... in my best 'Schofield Kid' voice.

Anyhoo, I was looking at my frame/rear end again earlier... and the pass. side sits up about 1" higher than the other. I loosened the ctl arm bolts, removed the shocks, removed the coil springs... and still the same.

So I jack up the rear end a bit on the drivers side, then lowered it... and the rear end levels out. It seems like the lower arm mount might be the cause b/c I had to use a hammer to tap the ctl arm in place. Bit of resistance pressing against the bushing/inner sleeve. Whether that in itself is an issue, don't know. However... I then pull out the level and the frame still sits about 1" too high. So it seems the tight bushing issue above is independent of the overall issue.

What could be the cause? Twisted frame at the rear? I don't really want to remove the whole rear end to eliminate the chance it actually might be part (if not) the entire cause.

I am 'assuming' that once full weight is on the frame that it will all level out. Anyone else experienced this? Picture to follow.

 

Mine has a slight list like that even after replacing shocks, coils, lower control arms, torquing with car on ground...
It is possible the upper control arms could be a cause, as I cannot get to them to replace em and see if that fixes it. One side could be torn, the other not.

I am curious to see what others have to say...

 

Interesting.

First I thought... ok, the garage floor is not level... then... perhaps one axle stand is simply sitting higher than the other. But that does not seem to be the case.

 

ok, the rear end might be slightly exaggerated and not perfectly level... but you get the idea.

 

Stuff a bigger spring in the driver's side.

 

Or...just tilt your head to one side when you look at it . I can't believe it is off that much. I am trying to remember how mine was when I did the resto. I can see it being off a bit, but that is more than just a bit.

 

A padded couch for a work seat. Damn you are old! I thought I looked funny in knee pads working on a car but that seat is killer. WTG Oldzy.

 

It is just a coincidence the leather chair is there. It was from the work office, and was about to be scrapped. I have no place to put it at present, so I move it around in the garage wherever there is any kind of free space.

 

I need to do some more measuring. I want to eliminate the floor itself being not quite level, possibly the front end sitting up high on one side as well, etc.

When I look at the below pic, it almost seems fine... and perhaps the front pass side is up a bit as well which may be the cause.

 

He's got the back seat in backwards.

 

Did you torque the front control bolts yet, if so loosen them up and take another "level", they should be left loose until you put the body on and engine in..

 

Yes, the front ctl arm bolts are all torqued. I am using all poly bushings up front though.

 

Some more pics. I really need to shim and level the axle stands to do this properly I thinking. Actually... anyone know of a way to suspend the frame in mid air? Use the force? That might make measurements easier. What I need is 4 super duper axle stands with increment shimming, that are all level with 'each other'.










Front of frame


Rear of frame

 

With a 3 foot level, a blob of paint could throw it off that much. I might make a water level out of sum clear plastic hose, fill it almost full of water, tape each end to the frame and see where the water at both ends rises up to,

 

it looks like you have your jack stands under the frame and not under the suspension,if so then the bushings should have no effect except for the weight of it hanging from the frame,why not move the stands out side of frame,place a sturdy 4x4 on the stands,level the 4x4 use whatever you have handy ,old magazine would proberly work as a shim,do this front and back,then check the frame,it should sit on the 4x4 at all 4 contact points,then check with the level at the back and front of frame.check you level,i was once hanging doors in my house cuold not get them to hang right,4 ft level was off by 1 inch.to check the level just turn it end for end it should read the same both ways.good luck.

 

It might well have left the factory that way, we all love our classics but don't be blind to QC not being the best it could be when it was made.
I watched a tv programme about making Lamboghinis some time ago, the spaceframe chassis was welded up in a jig, then a burly Italian measured it up and beat it into correct alignment with a 28 lb hammer!.
I understand it takes Mercedes Benz longer to fix the glitches on a newly built S class than it takes Lexus to build a complete ready to go car.
Roger.

 

X2. Level the center of the frame first by placing the stands at the 4 corners of the side frame rails. You will see that these corners also accept a body mount. Level front to back and side to side as mentioned. Once that is level, you can check the other ends of the frame for being level. You may need to remove the differential to make sure the weight of it is not pulling on the frame. Try it with it installed and take a little weight off of it with a jack to see if it changes anything; of course do this without the springs installed. While you are at it, I would take a couple of X dimensions to see if things are square. Start with the 4 body mounts on the side rails and make sure the dimesions are the same between RF and LR and then LF to RR. If they are square, check other points to see if you get a square measurement on the rear section and well as the front. If the frame is twisted back there, you will likely see some measurements that don't match up on the back section.