Yes, imagine the wheel hanging with the car jacked up. There may be 10 cm of travel to lift it from there to where it sits when the car load is on it. All that force is trying to twist the rubber in the bushes. They are only intended to allow movement for a few centimetres either side of the normal static position.
Thank God & You for that Sir.
I was wondering if my post was done in invisible ink.
This car needs taken back to bricks, twin springs in, spannered up under compression by someone who at least knows how to toilet themselves unaided without dribbling, then 4 wheel lasered.
Other wise it’s going to go on…and on…and on…and on …
And on…
Have a nice weekend.
PS
I’m having 2 large single malts before my slow cooked sausage casserole.
On a lighter note,
Apologies Scottishfiver Sir, I have indeed taken your advice. The car is currently back with the garage to be rectified as per received info, and I will be asking for the other side to be done too, as long as they sort the problem out properly that is.
I’ll update with the outcome.
Glad you saw the wind up , and yes it was 6 hour slow cooked porker with cider & apples & sweet potato.
Get back to us with the outcome
We do like happy endings.
Was the broken spring the original factory fitted one? Could the car have been fitted with lowering springs at some time, in which case a factory standard one on one corner would make that corner higher. Always replace springs as pairs because if one’s gone the other is sure to follow.
Good thought, but believe them to be original springs having measured ride height at just on 15" on the ‘good’ side, which I think is the correct for standard springs.
Thanks again to all who have put finger to keyboard to help out.
Currently awaiting garage to work with the received advice.
As promised, final results.
Followed above advice, and asked garage to tighten the bolts with the car on the ground (compressing the spring with the weight of the car itself). Garage guy was sceptical, but was right; no significant improvement. Then got him to replace the aftermarket spring with a genuine Mazda one, which improved things to within an acceptable standard tolerance. Obviously, with hindsight, I should have requested genuine Mazda parts in the first place. You live and learn. Anyway, then got him to do the other side as well, again as suggested above. Have now got the vehicle back and it drives fine.
Moral: beware aftermarket springs!
HTH,
Phil
, and yes it was 6 hour slow cooked porker with cider & apples & sweet potato.