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      02-24-2017, 10:27 AM   #1
igzekyativ
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e91 XI Airlift Drop Question - Drivers vs Passengers side height

So I installed the airlift kit and lowered the front almost all the way down (about 3-4 threads showing on each side).

Any idea why the drivers side is higher than the passenger side? I think I've read that this is due to bmw accounting for the weight of the driver, but with a whole new suspension, why would this happen?

Here is the car aired out....

Drivers
Front



Passengers
Front
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Last edited by igzekyativ; 02-24-2017 at 02:11 PM..
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      02-24-2017, 12:59 PM   #2
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photos of your install might help. Are you sure you seated the lower mount fully into the knuckle on that side?
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      02-24-2017, 01:07 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChazCulver View Post
photos of your install might help. Are you sure you seated the lower mount fully into the knuckle on that side?
yea the front strut is fully seated up to the tab on the strut. Also same amount of threads showing on both struts.

I will post some more photos tonight or tomorrow morning

some images at the bottom of my post here - http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1356967
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      02-24-2017, 02:09 PM   #4
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I just went out and looked at my car again. It is not just the front. Both front and rear passenger side suspension is lower than the drivers side.
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      02-24-2017, 07:25 PM   #5
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Well I can tell you one thing, the lower mounts that Airlift have designed are WAY taller than the mounts Swoops designed for me, and a few other XI guys on here. Which is probably 1 of the reasons you're sitting so high when air'd out. Although it looks like you have some more threads that can be threaded down into the knuckle. I can't be sure without seeing how close it sits to the axle boot up front.

The only thing I can think of related to your one side versus other height difference at this point would be if you're truly on level ground.

If you accidentally flipped the rear toe arm on the passenger rear, that might be holding you up, as it will come into contact with the body when you air out. Otherwise I'm not quite sure.

With my Swoops Lower Mounts (Pre-Airlift Design) i left threads to spare and was just about fender to lip on 18x9.5. Easily could have tucked hard without a wild stretch.
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      02-25-2017, 04:58 PM   #6
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ok, so i just checked it all out.

here are some pictures of the drivers side front:
Ride height (I do get a lot of rubbing when at full lock, rim/tire on sway bar)



the rest are when the suspension is hanging



Then i got to the front passenger side... somehow, the nut for the endlink to the swaybar came off. So presume that is why the front pass side is lower. I need to get a new nut.




As for the rear, is it possible the orientation of the washers is causing the discrepancy? Notice how the orientation of the nuts/washers are different.

Here you can see the drivers side


Here you can see the passenger side



Here is an image if found online of the stock orientation. Notice how this matches the drivers side. It seems that I need to adjust the passenger side.
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      02-25-2017, 07:26 PM   #7
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I think you found the issue with the Front 100%

As for the rear. Those oblong washers are designed to sit in those slots, and when you rotate them it adjusts the caster and toe. If the car has been aligned, then leave them. If not, they'll be loosened and re-torqued when the alignment is complete.

The Round bar in the rear that you replace with the airlift kit is the Toe Arm. It has a specific direction that it need to be installed, and if not it could hit the bag, or it could hit the body. Check your instructions booklet, (if you dont have it, they have PDF's on their website) . Check the photos and see if it matches how yours are installed. Also check the toe arms for marking from hitting the body.

Make sure everything is tight in the rear as well. However, that sway bar hang up could be the only issue. If you can't find anything out of wack in the back. Just fit the sway bar, go to a good level parking lot, and lay it out.
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      02-27-2017, 09:35 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChazCulver View Post
I think you found the issue with the Front 100%

As for the rear. Those oblong washers are designed to sit in those slots, and when you rotate them it adjusts the caster and toe. If the car has been aligned, then leave them. If not, they'll be loosened and re-torqued when the alignment is complete.

The Round bar in the rear that you replace with the airlift kit is the Toe Arm. It has a specific direction that it need to be installed, and if not it could hit the bag, or it could hit the body. Check your instructions booklet, (if you dont have it, they have PDF's on their website) . Check the photos and see if it matches how yours are installed. Also check the toe arms for marking from hitting the body.

Make sure everything is tight in the rear as well. However, that sway bar hang up could be the only issue. If you can't find anything out of wack in the back. Just fit the sway bar, go to a good level parking lot, and lay it out.

So after putting a new nut on the end link, the car is sitting even front and back.

The front is still perched up high compared the rear that can tuck quite well. I wish I could tuck the front. I loved how it looked with the sway bar disconnected...

Have not done an alignment yet, wanted to lock in the new ride height first. Understand those washers are for adjusting toe and caster. I'll leave them as is, presuming they will get adjusted during the alignment.

I have the toe bar installed correctly. bend is towards the rear and down towards the ground.

Thanks!
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      02-27-2017, 04:15 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by igzekyativ View Post
So after putting a new nut on the end link, the car is sitting even front and back.

The front is still perched up high compared the rear that can tuck quite well. I wish I could tuck the front. I loved how it looked with the sway bar disconnected...

Have not done an alignment yet, wanted to lock in the new ride height first. Understand those washers are for adjusting toe and caster. I'll leave them as is, presuming they will get adjusted during the alignment.

I have the toe bar installed correctly. bend is towards the rear and down towards the ground.

Thanks!

Glad you got it figured out!
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      02-28-2017, 06:56 AM   #10
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Airlift kit always seemed to have a problem going properly low on the front from what I've seen, not sure how people get around it but is it the ARB (Sway) bar holding it up? If you unbolt it both sides does it sit lower?
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      02-28-2017, 09:36 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Digitalize View Post
Airlift kit always seemed to have a problem going properly low on the front from what I've seen, not sure how people get around it but is it the ARB (Sway) bar holding it up? If you unbolt it both sides does it sit lower?
I would love to know how people get around it.

It does seem that the sway bar is keeping the car up, because when my passenger side disconnected, it sat lower.
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