wisniows

I have a 68 442 convertible and I did a complete frame off restoration and during reassembly the entire suspension was replaced all bushings on control arms, shocks, springs etc what I notice is a body lean and I cant figure what I did wrong. there is about 3/4 of a inch difference from the driver side and passenger side, I have been told by few people this is a common problem with these vehicles but im not sure if that is true, I was also told to install a coil over shock where it is adjustable and I can adjust the height, can someone guide me in the right direction to find the problem I know without seeing the vehicle it is hard to determine but if this is a common problem maybe someone has knowledge and may help, also if the coil over is the right option does anyone know a good brand to purchase and from what location thanks for all the help and time you have taken to help me with my project

boese1978

Did you torque all suspension bolts with the weight of the vehicle on the tires on a level surface? May sound silly but make sure you are "seeing" this while parked on a level surface. Also may want to insure the springs are all in thier "pockets"-for the spring pig tails.

oldcutlass

Also if the front wheels are turned when your measuring it will cause the issue. X2 on tightening the moving parts with the car in the air and make sure the springs are in the pockets and clocked correctly.

wisniows

I recently loosened the front suspension and control arms drove the vehicle for couple miles and retightened everything on the ground now I did remove both springs and I feel they were both upside down the flat part of the coil was in the control arms but both sides eere like that, I am reinstalling the springs in the correct eay and when im done I will let you know how I made oit just for future reference and knowldge, thanks for your time and knowledge

oldcutlass

If its still off then you have to isolate which corner is causing the problem. For example, if the front right is low then it will cause the right rear to be high.

boese1978

don't forget to make sure all the tires have equal pressure.

droldsmorland

Did you have the frame checked before reuniting it with the body? All body off frame restorations require checking the frame for x y & z axis on a frame jig. An old frame can have a twist just from many hard launches or a light hit etc...It can be done with the body on. Once you've exhausted all the above items take it to a well known, experienced, high quality frame shop for a look. Worth the setup time just to be sure. If it does in fact need to be tweaked make sure the tech knows what their doing as far as how to not let it effect the body, especially on a vert.

wisniows

I just want to thank everyone for their help and experience this is my first frame off restoration that I have done and the only reason for doing it is this was my mothers car, she bought it brand new and passed away 20 years ago it's been in the garage the entire time so this vehicle means a lot to me and for about a year 1 year there was a lean on the drivers side and it was really bothering me I must say this forum really helps after reading treads it gave me different ideas and possibilities that can cause the lean I checked the springs and I did install them upside down yesterday I removed both springs and reinstalled them the correct way with the flat spot of the spring facing upwards and the vehicle did level out almost perfectly straight, I hope this tread one day will help someone that really went through what I did and hopefully I can help someone with my knowledge thanks once again for everyones replies

oldcutlass

Glad you got it fixed.

boese1978

nice job!

joe_padavano

The likely cause of this problem was not so much the upside down springs as the fact that the one on the high side was likely not properly seated in the UPPER spring pocket in the frame. As you know by now, that's a blind installation, and it is very easy to get the spring off center so that it sits on the center locating cylinder and not around it. This will cause the height discrepancy you had. Apparently you got it installed correctly on the second try, whether you knew it or not at the time.

Eddie Hansen

Glad you got it fixed I will know what to look for once I put engine in