I bought this 69 Cutlass S a week ago and it looks like it has a slight lean to the driver side. Can anyone see it in my pictures and tell me what may be causing it? Thanks

 

Previous owner was obese?

 

Not that I know of, it does pull a little to the left when you get on the brakes. Maybe they were obese and left handed

 

I can't see it in the picture, but if they're the original springs I'd suspect one is a little softer than the otherside.

I've owned a couple cars where the springs on the drivers seat sag... I kinda blamed that on a previous owner who may have been extra large in size.

 

Those pictures don't show it...we need one dead on centre and level to see the lean...nice Cutlass BTW

 

Gorgeous car.

 

Check the shocks make sure they are not damaged had a shock on my rear end of my 72 that was fully extended on one side and the entire back of the car leaned. Replaced both rear springs be for i found the cause.

 

I hate to tell you this... but you are talking about the infamous GM LEAN.

Almost every GM car from the 60's does this to some extent. Some are worse than others.

I've beat my head against the wall with previous vehicles trying to fix it... Replacing the springs and shocks doesn't usually fix it... Replacing the body mounts doesn't always fix it.

I'm to the point now where i just accept its gonna be there on all these cars.

In the last 10 years i've owned:
1969 elcamino (a-body) (no lean on this one)
1969 camaro (f-body) (leaned, replaced rear leafs & shocks, still leaned)
1970 elcamino (a-body) (replaced front & rear springs, shocks, bushings, still leaned)
1968 olds delmont 88 (b-body) (very very slight lean... almost not noticeable)
1970 olds cutlass S (leaned bad... Replaced rear springs and shocks, helped a tiny bit)
1968 elcamino SS (leaned bad... replaced all suspension, all bodymounts- had the frame on a frame rack and pulled out- put it all back together- STILL leaned bad!!!)
1966 cutlass - Minor lean

And... A friend of mine also has a 1966 442- and guess what, it leans, and my neighbor has a 66 chevell- it leans too!

So i don't know where i was going with this reply... other than to maybe tell you to just accept it, and don't worry about it, you'll go broke & nuts trying to fix it.

 

Next time we have it out I will take some straight on pictures. It isn't severe just noticeable to us. Thanks for the compliments, we like it too.

 

hey guys i have a 68 cutlass...same thing... an exact 1" lean to the drivers side front to back, i wasnt sure what it was for a long time, i totally redid the rear end, springs, struts, stablizers, still leaned, after much research on the net n just talking to car guys "thats just they way they are" or the "GM Lean" and coming across yankeesfan's post confirms it for me!

 

sorry Rambow^

 

Have you tried measuring?

 

Although this a very old thread. The lean can be corrected with some creativity once you isolate which corner is causing it.

 

I had a 71 cutlass years ago that had a lean. The only way it could be seen was straight on from the rear of the car. I replaced everything, but never really cured the problem completely.

 

You can put a spacer under the offending spring, like I said you first have to figure out which one.

 

after going to my 68 cutlass and remeasuring, tires all properly inflated rear end totally redone as previously stated the lean seems to have reduced to about 3/8 of an inch IF THAT, so when the weather warms a bit more im going to do the front springs and maybe she will be cured, ill keep you posted if anyone cares! LOL

 

I tripped over this thread and wanted to add my 2 cents ...I too have a leaner. My 1969 cutlass 2 dr sedan still has a slight droop to the drivers side ? Makes me angry since I installed all new everything !!! (every bushing, joint spring and shock ) I actually was contemplating the rubber shim under the spring to make it optically level or separating my air shocks to force one side up. (sad since I have NOS delcos)

great now I'm in a club