Un-even ride height

[SonOfLiberty]

So, I pulled the NSX out of my garage and something caught my eye. The ride height. It looked a bit off. I measured the front right and front left corner and sure enough, one side was about .5" higher than the other. I don't think that it has always been like this. Or if it has, I've never noticed it before. I didn't measure the back corners, but I think that the result would be the same.

The suspension on it is stock and unchanged (as far as I know) since 1996 when it was built.

Does it just need new springs? Shocks?

It's barely noticeable, but it does bother me.

 

[Vega$ NSX]

Have you put on some weight anytime recently?

 

[SonOfLiberty]

LOL no. Just as skinny as I've ever been at around 130 lbs.

 

[HIJACKER]

Have you confirmed your tire pressure is equal on both sides comparing L to R?

Does the car feel any different on the street, its possible a shock has gone bad and started to leak maybe?

 

[Quix-Draw]

LOL no. Just as skinny as I've ever been at around 130 lbs.

God, I haven't seen that since 9th grade... :frown:

 

[doc_tai]

Lol he can't measure the height himself when hes in the car. I would check for blown strut like any wet or oil around the strut area

 

[NSX2398]

Lol he can't measure the height himself when hes in the car. I would check for blown strut like any wet or oil around the strut area

I don't understand this comment. I always thought that the ride height was determined by the spring height and/or the spring perch (assuming equal tire pressure) .. not the shock which I thought only impacted the damping. Bad shocks should only affect the ride dynamics not the static ride height.

 

[SonOfLiberty]

Thanks for the comments guys! I am not mechanically inclined whatsoever, so I'll have to try and look for any leaks or problems from the outside. I won't dare take anything apart.

I did not check the tire pressure, but just from looking they all appear to be properly filled.

Springs can wear out right? If it does turn out to need new springs which is probably a worst case scenario, about how much do new springs cost?

 

[etang789]

I think this is very common to NSX

 

[biscuits]

I don't understand this comment. I always thought that the ride height was determined by the spring height and/or the spring perch (assuming equal tire pressure) .. not the shock which I thought only impacted the damping. Bad shocks should only affect the ride dynamics not the static ride height.

Incorrect. Struts add support to the springs when at rest. A blown strut will definatly show as sagging in most cases. This is exactly how I discovered my struts where blown.

 

[NSX2398]

Incorrect. Struts add support to the springs when at rest. .

As an engineer, I find this hard to believe. When at rest (ie. ride height), they provide damping resistance in two directions .. one on compression (ie. hitting a speed bump) and one on rebound (ie. hitting a pothole), but they're neutral at rest. It's just fluid in a tube that uses orifices to restrict the flow and provide damping .. it doesn't compress to provide support.