Ground clearence difference of 2014 bev i3

[bmwi3bora]

Hi All,
I own 2014 my i3 bev. I noticed that the rear left of the car is lower then the rear right about 2 cm. Does anybody notice this kind of thing?
I made the measurement from the lower edge of the rim to top point of wheel arch and left is 67,5 cm. The right side is 69,5 cm. Does any body have any idea? Thanks.

 

[jadnashuanh]

Make sure that the tires are properly inflated and recheck. Also make sure that you don't have any stuff in the vehicle that could weigh down one side.

BMW shop that has been certified to do collision repair on the i3 will have a diagram that shows the 'static' chassis height values...you'd need to compare yours to that chart.

If it is off, you may have a damaged spring. Does the car make any noises when you drive, especially if you go over a bump? Note, the BEV and REx use different springs and shocks, so if either has been replaced for some reason, they may not have used the proper part(s). The REx is a bit over 300# heavier, and uses stiffer springs to achieve the same ride height and clearances.

 

[bmwi3bora]

Hello Jim, thanks for your answer.
As I wrote, I made the measurement starting from the lowest point of the rims, not from the ground. So the tire pressure mustn’t be an issue.
There is no noise from the shocks or springs.
Trunk is empty. Everything seems normal.
Today I will visit the service for fast charging and there is a test drive vehicle over there which is brand new i3s.
I will check that car’s clearence and let you know. Thanks.

 

[JohnKelly]

Your suspension may have settled with one side slightly lower than the other. If you are on level ground, bounce the car up and down on the suspension and then re-measure. I bet it changes each time you do this... nothing to worry about, in my opinion.

 

[EVMan]

Your i3 may have been a Rex , with the Rex removed Lol
My Rex eats up that back right tire , much more than others. Not sure if Bev has that behavior too.

 

[bmwi3bora]

Hi All,
Today I visited the dealer/service for quick charging. They have an 2018 my i3s Bev as test drive car. I measured it and it has exactly the same issue. I believe this supposed to be the characteristic of the car. Do you mind measuring your cars? But you shouldn’t measure the distance from the ground! Service staff says it must be measured from the lower edge of the rim till the wheel arch top point.
Thnaks

 

[bmwi3bora]

Hi EVman,
Bev’s do not have that right tire wear behaviour but have both rear tires do. While writing this reply to you something came to my mind. May be the left side of the bev’s closer to the geound because electric motor is located on left side. Our right side is totally empty!

 

[alohart]

May be the left side of the bev’s closer to the geound because electric motor is located on left side. Our right side is totally empty!

Not only that, but on average, the weight of passengers is greater on the left side of left hand drive i3's because a driver is always present. With the REx system in place, the weight supported by the rear tires is likely more equal. For a BEV, it's too bad the electronic modules on top of the drive motor and the A/C compressor aren't installed where the REx system would be which would even the weight distribution a bit and would have allowed the cargo floor to be lower.

 

[EVMan]

I believe , the Rex is opposite and heavy on the rex or right side. Its not balanced
Even with me the driver and my kid and car seat on the left side, its the right tire which was significantly more worn out all over and specially from inside.. Much more than left one. So both the cars are opposite in wight distribution.

Should the BEV not have more wear on the left side tire ?