Unequal Rear Suspension Settings?

Kearton · 28th March 2024, 10:06

(ZT-T)
I recently thought that my left-hand rear spring might have broken as the wheel seemed to be sitting closer to the wing than on the other side. The springs aren't that old, but one of them had had to be replaced after only 10,000 miles (a presumed manufacturing flaw), so I thought that the other side might now have gone.

I drove it to my garage cautiously to be checked. I was pleased when they reported that both springs were fine, and in fact in very good condition. The culprit had been low tyre pressures - way lower than I'd expected. (I hadn't used it much since Xmas, so the monthly checks had been missed.)

I asked about the apparent difference in wing clearance between left and right sides, which I didn't think could have been caused by low tyre pressures alone. They said that BMWs - with which they were more familiar - have their rear suspensions set slightly lower on one side to offset the weight of the driver, in order to improve handling. Since MGR used a variation of the BMW rear suspension, the garage thought that they might have done that too.

Has anyone else heard of this and/or know whether that is the case?

28th March 2024, 10:06	#1
Kearton Gets stuck in MG ZT-T CDTi Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Sunny Suffolk Posts: 620 Thanks: 1 Thanked 16 Times in 13 Posts	Unequal Rear Suspension Settings? (ZT-T) I recently thought that my left-hand rear spring might have broken as the wheel seemed to be sitting closer to the wing than on the other side. The springs aren't that old, but one of them had had to be replaced after only 10,000 miles (a presumed manufacturing flaw), so I thought that the other side might now have gone. I drove it to my garage cautiously to be checked. I was pleased when they reported that both springs were fine, and in fact in very good condition. The culprit had been low tyre pressures - way lower than I'd expected. (I hadn't used it much since Xmas, so the monthly checks had been missed.) I asked about the apparent difference in wing clearance between left and right sides, which I didn't think could have been caused by low tyre pressures alone. They said that BMWs - with which they were more familiar - have their rear suspensions set slightly lower on one side to offset the weight of the driver, in order to improve handling. Since MGR used a variation of the BMW rear suspension, the garage thought that they might have done that too. Has anyone else heard of this and/or know whether that is the case?