LSWONWS6

I test drove a 2000 ws6 and noticed a couple things that concerned me. The passenger side rear and front wheel especially the front wheel, were lower than the drivers side wheels.

Another thing was on the passenger side, the wheel was in the wheel well a little more than the drivers side. The drivers side stuck out like 1 inch looking at it from the front of the car and the passenger side didnt. The tires were evenly, everything drove straight, no vibrations.

The car has a salvage title from being crashed with only 7800 miles on it somewhere in the rear. The guy said he bought it with 78,000 miles and it now has 90,000. He said about 2 years ago, he got in a fender bender and it got hit on the front passenger side. The replaced the right fender, front bumper and fixed the hood.

Could this be from the collisions? What can i do to fix this? he's been driving it for 3 years no problems. Could this cause a problem in the future?

Here are some pictures. Notice how the passenger side is lower and the driver side sits higher especially the rear. I thought that might of been the way it was parked but on level ground its pretty much the same.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/90661561@N08/11902007254/http://www.flickr.com/photos/90661561@N08/11902007254/]20131230_134722[/url, on Flickr


http://www.flickr.com/photos/90661561@N08/11902440826/http://www.flickr.com/photos/90661561@N08/11902440826/]20131230_134650[/url, on Flickr

Burken01

iTrader: (88)

Check the lower a arms to see if they are misaligned, they might need adjusting.

If it drives straight then something is bent and the alignment shop compensated for the "problem" and worked around it.

Make sure both springs are the same brand, there's a reason one side sits higher, if you look hard enough you can find it.. Also check both front tires to see if they are the same size..

Daniel Richards

iTrader: (1)

Can you please redo the pictures on flat level pavement? when your in the dirt like that you can't trust anything your eyes see.

these cars a fairly well known to sit slightly lower on one side vs the other, usually about a 1/2" difference from one side to the other. there are MANY things to check suspension wise but we need to see it on level ground first. if it's been wrecked in the rear you could check and see if both rubber spring isolators are in place on the back. sway bar endlinks and bushings and several other things including but not limited to sagging springs could be causing some of this but we really need the flat level pavement shots to see true sag.

LSWONWS6

Yeah i was thinking on checking the a arms.
Maybe they used a different spring or something. Idk..ill have to look next time. Haha yes, I checked the tires, both 275.

Ill do them next time i go back. The car itself it quite a bit aways from where i live. But thats really actually how the car sits. The passenger side wheels when on even ground, it probably went up like 1/2 in. But there was still a big difference. On the drivers side, the wheel gap in the rear wheel looked way to big. Pretty much the same as it is in the picture. On the passenger side, it looked like a normal suspension f body.

Idk if this is something either but when we were test driving it, I could hear what sounded like i guess a bunch of empty soda cans hitting each other, is the best way i can describe the sound. It was coming from the rear on the passenger side. I could only hear it occasionally, when coming to a stop and about to turn. And no, there wasnt any cans in the back lol

Daniel Richards

iTrader: (1)

that sound could very well indicate a missing spring isolator in the rear (metal on metal rattle) but I was under the impression it would be all the time (i've never run without something there), if an isolator was missing on one side of the rear it could cause that side to sit like 3/4" (i think) lower then the other side, that combined with normal (up to 1/2") lean could account for the height difference, but I would also check the sway bar endlinks, they can clunk if the bushings are totally shot. that "soda can" rattle could also be a bad catalytic converter.

would you mind if we ask how much they are asking for this car? with its history I hope it's not to much, anything over 7k I would walk and wait for something with a cleaner history.

LSWONWS6

Yeah that makes sense! Ill have to check that.. and he's wanting exactly 7k. I mean besides the things im talking about, its a good car. Engine and trans were all good, no weird shifting from the 4l60e. Interior is mint. So thats why Im wondering if this is a problem.

ss performance

iTrader: (17)

I would stay away from a car with a salvage title. I would also stay away from a car that has all the problems you describe. Combine the two and I would run away very quickly.

Daniel Richards

iTrader: (1)

I would be cautious and thoroughly examine the car but I wouldn't straight up run. I used to be like this, but then one day my budget could only afford me a car with a similar history, fortunately I had a full parts car (the one I wrecked) to get the few things the car needed, I have since sold that car and moved into my f-body.

that said 7k is definitely on the top end of a vehicle with this history, worst case scenario you could part it out and make 5k on the parts so I would try to get him down on the price, but not before I go over it with a "fine toothed comb" so I could determine if it was worth the effort.

LSWONWS6

Yeah I'm kind of on a limited budget. Next time I go look at it again, I'll take it to a shop and have them put it on a lift. The owner was actually saying if we want, take it to a shop... so i don't think he's hiding something.

ss performance

iTrader: (17)

What one person may accept as perfectly fine and safe to drive another might not.

I think anything over about $4500 would be to much.

Remember when a car is wrecked iit can be fixed but the damaged area is never as strong. If you are in an accident that previously damaged area will collapse much easier.