Suspenseful question

[98GTW]

Well... Suspension question actually.

I put my '77 into storage at a well-respected local shop and asked them to take a look at a couple of things while they were babysitting.
Checking the suspension (I had noticed that the right rear camber doesn't match the left rear), they reported the following:

initial ride height :
RR - 60 LR - 60
RF - 63.5 LF - 64.5

They put it on the lift over night, set it back down, let it settle for the day and re-measured
RR - 63.8 LR - 63.3
RF - 66.5 LF - 65.5

and said it indicated worn parts, probably bushings.

So two questions: What were they measuring, since references I've seen here to ride height are around 24-25 inches? And what needs to be done?

Thanks,

Dave

[makaio]

Sounds like they are looking for a little extra Winter time work. Why didn't you take it to an alignment shop to check the camber?

I'm no expert like Chuck, JW, or some of the others, but lifting the car up, and then letting it down, does not sound like a very good way of checking components. I may be wrong, and please somebody correct me if I am.

[fintstone]

I assume they are using (metric system since it is a German car). I would also assume they are measuring in centimeters. 1 inch = 2.54 cm, thus 60 cm = 23.4 in. multiply their numbers by .39 to get inches or use this calculator: http://www.manuelsweb.com/in_cm.htm

[fintstone]

Has your car been corner balanced in the past?

[98GTW]

My brain must be clogged this morning. I assumed at first it was metric, did a couple of quick (too quick) calculations and came up with 2.36 inches. Only off by an order of magnitude.

Thanks for the correction.

Originally posted by fintstone
I assume they are using (metric system since it is a German car). I would also assume they are measuring in centimeters. 1 inch = 2.54 cm, thus 60 cm = 23.4 in. multiply their numbers by .39 to get inches or use this calculator: http://www.manuelsweb.com/in_cm.htm

[98GTW]

Originally posted by fintstone
Has your car been corner balanced in the past?

Not in the two years I've owned her. No history prior.

[IROC]

There is enough friction in suspension bushings to see this kind of behavior all day long. Take a measurement, bounce the car, take another measurement and you're going to see differences. Plus, you're only seeing a 4mm max difference in ride height (less than .16 inches).

I wouldn't automatically suspect your bushings are worn from only the info above...

Mike

[masraum]

Yep, what Mike said, the car will not "settle" by just sitting there. As long as the results are fairly close it is probably normal.

But chances are you do have bad bushings since your car is a '77. Unless the previous owner had them replaced they could be bad from nothing other than age. How old are your shocks/struts? Those could need replacing too.

[98GTW]

Originally posted by masraum
Yep, what Mike said, the car will not "settle" by just sitting there. As long as the results are fairly close it is probably normal.

But chances are you do have bad bushings since your car is a '77. Unless the previous owner had them replaced they could be bad from nothing other than age. How old are your shocks/struts? Those could need replacing too.

Another item I have next to no information about. I've been floundering along in blissful ignorance.

[Chuck Moreland]

I don't think that test indicates anything. But if your bushings are original you can be sure they are shot. They cold-flow with age, even if the car has no miles.

You can inspect your spring plate bushings by checking to see if the spring plate shaft is centered in the spring plate cover. The shaft and hole should be perfectly concentric. If it is not, you have substantial deformation.

Fronts and inner trailing arm links are not so easy to see. But if your spring plates bushings are done, I have a dollar that says the others are toast too.

[98GTW]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if the entire suspension should be replaced. What, specifically, is the effect of worn bushings? I can go and read my "101 Projects..." when I get home, but it's so much more pleasant to get the distilled version here.