Mk4 Golf Suspension Problems. PLEASE HELP>>>>

[comfortablynumb]

I have a Mk4 Golf 1.8T and am having some issues with the suspension that no one seems to be able to help me with. The two heights of the left and the right front wheels, to the top of the arch are 20mm different the concequence of that is
when I go around a left hand bend the drivers side wheel hits the arch, I have been advised to do many things all of which have not cured the problem, I was told that my sub frame might be bent so I replaced that, never made any difference, then I was advised to change the top mounts, to be fair it made the ride better but never solved the problem, the shocks and springs are new, a jamex set. ( not the best I know but should still do the job), I have taken it to a garage who have manually checked the geomerty, non of the struts are bent and the car sits right when on a ramp. ( Don't understand really ) so they are now saying that the ONLY thing left that could be causing the problem is a weak spring(Even though it is new) I just seem to be chucking hundreds at the guesses of others.. Please advise if you can..... THANKS>

My wheels are 19' x8.5J and I know these are big wheels but the left hand side is ok, with no real issues so why is the right not the same, if both wheels were rubbing then i would say they were the problem, also there are many wheels of the same size advertised fore a mk4 golf... Thanks,

[waaarp]

Sounds like the springs are too blame, pull apart and check they're the same height and poundage.

[driver2008]

One side at the front of my mk4 dropped about 20mm after a bit broke off the top of the spring. (The bit was sitting in the cup supporting the base of the spring). More annoyingly, the broken sharp edge at the top of the spring was now digging its way into the underside of the body suspension housing, as the spring top was now bigger in diameter than it was originally, and didn't sit in the cup at the top of the strut. Why did the designers not foresee this problem? If the spring were constant diameter, rather than tapering to a smaller dia at the top, even if broken, it would still sit in the intended cup.

[Crasher]

The springs are pig tailed as part of a spring design system that reduces side loads on the damper and reduces friction so improving ride quality. This has been used since late1979 and has caused the same problem since then, the benefits outweigh the disadvantage of a spring breaking which is not a major issue.

[comfortablynumb]

Hi, thats sounds really bad... When you replaced the spring did it sort the problem out and, when you say the spring was digging into the suspension housing, did it leave any permanent damage.. I'm off to get the springs checked and replaced today... Lets hope it works.. Thanks Guys.
Will let you know how I get on.

[Crasher]

When the pig tail fractures off, the broken end digs into the body so we always reseal the damaged area with polyurethane sealant.

[comfortablynumb]

I managed to get the problem sorted, fitted new shocks and springs and it seems to be fine now, there is still a difference off 5mm roughly but the whole car is a good 15mm higher on both front wheels so the difference is no longer a problem.

I forgot to add in the original post, the shocks and springs were new, I purchased them off Ebay as a new set of STANDARD replacements, when they removed them this morning it would seem they are a lowering kit, as I run 19' alloys this was never going to work.
I guess the job at hand is to try and get some of the money back I spent trying to solve a problem that was never going to be solved as the shocks that were sold were not fit for the purpose. £580 in parts and labor I never needed. Thanks for the advise I got from this forum.