Euro suspension height

[V205]

Hi guys,

I'm remember someone here mention their Euro's ride height / suspension is not quite even. I've noticed my rear right side is about 1cm lower than the other corners. Anyone else noticed anyhting similiar or had stock suspension height problems?

This is on a '05 lux with about 1200km, scheduled for 1000km service later this week.

[aaronng]

My stock Euro is lower by 1cm on the front right compared to the front left by measuring from the ground to the wheel arch.

[V205]

Just measured mine.

FL = 70cm
FR = 69cm
RL = 68cm
RR = 69cm

Interesting...

[Suntzu]

Tyre pressure methinks.

[V205]

Tyre pressure is digital guage to 38Fronts/36 Rears

[Ferrarista]

Isint Front Left where the gear box is? Maybe its adding a little more weight to the car on the left hand side?

[Tobster]

Whenever I read about this sort of thing I always think about what you're parked on: rarely is any surface perfectly level and its easy to get a 10 mm difference in the space of a car. After all, independent suspension is supposed to keep the car level on uneven surfaces...

Considering road surfaces aren't flat and suspension is moving constantly, what difference does it make?

I suspect a lot of people get hung up about a problem that isn't really there...

[Guzzy888]

Well my front passenger suspension is definitely 1cm higher than the front driver side (04 lux). 2 of my Euro friends also confirmed this - one just bought an 05 (non lux). I have checked this on various surfaces and the 1cm difference is there. I am not insane.

[CL9EURO]

Hey guy's, when you measure a vehicle, their are a few places to measure it from.
The centre of the wheel to the guard is the main one, as this will be a comparible measurement to any vehicle as it does not change with tyre size and or rim size.
Secondly the next measurement is sill height from behind front wheel and in front of rear wheel from the sill to the ground on a level surface will give you your vehicle rake from front to back.
Thirdly, bottom of wheel rim to guard is not so important.
Put the three measurments together and they will give you the big picture.
Lets say centre of wheel to guard is out by 10mm and sill to ground is only out 2mm then this may say that the guard has not been installed quite correctly.

[V205]

Thanks Guzz, at least I know it's pretty common for the front left to be 1cm higher than front right. (Also confirmed by Aaron).

So how about the rear? Mine is also 1cm lower on the right compared to the left.

EDIT: I wonder if it contributes to the slight right drift bias due to that slight slant?



Well my front passenger suspension is definitely 1cm higher than the front driver side (04 lux). 2 of my Euro friends also confirmed this - one just bought an 05 (non lux). I have checked this on various surfaces and the 1cm difference is there. I am not insane.

[timmy_12]

i was thinking it may be to accommodate the slope on the road which allows water runoff

[ngupil]

as far as i know, the right hand (driver) side should be slightly higher when there is no passenger in the car. the reason is that there will always be someone sitting on the driver side (the driver him self) when the car is running, and there may or may not be someone sitting on the passenger side. by having the driver side slightly higher, it makes the car to have the same height left and right. i cant explain it any better, but thats what the guys from suspension city told me. not very sure if its the other way around

[Omotesando]

On the spot that it was measured, how about someone park it in the opposite direction (even if illegally) as well to measure it?

I don't have a tape :(

[stepanoz]

When I lowered my Euro I mentioned to the guy why the driver's side is lower and he said that Australian Euros are made that way for the reason being our roads are curved on surface rather than flat. So Being right hand drive you are sitting over the higher part of the road so your side has to sit lower which means it will help your car balance as well as your wheel alighment......
I hope it makes sence.
He mentioned that the Mercs, BMW and AUDis are similar set up.

[Omotesando]

Well at high speed this would kill someone... :(

The reason why I said to park it in the other direction to measure is due to the same reason - coz of the curve on the road for drainage.

But anywhere u go, it'll be exactly the same thing. Unless its measured the other way around (parked illegally), or may be its more accurate in a car park?

[timmy_12]

Well at high speed this would kill someone... :(

please clarify how that will cause an accident as when you have 3 people in the car majority of the time the 2 passengers are on the left hand side unless you make the 3rd person sit in the centre rear seat which would even the load up more?

[Omotesando]

please clarify how that will cause an accident as when you have 3 people in the car majority of the time the 2 passengers are on the left hand side unless you make the 3rd person sit in the centre rear seat which would even the load up more?

Dude I think you're taking it completely in the wrong direction.
If you want to be so extreme then I might as well retort that - if the driver is 120Kg but the two passengers on the left hand side are each only 55Kg and 65Kg they might just balance out left and right (but not front and rear).


If your SUSPENSION is of different height left and right, when you brake hard, or when its traveling at a high speed, the car's going to swerve to one side.

If you want to be so exact why don't you tell me EXACTLY how much extra load each extra passenger is going to even up the load on the suspension? :wave:

[timmy_12]

Dude I think you're taking it completely in the wrong direction.
If you want to be so extreme then I might as well retort that - if the driver is 120Kg but the two passengers on the left hand side are each only 55Kg and 65Kg they might just balance out left and right (but not front and rear).


If your SUSPENSION is of different height left and right, when you brake hard, or when its traveling at a high speed, the car's going to swerve to one side.

If you want to be so exact why don't you tell me EXACTLY how much extra load each extra passenger is going to even up the load on the suspension? :wave:


ok each person is a fat and weighs your 120kg so on the drivers side there is going to be 120kg weight on the drivers side and 240 kg weight on the passengers side looking at your train of thought


so if we go off how i was thinking not your side to side front to back evening than the weight will be distributed evenly across the car 180kg on either side of the car so therefore it will be even


so if you have 120 kg on 1 side of the car and 240kg on the otherside of the car like most people do (please weigh your own passengers and use them for your case study as this is hypothetical) than everytime you apply the brakes you will spin around sould be a fun drive (note to self go pick up some fat chicks)

so what you were originally saying is that a few mm in ride hight will kill someone but putting 120kg on one side of the car and 240 on the otherside of the car will not???

[aaronng]

When you brake hard, your hand better be on the steering wheel. If it is, it's not going to swerve to the side.

BTW, this is why the driver's side is lower: http://ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?p=781534#post781534

[REV888]

Since we are on this topic does the Euro have the same OEM suspension as a TSX Acura ?

[aaronng]

TSX supposedly has stiffer springs than the CL7 EuroR. Since our Accord Euro is not as stuff as the EuroR, that means it should have different spring rates and maybe even dampers when compared to the TSX. But.... suspension parts for the TSX can be used in the Accord Euro.

[Omotesando]

ok each person is a fat and weighs your 120kg so on the drivers side there is going to be 120kg weight on the drivers side and 240 kg weight on the passengers side looking at your train of thought


so if we go off how i was thinking not your side to side front to back evening than the weight will be distributed evenly across the car 180kg on either side of the car so therefore it will be even


so if you have 120 kg on 1 side of the car and 240kg on the otherside of the car like most people do (please weigh your own passengers and use them for your case study as this is hypothetical) than everytime you apply the brakes you will spin around sould be a fun drive (note to self go pick up some fat chicks)

so what you were originally saying is that a few mm in ride hight will kill someone but putting 120kg on one side of the car and 240 on the otherside of the car will not???

Mate, please read the other thread.

The other thing is, I must be dumb because I don't understand a word that you say. :(

[Tobster]

The whole braking and weight argument also fails to take into account the Euro's electronics which are meant to distribute the braking force around the car (EBD). It doesn't matter where the weight is -- it should still pull up straight.

[Personally, I don't think the whole suspension height thing is a big issue, as it's probably going to sit differently on every surface you park or drive on -- but has anyone actually considered the fact that the engine isn't central in the engine bay, so there's always likely to be a bit more weight on the driver's corner?]

[aaronng]

The whole braking and weight argument also fails to take into account the Euro's electronics which are meant to distribute the braking force around the car (EBD). It doesn't matter where the weight is -- it should still pull up straight.

[Personally, I don't think the whole suspension height thing is a big issue, as it's probably going to sit differently on every surface you park or drive on -- but has anyone actually considered the fact that the engine isn't central in the engine bay, so there's always likely to be a bit more weight on the driver's corner?]
EBD only activates when ABS is used. If you brake normally without engaging the ABS, you never feel the effects of EBD.

[hotout]

ok, this is one for the non-Euro Accords, as the non-Euro Accord was designed in the US, driver sits on the left, and so in the engine bay, the engine is located more towards the US passenger side, thus u get better distrib of weight when a US driver is in the car.

Now in right hand drive countries, this weight distrib problem is exacerbated by the fact that the heavy bits of the car (engine) is located more towards the right, plus the driver...hence causing more weight to be borne by the front rights.

Perhaps someone can prove this by weighing at all 4 corners a of stock TSX(US) and a Aussie Euro.

In addition weigh all 4 corners of a US Accord vs Aussie Accord.

[aaronng]

Even simpler, call your dealer on the part numbers for the stock front coilovers and see if the part numbers are the same for the US and OZ Accords.

[Adagio]

I confirm again that there is a 1cm difference, The Driver's front is lower by 1cm measured from the apex of the wheel arch to a smooth concrete surface. So where do we go from here, Honda??
Adagio

[aaronng]

I confirm again that there is a 1cm difference, The Driver's front is lower by 1cm measured from the apex of the wheel arch to a smooth concrete surface. So where do we go from here, Honda??
Adagio
It's MEANT to be 1cm lower on the driver's front side. Because it is heavier on the driver's front. If you lower the suspension at the driver's front, then the weight on that wheel is reduced.

[Adagio]

It's MEANT to be 1cm lower on the driver's front side. Because it is heavier on the driver's front. If you lower the suspension at the driver's front, then the weight on that wheel is reduced.

Well, now we know thanks for the clarification.
Adagio

[DOHCVTEC]

yea kinda agree with hotout
well what i found is that all K series engine is place the other way around...
that is... the engine will sit more towards the right side (drivers side)
and hence it'll be heavier on the right...
but since on the euro they didn't measure the corner weights and heights for u and accurately cut the springs to fit (like the dc2 type R where when a 60kg person sits in it... it'll just be flat on the front) the right hand side would be lower... it'll just be something u have to live with unless u are willing to cut ur springs on the left or something like that ...