Technical 4x4 ride height

[Kev70]

Alright. New to Pandas and am now proud owner of a 06 4x4. My first question is about ride height. Mines looks very high. So high the rear tyres at times rub on the lower arch What’s the factory ride height? Cheers

 

[Kev70]

Some photos

 

[koalar]

before I go and look it up and possibly get it wrong. If you have the owners manual the ground clearance is quoted in the back of the manual.

hard to tell in the photos but doesn't look far out. Daylight photo is going to help. The rear does alter quite a lot according to load. Main things to check are springs aren't broken. Both nearside and offside are the same. Correct tyre size

don't quote me but with a full tank of petrol, spare and tools. Ground to wheel arch around 685.5 mm. Its one of the 4x4 from around this era but no idea if they are all the same.

 

[Kev70]

Daylight pictures

 

[koalar]

As far as I can tell it looks about right or even higher when I compare to Fiats marketing photos

 

[Kev70]

Rear tyres shouldn’t rub arches though

 

[koalar]

Rear tyres shouldn’t rub arches though

correct


where it rubbing

 

[Kev70]

When turning they sometimes rub on end of sill/arch liner. Looking at photos of rear the tyres seem too close?

 

[chris3234]

When turning they sometimes rub on end of sill/arch liner. Looking at photos of rear the tyres seem too close?

The wheels don't look to be central in the wheel well


Perhaps it's just the photo however

 

[Kev70]

No your right. I reckon rear is too high but don’t want to rush in and buy new springs for it to make no difference. I think if it was a tad lower the wheel would centre better

 

[koalar]

No your right. I reckon rear is too high but don’t want to rush in and buy new springs for it to make no difference. I think if it was a tad lower the wheel would centre better

Whats it measure ground to top of the arch with a full tank of petrol . Posted measurement earlier

They ride a Good bit High with no fuel in them

 

[koalar]

ride height looks about right. There a bet of give and take. Its much lower when loaded

are they the correct tyres

175/65 R15 on a ET35 wheel were standard and 185 would just catch the wheel arch on standard wheels

 

[DaveMcT]

Yours does look high but what do I know I don't have a 4x4. Pick up the phone and talk to Shop-4-Parts. They will tell you the different spring lengths and wire diameters for the various models. If you decide to replace yours their prices are good.

 

[koalar]

if you bounce up and down in the boot does it rub

if you jack the car up at rear, Does the other side that compresses rub

 

[vexorg]

It's either been cut and shut, or the rear subframe is in the wrong place.

 

[koalar]

It's either been cut and shut, or the rear subframe is in the wrong place.

Might be a bit premature

I would investigate things like the pivot pins for play

They are alway offset to the front with an empty fuel tank to allow for the wheels to pivot backwards as it loads up


IT’s always hard from photos as a slight change in angle of shot make it look completely different

 

[koalar]

this is a fairly new car

 

[vexorg]

IT’s always hard from photos as a slight change in angle of shot make it look completely different

Definitely, but if the tyre is rubbing the body then it's more than a photo angle.

 

[koalar]

Definitely, but if the tyre is rubbing the body then it's more than a photo angle.

unfortunately without some feedback we might never get to bottom of it

hopefully its just something simple like 185 tyres which do rub slightly instead of 175 or the spring not seated properly

the fact it only rubs when cornering would make me suspect its play somewhere

I have given the ride height and the tyre sizes but until we know if these are correct there's not much point in moving onto the pivot pins and wheel bearing etc.

we don't even know exactly where it rubbing

 

[DaveMcT]

My 100HP rubs at the back when four people are in the car. It did it with the old stiff springs as well as the softer ones I fitted. The inner side of the wheel rubs on the inner wheel arch. Its nothing serious and has never caused damage but would be annoying if the car was regularly loaded up.

This is what I say these 100HP spec wheels are the widest you should fit. Anything wider cannot grow inwards. They will have less ET leading to steering issues. Example, resonance wobble at around 40mph happens when there is too much tyre contact outboard on the steering geometry road contact point.