Rear Shock / Strut Issue

[Ghostface88]

my car sitslower in the back than the front, and like i stated in my other thread, the back tires rub the wheel well over large bumps / when i take quick turns. i do have 17s on the car now as opposed to the factory wheels, but i know something has got to be wrong in the back, because the fronts never have any issues and the back sits lower... any advice / help is appreciated

[ehall]

either tell us your year and model or put it in your user profile so we can see it

[Ghostface88]

Originally Posted by ehall

either tell us your year and model or put it in your user profile so we can see it

sorry man, its a 93 sedan deville, here is a picture

[submariner409]

Same as his other thread.

[bburt]

Without more information, I'll suggest that your rear shocks are going out. The leveler system depends on the shocks having enough power without it being depended on totally. Have them checked first. While that's being done, other components can be checked as well. If it is the shocks, their cost to replace isn't cheap, but on an older model, not as bad as on newer ones. Also, there are alternatives available, but they require modification of the air line to attach, due to different threads on the pieces; Gabriel, Monroe, and others have air adjustable units that will work, but dealers might not want to mess with because they don't sell many of them.

[ehall]

That car looks like it has an even stance to me. Based on that I'd guess that you are sagging because of the shocks. One thing to keep in mind is that the air suspension is subject to rapid changes in temperature. Just as your tires lose pressure whenever the temperature drops, so does the air suspension. The opposite is also true, and you will get more lift out of your air suspension when the temperature warms up too. So if you are seeing drop on cold mornings, it's not a big deal.

Another factor with older cars in particular is that the springs get compressed from use. These cars have massive springs up front, but fairly small springs in the rear, and if the trunk has a lot of stuff in it then the rear springs will compress down over time. It's unlikely on your vintage but it happens, especially if you have tools and guitar amps and bowling balls back there.

Rubbing could be because of oversized tires hitting against the body behind the door panels. There is only like an inch of space there normally and if you unload the suspension (fully extended) the center of the tire will want to rub against the body. You can check for this by finding uneven terrain and getting one of the rear tires to fully unload and see if it's rubbing.

If the rubbing only happens on full compression then I'd suspect the shocks again.

Does the "car levelling" light seem to work correctly? It should come on briefly when the car is first started, and then only activate infrequently after that.

Pretty car btw.

[Ghostface88]

well i think my mechanic isolated the problem... the outer lip of the rear wheel well pokes in more, which is where the tire is rubbing. i am going to my body shop on monday to get an estimate on how much it will cost to have this part altered. thanks for the help guys

[Ghostface88]

turns out it was the bolt in the center of the chrome piece above the rear wheels... i got it trimmed down and viola!!! no rubbing!