Member
Installed Koni's w/ Eibach Prokit last week and have noticed the drivers side seems to sit just slightly higher.
No broken springs, everything looks identical on both sides.
What gives?
Member
When you sit in it, it might level out?
Member
I have read that apparently the M cars sit higher on the drivers side to accommodate for the extra weight of the driver. Don't know how true that is though.
Member
It's true. Mines the same wayOriginally Posted by Deblaca
98 M3 sedan
racecar
Not true at all.
+/- 10mm is normal and that's due to tolerances in manufacturing of all the components that make up the suspension.
ps. Some cars actually sit higher on the right side.
pss. If that's how it was designed for the driver to even it out, then it would mean that RHD chassis got produced on a different line ... and they didn't.
Balogne Cajones
He's right. . there's a 10 mm gap for tolerances. And even 2 mm will make you second look sometimes. But. It also depends where you park. I read somewhere that it can take springs a few compression. Releases before they really free themselves to ride height. So say you park on the curb. You drive off the curb. It could take a few min before the car comes back to natural even rest.
- - - Updated - - -
*I've way over thought and researched. *had the same problem
Member
Both my e36s came stock higher on driver side by about 2-3 mm. When you sit in the driver seat it drops about 3 mm. This is why the dealer and any good alignment shop puts weight in driver side and trunk to simulate a person leveling the car out before aligning. If your struts are old or parking not flat you could see it level or higher on right.
98 M3 sedan
racecar
How's putting weight in the trunk stimulating anything when most people drive around with empty trunks?
Member
if you were to carry something in the trunk that would create more camber and affect toe so that's why. Personally I never carry anything heavy in my trunk so I'd not add weight there for alignment. Adding weight in driver side and trunk it done at dealership when they do alignment.
98 M3 sedan
Did someone say racetrack
BMW CCA Member
If the difference is in the front the upper strut towers could be pushed up not uncommon on E36/46 chassis cars.
Gary Gray
If you can take it apart you can make it faster!
Member
Maybe to simulate a full tank of gas?
Member
That makes sense.
98 M3 sedan
Member
My car also sits slightly higher on the drivers side when its empty. I always assumed it leveled out whenever I sat in there so it never bothered me too much.
Member
The cars would not have to be produced on a different line, they would only have to be loaded with different springs. Every E36 M3 i've worked on sits 1/8" higher on the driver's side than the passanger side. I've read in many places that this is by design, but admittedly I don't know if i've seen it mentioned in a BMW document. I measured mine when I switched to coilovers, and I mimicked that height stagger with my coilovers, based on the spring rates (it winds up being 1/16th higher on the driver's side with my 400# springs).
Though the height stagger makes sense, and other things about the car are not symmetrical. Look at the side mirrors. They're not symmetrical, but most people don't notice it.
Last edited by fiveightandten; 09-07-2015 at 02:11 PM.
-Nick
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