I've just noticed that my left rear suspension sags almost a half inch lower than my right rear.

I have to admit that I've sort of abused my car in the past. It's an 03 I4, 4 door.

I'm wondering if it could possibly be the spring? because I checked up there and didn't see any leaking, but I could be wrong. When sitting on a flat surface the car leans the left a BIT and in turns it seems to roll more when making right turns.

Other than that it seems to be behaving normally, It's not bottoming out (might be because ive been driving reeaally slowly and easily with it now) or bouncing around abnormally.

Stand about 20-50 feet behind the car parked on a flat surface and view the rear. Are the tires leaning inwards at the top at an excessive angle? Is one more inward than the other?

Site down each side one at a time, compare how the front tire looks in relation to the back. The fronts should appear more upright than the rear, but is one rear not the same as the other?

Have you measured from the ground to the same point on the wheel opening lip on each side to confirm the visual? Check tire pressure too.

The spring on the lower side could be broken, an oddity for sure at low mileage. Did you hit any huge craters? The shock won't cause a change in ride height, the gas pressure in them isn't enough to cause a difference in height, should one have blown out.

My '04 has always been about 1/4 to 1/2" lower on the right than left since new. And the ride height changes depending on fuel load. Full tank is 3/4" lower than empty. Mine has HFP suspension.

I stood back to look, and the left rear sort of does look a BIT like its leaning inward more than the right side. I'm not completely sure though because if it is..it's VERY subtle.

I measured the fender from the ground and from points on the rim and the left rear is about a 1/2" lower. I can't check my tire pressures because my 4" long tire guage won't fit in between my spokes....but they were just filled up at the shop so they should be fine.

I haven't hit any specifically large craters but the suspensions gone through a lot.

Whats HFP suspension?

If it's the spring then when I get my Tein springs installed the ride height should be the same again?

Why can't you check the tire pressure? The valve stems should be right on the outside, unless you have some really strange rims.

I hope you're not planning on putting stiffer springs on stock shocks, they will not be able to control the higher spring rate, and you'll end up with a car that hops all over the road. The Tein springs will lower the car, I don't think they make ones that keep the car at stock height.

HFP. is Honda Factory Performance, I have the full kit, which includes new shorter bodied shocks and different springs that lower the car. They come complete with all mounts, they just go right in.
The car does need rear camber kits to get the camber back to stock settings.

I'd be looking at that left rear spring for breakage, or it's just sagged more than the other side. The camber will be more negative if that side sits lower, so at this point I wouldn't too much worry about that.

I've heard that CUTTING the springs will make my car all bouncy, but I thought it wouldn't really do that with actual lowering springs.

my wheels make it impossible to stick my tire gauge in there, I'll need to buy a shorter one.
http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/2510/lowerednotintzg0.jpg
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41PKMMV8F6L._AA280_.jpg

The picture was very helpful, thanks. Your car already appears lowered, quite considerably too, in comparison to other 4 cylinder cars.

Cutting the springs or heating them is just a hack job. The car will still have the same spring rate (if they get cut) but will bottom all the time and if the car hits a bump where the wheels come off the ground the spring can, if cut short enough come out of the spring seat. Dangerous. Heating the springs takes the rate out of the spring and also loses the temper in the steel, which can cause the springs to break unexpectedly.

The stock shocks do not have the damping ability to contend with a stiffer spring. The car will hop and bounce all over the place.

If you want to put lowering springs that are stiffer, you need to go with a shock that has increased damping or adjustable damping, and preferably a shorter body.

If you can find lowering springs that have the same rate as stock, which is unlikely, they will bottom the shocks routinely (internal bottoming). That type of bottoming will quickly destroy the shocks.

haha.. yea that pictures photoshopped lowered. I was too embarassed to show my car unlowered and i didn't save the original..

so your basically saying. with my stock struts and Tein S Tech springs, my car will be real bouncy

Ok.

Does Tein give you a comparison of what their spring rates are in comparison to stock?

I'd say anything more than about 20% stiffer will result in a poorly controlled ride using the factory shocks with new springs. The stock shocks are reasonable in compression, but are weak in rebound.

The new springs will make it feel harsher on short upward bumps, but on longer frost heave type bumps the suspension will compress ok, but will wallow upward and then compress back down again. Similar to a pogo stick kind of motion.

Two shocks to use, if funds allow, are Koni (some models are adjustable for both compression and rebound) or Bilsteins, most models are not adjustable but Bilsteins are noted for having excellent rebound control.

There's nothing on the box, they just arrived today. I'll probably have them installed by Saturday, I'll report on how it rides..

thanks for the help

If its a problem with the strut should I be seeing some leakage? or could a problem with the strut be completely invisible. I'm worried because I'm taking my car in to install the lowering springs and if its a strut problem...my car could be...tooo low on that corner.

the strut doesnt support any weight, so it wont affect height. its just there to dampen the oscillations of the springs.

Just got the Tein S springs put on and it still sags. Is there any way one side can be pushed up? or is it for sure sag. It's for sure lower than the right rear side.