not level
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Joined: Feb 2008
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not level
I just got my car back from the body shop.It was a "body off" procedure and when I started looking it over, one side looked higher than the other.I took my tape and measured from the top of each wheel well opening to the garage floor.The driver's side is one inch lower than the passenger's side!(front and back.)
Anyone have any helpful comments or suggestions for getting her back to level?
Anyone have any helpful comments or suggestions for getting her back to level?
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 18,225
From: Edmond, OK
Tell the shop owner it isn't level and tell him it needs to be fixed. Apparently he did something to mess it up if it wasn't that way before.
FWIW, I've heard that the late 60s to early 70s A bodies had problems with body lean. I believe it is caused by replacing suspension components and not installing new rubber spring insulators.
FWIW, I've heard that the late 60s to early 70s A bodies had problems with body lean. I believe it is caused by replacing suspension components and not installing new rubber spring insulators.
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Unfortunately I have just spent the last year trying to get said owner to do the work he was PAID to do.One lawyer and $5000. later I had to throw in the towel.My brother and I did the chassis, replaced all control arm bushings, ball joints etc.Coil springs front and rear were cleaned painted and replaced as were the shocks(new.)Perhaps she wasn't exactly level to start with, although I never noticed it or measured her up. Thanks for the reply.
Tilt
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 4,430
From: Northeast Ohio
Other than the other ideas I wonder if he tightened up the suspension bushings in the air/without the full body weight on them? They can and will bind and hold the car up, it's in the book and makes sense.
Maybe the gorilla tightened one side too much?, they do have torque specs. I wonder if you could loosen all the suspension bushing bolts with the car sitting on level ground and then tighten them back up if that was the problem? Maybe bounce the car around when they're loose to relieve any tension then tighten them up to the correct torque specs?
You have to be skinny to get to those top rear ones without a pit or drive-on lift.
Front springs reversed? they are different to compensate for side to side weight differences depending on options.
Maybe the gorilla tightened one side too much?, they do have torque specs. I wonder if you could loosen all the suspension bushing bolts with the car sitting on level ground and then tighten them back up if that was the problem? Maybe bounce the car around when they're loose to relieve any tension then tighten them up to the correct torque specs?
You have to be skinny to get to those top rear ones without a pit or drive-on lift.
Front springs reversed? they are different to compensate for side to side weight differences depending on options.
Last edited by Bluevista; Sep 11, 2009 at 06:35 AM.
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 697
Front springs reversed? Gawd I hope not...but they could be.I don't know, but I doubt that W31 front springs were different from one side to the other as there is no air just a 30lb. battery on drivers side.(not installed yet.) I'll check the control arm bushings but I doubt the lazy pr**k would have touched them. Any more theories are welcome and thnks for the input!
PS
body mounts were installed.
PS
body mounts were installed.
Last edited by Bunser; Sep 11, 2009 at 08:52 AM. Reason: forgot body mounts comment.
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 399
From: Swansea, MA
Other than the other ideas I wonder if he tightened up the suspension bushings in the air/without the full body weight on them? They can and will bind and hold the car up, it's in the book and makes sense.
Maybe the gorilla tightened one side too much?, they do have torque specs. I wonder if you could loosen all the suspension bushing bolts with the car sitting on level ground and then tighten them back up if that was the problem? Maybe bounce the car around when they're loose to relieve any tension then tighten them up to the correct torque specs?
You have to be skinny to get to those top rear ones without a pit or drive-on lift.
Front springs reversed? they are different to compensate for side to side weight differences depending on options.
Maybe the gorilla tightened one side too much?, they do have torque specs. I wonder if you could loosen all the suspension bushing bolts with the car sitting on level ground and then tighten them back up if that was the problem? Maybe bounce the car around when they're loose to relieve any tension then tighten them up to the correct torque specs?
You have to be skinny to get to those top rear ones without a pit or drive-on lift.
Front springs reversed? they are different to compensate for side to side weight differences depending on options.
That's what I was thinking too with the weight of the car on the ground when torqueing the bushing hardware. I did that once and had to redo the A arms to get it to sit right.
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