MG Car Repair: Rear Suspension, shock absorber, shock absorbers

Question
Hi Barrie,
Does the shock absorber (the rear specifically) provide ANY lift?  I ask, because the rear driver side rides about an inch or two lower than the passenger side.  Not sure if it's the rear spring, because after I let the car down from jacking it up, it holds even with the passenger side, but by the next day it's down again.


Thanks
Joe

Answer
Hi Joe

No, Armstrong lever arm shock absorbers do not provide any lift.  When you jack one side of the car up, the spring leaves slide against one another and temporarily hold that side up until they settle down again.  

The real problem is that you probably drive the car most of the time without a passenger.  After a few years your weight will cause the rear spring on the driver's side to settle.  The simplest way to fix the problem is to remove both springs and swap them over.