My 72 cutlass sits 3/4 inch low at the left front.Springs were removed for new balljoints and got the springs close to correct placement,but is close good enough? Left spring makes alot of noise when I push down on front bumper too.When I stand about 30 feet behind the car,the tilt really shows so is it the spring placement,maybe? Also is there a rebuild kit for steering box,power? I have alot of free play,and always moving the wheel to keep the car in line.or is there another box from a newer car that would work better?When the car is at highway speed,I can turn the wheel 3" left and right without the car moving,it keeps going straight and I think thats too much play,not safe.Thanks for any info!

 

It sounds like the spring is not seated, especially if it's squeking. You can get a new steering box to tighten up the steering. I'm sure other members will chime in too. Very nice vert!

 

If the left side is low, the spring is unlikely to be out of place. Pretty much any time the spring is not seated properly at either the top or the bottom, that side will sit HIGHER than stock, unless you've completely missed the upper spring pocket at installation. That situation should have been pretty obvious when the front end was put back together. Did you replace the bushings when you did the ball joints? Did you have the weight of the car on the springs when you torqued the suspension bolts?

 

Maybe the spring on the right is not placed right? A guy did it for me and was was pretty fast and dont think he cared where the spring went so I need someone to get the car up and check it out.Most people here dont like working on older cars.I put an ad on c/l and no one replys.So,I can put it on jack stands and look to see where the end of coils are.Go from there.

 

I have the same issue you are having. The left side of my 71 is sitting about an inch lower than the right. This is after spring replacement. I have a theory that the right side is not seated properly also one of my shock nuts mysteriously disappeared. I think its under the spring on the right side.

 

The end of the coil is supposed to be visible in the slot in the bottom of the spring pocket (visible from underneath)...also the rear springs could be weak causing the crooked stance...

 

If the coils are found to be installed correctly and the lean is still evident use this procedure. Depending on the amount of sag remove a corresponding amount of the front coil on the opposite side of the lean. In this case remove from the passenger side coil. It is a pain as you may have to remove the coil more then once and trim but it works.

 

Thanks,I may have to cut some coil off,Is there a source to find exactly what height the front coil should be? These looked very high,even the guy putting them on mentioned they were long and tough to get in,but the car sits even,except for the lean.I also read that a jeep steering box I think from 92-98 is a direct bolt on for the 72 cutlass,just need new hoses.Any one try this?

 

Just as an fyi, sometimes from the factory on A/C cars, the passenger side spring is a slightly higher rate. Is it possible they got swapped from side to side?

Another thing I've seen is that the spring doesn't get placed over the upper 'mount' in the frame, like, the top coil is hung up over half of it. That you need a flashlight and maybe an inspection mirror to look up in there to see while the car's in the air. This sometimes happens when the spring compressor isn't used right when installing the spring. The spring needs to have a curve to it when it's compressed to install it properly, fyi.

You could check the control arms, like loosen them and bounce the front a couple times, but think if you've driven it some it should have already set.

As for the slop in the steering, 9 times out of 10 it's the rag joint or idler arm. To check it, in the engine compartment, grab the shaft high up, like right by the column, and turn it back and forth. You'll be able to see what's turing and what's not, and know what to fix.

As for a box, many like the Lee boxes, because they at least have attention paid to the internal stops. Another popular donor car(s) are the late 80s Monte Carlos and GNs. Can always get a AGR too. I suggest new, since you could grab a box out of the boneyard that's just as or more sloppy than what you have.

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