Just noticed that the passenger side rear wheel is sitting about 10-15mm lower than the drivers side. There had been 2 bags of soil sat in the boot next to the wheel arch, but would have thought that it would resolve itslef immediately. The bump test seems to be a pass, but I think it does feel a bit stiff when driving.
The car had an MOT and basic service 2 weeks ago so am wondering whether it should have been picked up then, or is it subtle enough that it was missed and has since developed in to something more.
I'm hopeful its currently only a minor problem due to the symptoms described, but wondering whether to take it back to the garage I got the service done or go elsewhere?
A duff shock won't normally change the ride height. That's governed by springs (and bushes to a certain extent)
10-15mm could easily be an acceptable variance. Is it on absolutely dead level ground, and have you moved it since you took the bags of sand out?
How old is the car?
Tbh I think you're worrying over nothing.
Grounds not dead level but I've moved the car on to the road and get the same variance. After taking the soil out the variation changed from 25mm difference to 10 / 15mm. I'll keep an eye out for more obvious indicators. Car is 7 years old.
Unless they're leaking or visibly damaged they will pass an MOT. Sounds more like a cracked spring to me though.
If one of the springs has broken , it may well be a different heights. It was when my Saab broke a spring...
It shouldn't have been picked up on an mot unless it had already failed, the basic service is totally irrelevant to this.
If a shock is noticeably leaking the tester may fail it or if it's a minor mist they may note it as an advisory, shocks can fail at any time. Testers haven't routinely bounce tested shocks for a fair while.
Your symptoms sound more like a broken spring but shocks can alter ride height.
Would a broken spring be pretty obvious when driving?
A broken spring would (should) have been picked up on the mot.
Cheers, although we'll never know if the spring had broken in the last 2 weeks or not. Strangely (or tellingly) i noticed some grass in the lower swingarm(?) on the affected side when I was having a look.
Would a broken spring be pretty obvious when driving?
Not necessarily, it's often the end couple of inches that snap off that sit in the support, so it just sits in a slightly different, lower position.
Springs almost always break at their ends, you can often do a bit of tarmac yoga to feel for this without jacking up. The missing bit is almost certainly long gone.
Broken springs may or may not be noticed in driving. I have replaced them on both my current and previous, old, BMWs and only as a result of getting highlighted on an mot.
I did the ones on the front of a friends Yaris, she noticed / heard one break at low speed and on inspection I found both sides were broken.
A broken spring will be shorter but because of this stiffer. It will sit lower but actually be firmer so harder to compress.
A broken spring would (should) have been picked up on the mot.
as with why it doesn't affect driving, I've had cars through MOTs with snapped springs before - nearly always the last little bit (just after it starts to lift from the cup) which is half-hidden by the cup anyway.
OP : measure the distance from the wheel arch to the tyre on each corner, on level ground. But its probably nothing
May have broken/happened since the MOT so wouldn't have been picked up.
People forget that the MOT is a test of the vehicle at that time and date and then complain if something happens after and want to blame the MOT tester when the issue has occurred after and it is just one of those of things.
For example if the tires are 1.6 mm on the day of the test they pass but I he next day you measure them and they are below and need replacing, that is not the fault of the MOT test just the joy of owning a car!
A broken spring would (should) have been picked up on the mot.
have you ever tried to look for a broken spring. even when you know its broken its often easy to miss.
Other times it jammed into your tyre mind .... but still easily missed.
I drove from Samoens to Leeds with a broken front spring on a Passat a few years ago, well 15. Christ time flies....
It was deffo a harsher ride, but other than that ok.
I've broken the front springs on my car - on different occasions, in the past year.
Both times no obvious issue when I parked it up, immediately very obvious upon starting out on its next trip that something was wrong. In one case I subsequenlty found the end of the spring on the drive. No idea where the end of the second one went though. About 1 to 1.5 (Vertical) inches of spring lost in both cases.
I have to go nearly full lock both ways to reverse park at home, so I guess that was the straw that broke the camels back.
A coil spring just broke on my car and it's got an MoT booked Saturday. Fortunately it's less than one turn at the end (broken bit removed I only looked due to rattling) and the ride height isn't altered visibly, so I might see if the tester even notices. I do have replacements on order. I've had them break before, cold snaps don't help, you set off and they break on the first bump. Last time it was 3/4 down the spring and nearly ripped the tyre - visibly lower when that happened.
What sort of car is it? May it have self levelling suspension?
have you ever tried to look for a broken spring. even when you know its broken its often easy to miss.
Yup, replaced one about 6 months ago as well. Was pretty well hidden. Picked up at the MOT though. Easier to see on the front though, for obvious reasons.
However, I still think that if it's really only 10/15mm, that's easily enough to be due to uneven ground or stuff in the car.
I've set suspension heights on adjustable shocks many, many times, and that sort of variation can easily be due to slopes/uneven ground, worn bushes, or just springs selling different amounts over time.
I'd suggest if the OP is concerned, then either pop both wheels off and shine a light in, or take it to a garage. There's often a profile on the spring seat that the end should be sat in. If it's not, or there's really obvious corrosion on the end of the spring, then it'll be obvious.
But a small ride height variation with no wierd clonks or creaks wouldn't even have me doing that must of the time.
I have never had a rear spring snap, but I have had three front springs snap over the years and they are very noticeable when you try to drive the car.
The last two just snapped over night on the my driveway.
The first one snapped when I was halfway over the old Forth Road Bridge. That was a bit of a squeaky bum moment!
Well for balance I've had rear broken springs pass mot.
Even when I presented them broke.
Top coil was broken off. Noticed it on the morning of the test - removed the broken bit and sailed the test
I was standing next to my car when a front spring failed. It was like a gunshot, with an echoing retort. I had no idea what had happened, and considered that a meteorite strike could have been plausible. As soon as I drove it, I knew.
However, I still think that if it’s really only 10/15mm, that’s easily enough to be due to uneven ground or stuff in the car.
I think by design the front of mine is 10mm different side to side.
I wouldn’t go back and kick off at the tester / garage - it was 2 weeks ago. Take it and ask them to have a look though if you’re not sure what you’re looking for.
Would a broken spring be pretty obvious when driving?
Before the Gnusmobile became the Gnusmobile it had a broken spring for a while. It did not feel at all odd, it was the noise which lead me to investigate and find it. TBF it wasn't the best handling car in the world when it was working...
Check tyre pressures.
Broken springs aren't always obvious no. It's often the last few cm that breaks off. It can sound just like you've hit a stone that's been flicked up. This happened to me on both sides several months apart and fussy as I am I didn't notice. It was partially masked by the fact the shocks had weeped a bit and changed their characteristics. The inner edge of the tyre then became sawtoothed, which I noticed first many thousands of miles later. And I'm pretty sure they went through an MOT as well. I had noticed that the wheel arch wasn't the same distance from the tyre all the way round, but it was one of those things where I wasn't sure if it had always been like that and I just hadn't noticed.
The broken end bit of springs is probably the most common piece of car that I see on the roadside when cycling. Once you start to recognise them they are everywhere.
I've had this before you just need to reset it by doing a big jump.
Couldn't get anyone to change broken spring at short notice so took car for MoT anyway, passed no advisories - it's only a cm or so lower on the broken side so hard to tell. Will get new springs fitted in the next couple of weeks.
