Stance leans to left
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 205
Likes: 4
Stance leans to left
1975 coupe
I just finished replacing all front control arm bushings, tie rod ends, idler arm today. After I put the car down, there is a noticable slant to the left ( right side higher ). About 1/2 diff in the front and nearly an inch in the rear.
I'm fairly sure I got the springs seated correctly. If not, the right side may not be seated well. I'm sure about the left side, but I had a hard time with the right and I can't honestly say I recall making sure the spring was seated correctly. Hey at 68 and doing this on my own, I can't remember what I had for breakfast, so I just can't recall.
I don't know if the right spring not sitting in it's seat would result in the tilt, but I don't know what else might cause it.
I haven't moved the car at all, just put it down and bounced all four corners to see if it would settle... No dice.
please share your thoughts, ideas, suggestions.
Thanks,. Len
I just finished replacing all front control arm bushings, tie rod ends, idler arm today. After I put the car down, there is a noticable slant to the left ( right side higher ). About 1/2 diff in the front and nearly an inch in the rear.
I'm fairly sure I got the springs seated correctly. If not, the right side may not be seated well. I'm sure about the left side, but I had a hard time with the right and I can't honestly say I recall making sure the spring was seated correctly. Hey at 68 and doing this on my own, I can't remember what I had for breakfast, so I just can't recall.
I don't know if the right spring not sitting in it's seat would result in the tilt, but I don't know what else might cause it.
I haven't moved the car at all, just put it down and bounced all four corners to see if it would settle... No dice.
please share your thoughts, ideas, suggestions.
Thanks,. Len
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 205
Likes: 4
Did nothing to the rear - correct.
I'm thinking that I have to check the right spring to make sure it is seated in the control arms correctly. Any easy way to do that - aside from dropping the control lower control arm down again?
Last edited by lsintampa; Nov 21, 2018 at 08:15 PM.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 109
Likes: 8
From: St.Augustine FL
did you wait till car was back on the ground before you tightened control arms?also if you take a plastic garbage bag fold in half and put under each tire before putting back on ground it helps let the suspension relax.food for thought.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 205
Likes: 4
Will try the gb thing though.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 13,082
Likes: 3,399
From: SW Florida.
just back up and go forward 10 feet each way and it'll settle back down where it belongs. You pick it up off the ground you put it back down the tires are in a different place. And then it's not going to relax and sit where it's supposed to.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 205
Likes: 4
I just now backed it out - about 15 feet or so and put it back in the garage. Still seems tilted to me. See photo:
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,541
Likes: 1,975
From: Temple Terrace Florida
Sounds like you did not index the front springs correctly. The spring is indexed to the top of the pocket in the frame. The end of the spring must be within 3/8" of the inspection hole in the frame. I put blue tape on the spring so I can see it through the top. You can also drop a 1/4-20 long bolt in the hole and move the spring in place until it just touches the bolt. Once together, remove the bolt. That should do it. Jerry
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 205
Likes: 4
Sounds like you did not index the front springs correctly. The spring is indexed to the top of the pocket in the frame. The end of the spring must be within 3/8" of the inspection hole in the frame. I put blue tape on the spring so I can see it through the top. You can also drop a 1/4-20 long bolt in the hole and move the spring in place until it just touches the bolt. Once together, remove the bolt. That should do it. Jerry
Thanks Jerry. If I understand you correctly, there is some adjustments that can be made on the springs to raise or lower the sides. IE it both springs are the same, indexing them to the inspection hole differently would result in one side being higher than the other.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 13,082
Likes: 3,399
From: SW Florida.
also, don't eyeball the height. Get a tape measure and measure from the top of the wheel well opening to the ground on all four wheels and compare them front to back and side to side. Also double check that the ground you're parked on is level.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,176
Likes: 633
From: perth western australia
you can see the end of the silver painted spring sitting halfway across the hole up near the shock. This is the left side. if the spring is not in correctly it definitely will have an effect on the car ride height.
Last edited by bazza77; Nov 25, 2018 at 12:42 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 13,082
Likes: 3,399
From: SW Florida.
also, don't trust your eyes. Take a tape measure and measure from the inside of the top of the wheel well Arch to the ground and compare the measurement both sides front and rear. if the ground is a little off level, the car will look crooked cuz it's sitting level on the crooked ground.
Last edited by derekderek; Nov 25, 2018 at 08:20 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,837
Likes: 1,028
I agree. Rebuilt suspensions are always off until they settle. One side may be stiffer than the other. Drive it 20 miles and check again. Speed bumps help, but not too fast.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 205
Likes: 4
I'm not dropping the control arms again right now. I pulled off both wheels and looked at where the lower ends of the springs sit in the lower control arm and they are right at the stop in the lower arm. As far as the top, if I look at both peek holes I can see the spring on both sides. I don't see the edge of the top end of the spring through the hole, but I can see the spring and they both seem to be the same depth from the peek hole.
That said, I think driving it about for a while will settle things in a bit. Should I torque the control arm bushing bolts before or after driving it?
Also, I read somewhere about the upper control arm shims and that they also can change front ride height.. I bagged each set (left / right - front / rear) when I removed them and put them back in the same spots. Does anyone know how to adjust those shims???
That said, I think driving it about for a while will settle things in a bit. Should I torque the control arm bushing bolts before or after driving it?
Also, I read somewhere about the upper control arm shims and that they also can change front ride height.. I bagged each set (left / right - front / rear) when I removed them and put them back in the same spots. Does anyone know how to adjust those shims???
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 205
Likes: 4
So let me ask this stupid question. While driving about, is it possible for those springs to realign themselves in their seats (IE - can they possibly rotate)?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,541
Likes: 1,975
From: Temple Terrace Florida
I don't see how that is possible. The springs are under so much tension that they will not move once the spindle assembly is connected. Where in Florida are you located? Jerry
Racer
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 297
Likes: 43
erm, don't try to drive around above 15-20 mph if your suspension is not torqued, as op said theres so much tension involved and adding the extra kinetic energy at highway speeds can cause all sorts of nasty surprises.