Lowered car - height issues

[Karl]

The idea of retorquing the suspension arms is that the bushings take a set to their installed position. Lowering the car will then preload the bushings, and since they've aged--certainly worn differently--they'll preload differently, so one side will hold the car up more than the other. Loosening the bolts and retorquing will let the bushings settle to the new ride height and remove differences in preload.

[MantecaBMW]

actually, the whole suspension....Sach's kit, new center link, idler arm, tie rods, lower control arms, already replaced the uppers about 15k miles back. Should I loosen and retorque them when I'm done as well?

[Hypr5]

What is the best way to break the bolt free? This thing isn't coming off with PB and a torque wrench. Any ideas on how to make this a little easier?

edit:
The taller side is longer by the same amount even at full extension... this indicates that its not a bushing issue, now, doesn't it? I'm confused now.

[632 Regal]

What is the best way to break the bolt free? This thing isn't coming off with PB and a torque wrench. Any ideas on how to make this a little easier?

edit:
The taller side is longer by the same amount even at full extension... this indicates that its not a bushing issue, now, doesn't it? I'm confused now.

[Hypr5]

Part #s are the same and they both look identical. When both shocks were off the car and I tightened the top nuts, there are the same amount of threads showing so they have to be the same legnth.

[632 Regal]

Somethings going on there... Hopefully just something stupid your over looking

[Hypr5]

lol yeah. it's really frustrating, but now I've done the job twice and loosened / retorqued all of the suspension arms, parked the car so the higher side was pushed in more for extended periods of time, etc. I'm having ZERO luck here. I just want to go back to stock height and forget the whole project now!!
bah.

[525SEI BRIT]

I had a similar problem but only be a few mm and it just sorted its self out!

I no this might sound obvious but you have replaced the top mounts right?!

You wouldn’t be the first not to!

Hey guys,

I lowered my car using H&R springs and Bilstein shocks.
I did this on Friday and have driven about 160 miles on them. They appear to have lowered the car a small amount. The driver's side came down 1.5" and the passenger side came down .75" I double checked the work and both sides were assembled in the same exact way.

What could affect the height like this? The rears went together and are the same height, but not the front.

Thanks!

[632 Regal]

and my car only leans like I'm a fatass (without me in the car) I attribute mine to torquing by guess when I did my front suspension. I never bothered doing it the correct way, I guessed at the running position with weight and then torqued it cause you CAN'T tighten mine with it all together. Cross tube too close to floor boards.

If you are that far off then somethings retarded under there. The car DID NOT lean before you did this swaperama? I'm wondering about your anti swaybar in front, it has to be something embarassing wrong now. ummm....bent swaybar? was the car in any accidents? Does the swaybar have different length links on it? mann... wish I could spend 5 minutes looking at it for you man.

[MantecaBMW]

Loosen the bolt on the cross tube, unbolt the rear sway bar, spin the sway bar mounts out of the way, re-torque the cross tube and then torque the bushing pre-loaded. Then just reverse everything and ba-da-boom-ba-da-big your'e done.......A total pain in the ass, but that's the only way I could get a wrench on the back side of the bushing.