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View Full Version : Suspension Rear driver's side lower than passenger



STAINLS
08-19-2014, 10:22 AM
Hey everyone!

So I noticed last night while out mowing grass that my driver's side rear fender/tire gap looked smaller than the passenger. It was sitting in our car port that's built into our house. Level concrete slab. Put a tape measure to it, from bottom of quarter to ground, and indeed the driver's side quarter panel was an 1/8" lower than the passenger. I very lovingly bounced both quarter panels a little to work the rear suspension and the gap on the passenger side quarter expanded to a 1/2" difference. I shrugged and took it for a drive and pulled back in and to my surprise, there was now a 3/4" difference!! Passenger side sitting higher than the driver's. Cooled my jets for a minute and went inside to watch the STL rioting footage and came back out and measured the edge of the rear shock towers to the ground. Dead even on both sides. Frame is sitting even. What am I missing here? Can the body be that far off? I can +/- the gap by working the suspension but is that right? The entire suspension is original so I'm sure something needs replaced obviously, but could this just be normal? My first guess was that the driver side rear spring is starting to sag but with only 16K miles on it I don't see how it can. The other reason I'm really asking too is that I rarely have a passenger and maybe that could be the reason it shifts or is sitting higher. I'm only about 160lbs but can just getting in and out of the car +/- the suspension THAT much? The measurement on the frame though should rule that out though right? I'm just curious to hear some thoughts. Pretty sure I might be losing my mind a little bit, and don't be afraid to voice it if that's the case.

Thanks in advance everyone.

DMCMW Dave
08-19-2014, 10:43 AM
Hey everyone!
and came back out and measured the edge of the rear shock towers to the ground. Dead even on both sides. Frame is sitting even. What am I missing here? Can the body be that far off?
.

BTDT. Yes it can be that far off. Measure the 4 corners of the frame to ground, if the frame is "flat" the body isn't and there really isn't anything to adjust unless you start shimming the tub off the frame (yeah right) or artificially jacking the springs on one side.

Sometimes it's just in how the fender was shimmed to match the door. It's made on an assembly line of hand-built cars.

Snowflakes. . . . .

STAINLS
08-19-2014, 10:54 AM
BTDT. Yes it can be that far off. Measure the 4 corners of the frame to ground, if the frame is "flat" the body isn't and there really isn't anything to adjust unless you start shimming the tub off the frame (yeah right) or artificially jacking the springs on one side.

Sometimes it's just in how the fender was shimmed to match the door. It's made on an assembly line of hand-built cars.

Snowflakes. . . . .

Thank you VERY much Dave. That makes me feel better. (I kept thinking, great what did I do now...) For some reason I just noticed it last night. I think I remember '5444 being higher on one side than the other in the front. At least this problem is in the rear. For some reason I notice the front a lot more. Got lucky and the front is dead even on both sides on this one. I need to learn to turn the draftsman in me off sometimes. Too many details to pay attention to!

Thanks sir!