Solving the insane suspension riddle! - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

Jersthecool · 06-17-2012, 10:55 PM

I'm so fed up with this I've spent like 4 hours the last couple days trying everything and I can't figure it out for the life of me!

Drivers side rear suspension: Coilover height lowest possible, all 3 suspension rods slide into knuckle perfectly and wam bam perfect with almost 0 toe and a nice bit of negative camber.

Passenger side: Coilover height lowest possible, needs a shitload of toe for the rods to line up and the bolts have to be sort of forced through the knuckle and I barely get that much camber.

So for some reason I'm not getting nearly the same camber and the toe is beyond fucked but they're all stock rods on each side. Please if anyone has any ideas let me know I can't figure it out for the life of me I've tried everything.

Jesse SR20 · 06-17-2012, 11:00 PM

Whats the history of the car ? Accidents, curbing (previous owners) ?

How's the subframe bushing situation ?

It sounds to me like something is bent to shit from an accident.

Jersthecool · 06-17-2012, 11:19 PM

No accidents, not sure about curbing.

Would the bushings affect that at all though?

I thought it seemed like something was bent too but for the couple months I drove it, it drove perfectly fine and before I pulled any of the arms off I'm pretty sure nothing was wrong with it then because if the toe was as bad as it was now I'm 99% sure I would have noticed.

The only thing I can think of but I don't think would affect it that much is when I was trying to get the ball joint out I pried on the lower control arm against the knuckle so many times but I don't think that would have affected it.

sx89 · 06-17-2012, 11:27 PM

Iv had a knuckle bent b4 that u wouldn't notice just by looking at it tried to align it and couldn't even get the toe in replaced te knuckle and all was well.

Jersthecool · 06-17-2012, 11:34 PM

Wow very interesting maybe I bent it when I was trying to pry it off. How did you realize it was bent?

Sideways570sx · 06-17-2012, 11:59 PM

bent subfrrame!!!!

Jersthecool · 06-18-2012, 12:04 AM

Fuck I hope not id rather have it be anything else but that.

Jersthecool · 06-18-2012, 10:58 PM

Solved it and amazingly it didn't cost me any more money! Turns out when I loosened the bolt that connects the ruca to the subframe and slid it back, it only slid back the side furthest to the front of the car and the other side barely moved because of some weird locking washer thing thus making it point more towards the front of the car giving the whole knuckle crazy toe to line it up.

germgerm · 06-19-2012, 10:21 PM

i also got a similar problem, both my rear coilovers are set at the same height but my driver side seems lower then my passengers ? problems seems to be in the rear of the car.

Perfect Balance · 06-19-2012, 10:37 PM

Those are called eccentric bolts. That's what you use to adjust your alignment, you shouldn't have loosened those. Also, why was this not the first thing someone mentioned? I thought it was obvious.

-sI MuRkY · 06-20-2012, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by germgerm

i also got a similar problem, both my rear coilovers are set at the same height but my driver side seems lower then my passengers ? problems seems to be in the rear of the car.

have the same exact problem... I had to keep adjusting the pass.side just to get the same ride height. poly-sub bushing and tein super drft coils on the car.

thefro526 · 06-20-2012, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by germgerm

i also got a similar problem, both my rear coilovers are set at the same height but my driver side seems lower then my passengers ? problems seems to be in the rear of the car.

This is actually a pretty common problem. Two things to remember here:

1) Your car doesn't have a perfect weight distribution front to rear and side to side.

2) Your car is probably 15-20 years old with a questionable history. Odds are the chassis is a bit tweaked (they all are) or one of your susp arms is a hair out of whack.

When I had a similar issue, I first checked all my susp arms to make sure they were adjusted the same, checked to see if anything else was bent, etc, etc. I finally settled on adjusting the coil on the side with more adjustment.

germgerm · 06-20-2012, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thefro526

This is actually a pretty common problem. Two things to remember here:

1) Your car doesn't have a perfect weight distribution front to rear and side to side.

2) Your car is probably 15-20 years old with a questionable history. Odds are the chassis is a bit tweaked (they all are) or one of your susp arms is a hair out of whack.

When I had a similar issue, I first checked all my susp arms to make sure they were adjusted the same, checked to see if anything else was bent, etc, etc. I finally settled on adjusting the coil on the side with more adjustment.

thanks makes me feel better thought it was only me lol

06-17-2012, 10:55 PM	#1
Jersthecool Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Calgary, Canada Posts: 342 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Solving the insane suspension riddle! I'm so fed up with this I've spent like 4 hours the last couple days trying everything and I can't figure it out for the life of me! Drivers side rear suspension: Coilover height lowest possible, all 3 suspension rods slide into knuckle perfectly and wam bam perfect with almost 0 toe and a nice bit of negative camber. Passenger side: Coilover height lowest possible, needs a shitload of toe for the rods to line up and the bolts have to be sort of forced through the knuckle and I barely get that much camber. So for some reason I'm not getting nearly the same camber and the toe is beyond fucked but they're all stock rods on each side. Please if anyone has any ideas let me know I can't figure it out for the life of me I've tried everything.

06-17-2012, 11:00 PM	#2
Jesse SR20 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rancho Santa Margarita CA Age: 47 Posts: 41 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Whats the history of the car ? Accidents, curbing (previous owners) ? How's the subframe bushing situation ? It sounds to me like something is bent to shit from an accident. __________________

06-17-2012, 11:59 PM	#6
Sideways570sx Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: SoCal Age: 36 Posts: 368 Trader Rating: (5) Feedback Score: 5 reviews	bent subfrrame!!!! __________________ Project 570sx (underway)

06-17-2012, 11:19 PM	#3
Jersthecool Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Calgary, Canada Posts: 342 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	No accidents, not sure about curbing. Would the bushings affect that at all though? I thought it seemed like something was bent too but for the couple months I drove it, it drove perfectly fine and before I pulled any of the arms off I'm pretty sure nothing was wrong with it then because if the toe was as bad as it was now I'm 99% sure I would have noticed. The only thing I can think of but I don't think would affect it that much is when I was trying to get the ball joint out I pried on the lower control arm against the knuckle so many times but I don't think that would have affected it.

06-17-2012, 11:27 PM	#4
sx89 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: wichita Age: 34 Posts: 11 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Iv had a knuckle bent b4 that u wouldn't notice just by looking at it tried to align it and couldn't even get the toe in replaced te knuckle and all was well.

06-17-2012, 11:34 PM	#5
Jersthecool Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Calgary, Canada Posts: 342 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Wow very interesting maybe I bent it when I was trying to pry it off. How did you realize it was bent?

06-18-2012, 12:04 AM	#7
Jersthecool Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Calgary, Canada Posts: 342 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Fuck I hope not id rather have it be anything else but that.

06-18-2012, 10:58 PM	#8
Jersthecool Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Calgary, Canada Posts: 342 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Solved it and amazingly it didn't cost me any more money! Turns out when I loosened the bolt that connects the ruca to the subframe and slid it back, it only slid back the side furthest to the front of the car and the other side barely moved because of some weird locking washer thing thus making it point more towards the front of the car giving the whole knuckle crazy toe to line it up.

06-19-2012, 10:21 PM	#9
germgerm Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: corona Age: 33 Posts: 44 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	i also got a similar problem, both my rear coilovers are set at the same height but my driver side seems lower then my passengers ? problems seems to be in the rear of the car.

06-19-2012, 10:37 PM	#10
Perfect Balance Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia Age: 34 Posts: 397 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Those are called eccentric bolts. That's what you use to adjust your alignment, you shouldn't have loosened those. Also, why was this not the first thing someone mentioned? I thought it was obvious.