Help: Rear height too high after shock/spring install

[Tom.]

Maybe it's just the iX flares on the iX cars that make the ride height look the same as the RWD E30?
idk

[Liquidity]

Did you do trailing arm bushings while you were back there? You can't tighten any of that stuff down with the car in the air. The suspension has to be at ride height or else the rubber bushings act as springs and hold your car higher.

Also - it doesn't matter that the length of the springs are the same when they're out of the car. The spring RATE is what matters.

[Zeshin]

Did you do trailing arm bushings while you were back there? You can't tighten any of that stuff down with the car in the air. The suspension has to be at ride height or else the rubber bushings act as springs and hold your car higher.

Also - it doesn't matter that the length of the springs are the same when they're out of the car. The spring RATE is what matters.

Good point with the trailing arm bushings. However, I did not replace them this time around.

I realize that the spring rate has an affect on the ride height, however the "ix" springs are only 40 lbs/in stiffer than the "is" springs, so there really shouldn't be such a massive difference as there is with my car. My car is running rather extreme positive camber at this height.

As I mentioned before, the 318is rally cup guys in Europe run the "ix" stock springs on their cars and they are not anywhere near as high in the rear as my car currently sits. The 318is is also lighter than the 325i.

I'm going to remove the lower spring pads just to check if they are causing some sort of binding that is preventing the spring from fully seating on the perch. They are currently pinched like I showed in the photo.

[jeffnhiscars]

There is no way the spring pads can cause the car to sit that high unless you stack 10 of them in there. Yes there is a bit of pad that is not seated quite right but that is not the issue.

Whether you replaced the TA bushings or not, if you ltightened the bolts that holds them to the subframe with the car in the air, that could be causing them to bind so loosen them with the cars weight on the springs and see if the car settles.

I'll say again, if the weight difference between an IS and IX is 200lbs, most of that will be transfer case and front axles so the difference on the rear springs is minor and is not going to cause what looks like a 3 in lift.

Did you confirm the shocks are moving freely and are not valved for a semi ?

[Liquidity]

I'm starting to think you have springs for an E46 325ix. Those things do look a bit too minty fresh to be 25 years old.