Rear lowering kit issue
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 2,501
Likes: 177
From: Houston, Texas FEAR THE BONES
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Rear lowering kit issue
I installed the rear lowering kit and noted that the drivers side sits lower than the passenger side. I know this is a common condition on C4's, but the problem is that in order to even out the sides, the drivers side nut must be almost all the way up on the bolt (not really lowered at all), and the passenger side bolt must be all the way at the bottom of the nut (lowered all the way). That leaves 3 inches of clearance in the wheel well, which is not really lowered at all. Did anyone else have such a drastic difference bewteen sides? And how about the passenger side having 3" of clearance with the lowering bolt all the way down? I guess I need a longer bolt for the passenger side now in order to really "lower" the car 
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,297
Likes: 240
From: Summerland B.C. Canada
You did drive the car around and let the suspension settle, right.
Was the gap equal before lowering bolts installed ?
I used alloy ready rod for mine and I had to lower one side more than the other to obtain the equal gap. With the ready rod cut at 11 inches I had any adjustment required.
Keep us posted
Was the gap equal before lowering bolts installed ?
I used alloy ready rod for mine and I had to lower one side more than the other to obtain the equal gap. With the ready rod cut at 11 inches I had any adjustment required.
Keep us posted
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 2,501
Likes: 177
From: Houston, Texas FEAR THE BONES
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Originally Posted by AGENT 86
You did drive the car around and let the suspension settle, right.
Was the gap equal before lowering bolts installed ?
I used alloy ready rod for mine and I had to lower one side more than the other to obtain the equal gap. With the ready rod cut at 11 inches I had any adjustment required.
Keep us posted
Was the gap equal before lowering bolts installed ?
I used alloy ready rod for mine and I had to lower one side more than the other to obtain the equal gap. With the ready rod cut at 11 inches I had any adjustment required.
Keep us posted
The only thing I can think of is that I installed the poly bushings in a different orientation on the passenger side, and maybe now they are not compressing like they used to
. Maybe I'll disassemble the passenger side again and redo it. It just doesn't make any sense to me
Pro
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 646
Likes: 0
From: Santee Ca
Has anyone ever thought/tried to take the spring off and turn it around? If the spring is settled then maybe putting the unsettled passenger side of the spring on the drivers side might even things out after a while.
Or is this a really stupid idea because the spring will only go on one way?
Or is this a really stupid idea because the spring will only go on one way?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,228
Likes: 1
From: Dallas Texas
I just had my rear spring out not too long ago (actually it's been out a few times) and I think the way it is molded, it will only really work one way... Meaning if you install it the other way, the holes in the spring will not line up properly with the bolts. I might just be imaging things, but I am pretty sure that is how it is.
BTW, after lowering mine, I have the same issue (driver side is lower and the passenger side). You will definately want to be careful how you preload each side because if they are too out of whack, I would think that would change the corner weighting in the rear enough to make your handling erratic, at least that would the the case with coilovers, not sure how that translates the stock monoleaf.
Good luck!
BTW, after lowering mine, I have the same issue (driver side is lower and the passenger side). You will definately want to be careful how you preload each side because if they are too out of whack, I would think that would change the corner weighting in the rear enough to make your handling erratic, at least that would the the case with coilovers, not sure how that translates the stock monoleaf.
Good luck!
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
I have the samem problem on my 94 Vette and It drives me crazy.I dont think it has anything to do with the spring,because I replaced mine new and it still has the same problem.
Last edited by avtt94; Jul 28, 2004 at 04:18 AM.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,228
Likes: 1
From: Dallas Texas
I think it might have something to do with the spring since with stock bolts, the ride height is fine, or atleast closer than lowered.
Perhaps with the longer bolts, the compression rate is not as well defined since there is less tension on the spring than GM planned for. Just a thought anyway.
Perhaps with the longer bolts, the compression rate is not as well defined since there is less tension on the spring than GM planned for. Just a thought anyway.
Advanced
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 79
Likes: 4
From: The Netherlands aka "Absurdistan"
Well I have replaced all the bushings with poly ones, and also turned the spring around to see if the difference in ride height transfers to the other side but the problem remanis the same. One side will be higher than the other. In my situation this wasn't a problem a couldn't compensate with the bolts.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 300
Likes: 0
From: Perth WA
Just finished the whole suspension bushing, lowering kit and C5 brake upgrade. After finishing, the ride height on each wheel is within 2mm of each other and the back is only 1mm different from each side.
You didn't say wether you have touched any other part of the suspension. It sounds like it may be too tight or one of the control arms may be binding, stopping the suspension from moving freely.
Just a thought.
Good luck.
You didn't say wether you have touched any other part of the suspension. It sounds like it may be too tight or one of the control arms may be binding, stopping the suspension from moving freely.
Just a thought.
Good luck.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,783
Likes: 15
From: Northern California
I just installed the lowering bolts from Ecklers but, before I installed them I measured the distance from the top of the wheel lip to the bottom of the wheel well and found the driver side was 1/4" lower than the passenger side.
After I installed the lowering bolts, I had to thread the driver side bolt about 4" up but, the passenger side was only threaded 1/2" up. I removed checked and readjusted everything to make sure all the bushings were positioned correctly but, the two sides were still off.
After a week or so of driving and adjusting to get the ride height perfect on both sides, I had the Vette aligned. Also, remember to take all measurements with a full tank of fuel because the weight of the fuel will make the rear end sit lower.
After I installed the lowering bolts, I had to thread the driver side bolt about 4" up but, the passenger side was only threaded 1/2" up. I removed checked and readjusted everything to make sure all the bushings were positioned correctly but, the two sides were still off.
After a week or so of driving and adjusting to get the ride height perfect on both sides, I had the Vette aligned. Also, remember to take all measurements with a full tank of fuel because the weight of the fuel will make the rear end sit lower.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 2,501
Likes: 177
From: Houston, Texas FEAR THE BONES
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
GKK,
That is EXACTLY how my rear bolts look
. The problem is that with that setting, the rear is really not lowered at all. How much gap do you have in the wheel well above the tire? I have approx 3 inches.
That is EXACTLY how my rear bolts look
. The problem is that with that setting, the rear is really not lowered at all. How much gap do you have in the wheel well above the tire? I have approx 3 inches.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,783
Likes: 15
From: Northern California
There's about 3 inches of clearance between the wheel well and top of the tire with a full tank of fuel.
It is lower than before as you can sort of see from this before picture. After I lowered it the rear sits 1/4" higher than the front with a full tank of fuel and raises slightly as the fuel empties.
It is lower than before as you can sort of see from this before picture. After I lowered it the rear sits 1/4" higher than the front with a full tank of fuel and raises slightly as the fuel empties.
Last edited by GKK; Jul 28, 2004 at 04:56 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,197
Likes: 0
From: lafayette co
I have the same F***ing problem! I posted a thread titled "Ghost Lean" a few months ago. Didn't get much help.
I don't think that you can use the gap (distance between top of wheel and bottom of well) as a good measure of 'lowering' the car.
When I did mine I measured three things:
1-the gap
2-distance from wheel center to bottom of well
3-distance from the bottom of the body/frame(where the side panels turn to a 90 degree angle) to the ground
I dropped my rear 1" to start. The body measurements changed, but the gap stayed the same .
I had to tweak that POS 3-5 times to get it right, and it still isn't!
Just remember ( and I may be wrong), to keep the distances from the body to the ground the same. If they are not, you are overloading one wheel, and that will kill your handling!
I measured the distances from the body to the ground in the front, added 1/4", than lowered the back sides to match the front + 1/4".
Looks good, but still needs to be lower!!
I don't think that you can use the gap (distance between top of wheel and bottom of well) as a good measure of 'lowering' the car.
When I did mine I measured three things:
1-the gap
2-distance from wheel center to bottom of well
3-distance from the bottom of the body/frame(where the side panels turn to a 90 degree angle) to the ground
I dropped my rear 1" to start. The body measurements changed, but the gap stayed the same
.I had to tweak that POS 3-5 times to get it right, and it still isn't!
Just remember ( and I may be wrong), to keep the distances from the body to the ground the same. If they are not, you are overloading one wheel, and that will kill your handling!
I measured the distances from the body to the ground in the front, added 1/4", than lowered the back sides to match the front + 1/4".
Looks good, but still needs to be lower!!
