c4 ride height issue

[blklt4]

I have a 96 vette that has a ride height issue. The front driver height is 1/2" lower than the passenger side and the rear driver side is 3/4" lower than the passenger side as measured from the fender to the ground. I took the car to an alignment shop and they confirmed my measurements they checked the alignment and found the alignment to be within specifications, the car drives and stops straight the tires are worn even and there is no shaking in the steering wheel. The alignment shop did not know how to adjust the ride height and for lack of any advice at all suggested I go to a frame shop. At the alignment shop I inspected the springs which did not show any obvious damage. The frame shop wants $210 to measure the frame. I would like to adjust/fix the height which I think is fairly straight forward. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[tntcorvette]

Common C4 issue. Check around, but you need new leaf springs to correct the ride height, or switch to coil overs, or get a lowering kit from mid america and lower the entire car and set the corners correctly.

 

[speedmaster4]

you could simply put a stack of washers between the nut and the spring at the left rear (drivers side) to raise the rear left to match the right rear...that will also load the right front more and the right front will go down, hopefully to abt the correct height to match the left front...BUT you MUST then find a race car shop (well equipped circle track shop is best bet) that will put your car on FOUR corner scales (one at each wheel) to check that you have not now ''wedged'' your suspension, which would affect cornering, possibly enough to be extremely dangerous potentially fatal, for street use (you may be ''wedged'' now, causing the existing ''tilt'', a ''scale'' check before making any adjustments would be of interest)...YOU CANNOT DO THIS WITHOUT FOUR CORNER SCALES.

better, but much more work, front and rear springs both have factory installed spacers between the respective two sides of each spring and its mount...varying those spacer thicknesses on one side of the spring a small amount will change ride height several times the spacer change...the rear is much more readily accessed than the front...again - you MUST put the car on four corner scales to check that dangerous ''wedge'' has not been introduced.

changing ride height WILL change wheel alignment, you'll likely need another alignment done...that new alignment MAY change the ride height/ wedge a bit, prolly not enough to be easily noticed ( unless you are as picky as me, requiring several attempts to get ''dead on'')

fuel load and driver (& pass ?) weight as will exist during typical operating conditions should be simulated during adjustment.

do not expect any ''alignment'' shop to understand anything about ''wedge'', but any GOOD race car shop will be ahead of you as you speak.

around here, $!00 will get your car scaled and adjusted in most race shops (some for half of that if you catch 'em right)

 

[blklt4]

Thank You very much.

 

[RWDsmoke]

Mine was worse than that but now it is within 1/8". It looks and drives to much better now. You can check the frame by leveling the rear on jack stands to unload the suspension and using a floor jack in the center in front. I found out that my 86 had been damaged at one time and not repaired correctly. I had to replace the front crossmember where the bumper is bolted on. If you use washers or shims to adjust the suspension to correct a frame problem you might do like I did when I tried that. Make a hard right turn and end up going the opposite direction! Good luck.