Author Topic: Leaning Polos  (Read 13246 times)

Offline Alex

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Leaning Polos
« on: April 16, 2008, 01:49:50 am »
Other than coilovers I mean.

The problem is, mine and many other Mk3 Polos seem to lean onto their offside rear wheel.

This makes the car sit an inch or so lower on that side. Even standard ones do it.

Mine's been lowered for years, and I've tried all sorts (including swapping the shocks over, and buying new springs) but to no avail.

Now what I think is happening is that the driver, engine and fuel tank are all on that side. Bad design, yes, but I can't believe that they left the showroom like that.

I've also had the car checked out, it's a straight shell and has only had one small rear end ding in its life.

Which means it isn't damage, something is wearing out, and then causing the car to lean.

But what?

Rear beam bushes?

Has anyone sorted this? It's pissing me off. I'm going to wind up buying coilovers to sort it, and to be honest that's just masking the problem.

Any ideas?

Offline Raw

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Re: Leaning Polos
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2008, 08:35:05 am »
[quote pid=899 author=Alex date=1208306990]Other than coilovers I mean.

The problem is, mine and many other Mk3 Polos seem to lean onto their offside rear wheel.

[/quote]


It's the same on my G40. When I first got the car the offisde rear spring had been set 1 notch lower than the nearside, so I evened them out and now the car sits lower on the nearside. I'm gonna have to compensate and put it back how it was.

You probably won't need colies, just some aftermarket suspension that has ajustable hight rear's (most do for the polo). That way you can do what I'll be doing and set them at diffent hights. I'm using KW suspension and the steps are about 15mm appart.

Offline Alex

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Re: Re: Leaning Polos
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2008, 02:00:35 pm »
Thing is, that's just covering it up, something must be wearing out and causing the dreaded lean.

But what is it?

Offline Raw

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Re: Re: Re: Leaning Polos
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2008, 05:13:21 pm »
[quote pid=914 author=Alex date=1208350835]Thing is, that's just covering it up, something must be wearing out and causing the dreaded lean.

But what is it?[/quote]

Only thing to do is measure the spring lengths. I suspect that the off-side has been perminantly compressed due to my fat ass. I'll check next time I've got the rear wheels off. Either that or the top mounts are different in some way?...

Offline SpikeyG40

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Leaning Polos
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2008, 05:35:41 pm »
Its something that has interested me also.   But my vento used to do it too!   Now i have coiles on that, it still seems to lean a little bit, even adjusting out the suspension the difference didn't seem to sort it.

Offline NeilG40

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Leaning Polos
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2008, 06:00:47 pm »
[quote pid=899 author=Alex date=1208306990]
Now what I think is happening is that the driver, engine and fuel tank are all on that side. Bad design, yes, but I can't believe that they left the showroom like that.
[/quote]

When you think about it your only talking about 500 cars (if were just limiting this to G40's) where everything is on the right side of the car, on all the others the driver is on the left.

Offline supercharged spaniel

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Leaning Polos
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2008, 07:46:10 pm »
mine doesnt do it, but i have noticed it on other polos.

Offline G-spot

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Leaning Polos
« Reply #7 on: April 16, 2008, 09:23:51 pm »
[quote pid=924 author=NeilG40 date=1208365247][quote pid=899 author=Alex date=1208306990]
Now what I think is happening is that the driver, engine and fuel tank are all on that side. Bad design, yes, but I can't believe that they left the showroom like that.
[/quote]

When you think about it your only talking about 500 cars (if were just limiting this to G40's) where everything is on the right side of the car, on all the others the driver is on the left.[/quote]


I remember talking to 'Duck' (those who remember him he's still got his crazy 1341Eaton), and he said that the original G40 left hand drive models had perfect wieght distrabution, and only on the right hand drive models this occurs.

Come on Duck share your knowledge...... ^_^

Offline NeilG40

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Leaning Polos
« Reply #8 on: April 16, 2008, 09:51:22 pm »
[quote pid=928 author=G-spot date=1208377431]

I remember talking to 'Duck' (those who remember him he's still got his crazy 1341Eaton), and he said that the original G40 left hand drive models had perfect wieght distrabution, and only on the right hand drive models this occurs.

Come on Duck share your knowledge...... ^_^[/quote]

He got it finished then, I always found his posts on the pitstop forum really interesting with what he'd got planned.

Offline Alex

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Leaning Polos
« Reply #9 on: April 17, 2008, 02:25:51 pm »
Mine leaned when it was a GT, and there's a Fox down the road from my parents house which does it too. So it's a Polo thing, not a G40 thing. I just don't think they'd have been allowed to leave the factory like that. There MUST be something which wears out, and it's likely to be down to the weight of everything on the right hand side.

Offline PeteG40

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Leaning Polos
« Reply #10 on: April 17, 2008, 02:37:18 pm »
the rear beams to bend you know sam's had 2 bent ones... could be that

Offline giorgio

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Leaning Polos
« Reply #11 on: April 17, 2008, 04:36:46 pm »
does anybody have figures for the length of a mk3 polo rear axel. I will measure the 2 spare ones I have at home to see.

Although if we can get a list of length then we will be able to see if they are bent or not

Offline Alex

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Leaning Polos
« Reply #12 on: April 17, 2008, 09:22:29 pm »
I've wondered if that might be the problem, how easily do they bend? And can they be bent back (obviously with some extra reinforcement)?

Most importantly though, how easy is it to check? It's not obviously bent anywhere. Where do they bend?

It's due new suspension soon (I fitted the Spax stuff currently on the car in September 2001!) so I'll check the rear beam then and probably fit new bushes while I'm at it. It does my bloody head in having the car leaning, but to the best of my knowledge it has always done it. :(

Offline giorgio

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Leaning Polos
« Reply #13 on: April 17, 2008, 09:47:48 pm »
the only way to really work things out is using a fixed reference from some point on the axel.

Just calculate the midpoint of the to of the axel and then measure to the edge of the 'arms'.

Although for this to work you would be assuming to top horizontal part is not the bent

Offline ereeiz

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Leaning Polos
« Reply #14 on: June 03, 2008, 02:36:09 pm »
Or just set the suspension as it should be then check the corner weights. I don't have access to any anymore (I don't think the current team I work for occasionally has any anyway) but I'm sure some ex G40 cup owners would know! Or ask someone like Beavis, if he still replies to people.?