The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network (https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/index.php)
-   The 1967 - 1972 Chevrolet & GMC Pickups Message Board (https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/forumdisplay.php?f=3)
-   -   finished truck today but drop is a little off help (https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=664453)

kerls72 03-22-2015 07:37 PM

finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
4 Attachment(s)
So I drooped truck 4/6
wheels 20/22 Coys
72 BB Cheyenne
when you look at front it leans a little to left
is it possible that my shock blew out today?
Or what would cause this?
thanks kerley

Carmen Black 03-22-2015 07:48 PM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
I would just double check everything. If it looks good, you could just be another victim of "Chevy Lean". Google "Chevy Lean" and see if that is what you have. I am a victim of Chevy lean on a entire brand new suspension rebuild as well.

kerls72 03-22-2015 07:52 PM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
I did hotchkis springs and belltech shocks
so I spent no expenses with good parts

Carmen Black 03-22-2015 08:20 PM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by kerls72 (Post 7101650)
I did hotchkis springs and belltech shocks
so I spent no expenses with good parts

I don't think Chevy Lean is suspension related, but no one really knows. You have to specifically address the lean to fix it. You probably had it before, but didn't notice until you focused on the suspension.

CST10 03-22-2015 08:37 PM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
Make sure the front springs are seated in the control arms properly.

LockDoc 03-22-2015 09:05 PM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by CST10 (Post 7101712)
Make sure the front springs are seated in the control arms properly.


:agree:.... There are pockets in the lower A arms for the springs to set in. Make sure the ends of the coils are seated in the pockets.

LockDoc

hamjet 03-23-2015 06:06 AM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
"""is it possible that my shock blew out today?""" Unless shocks are gas filled or the old type that had coil springs around them they serve no lifting pressure. even gas filled I couldn't immagine they wouldn't have enough pressure to lift that much weight. I think the guys are right, check your perches..

jhwkns 03-23-2015 11:39 AM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
"Chevy lean"is usually a bent frame.

67ChevyRedneck 03-23-2015 12:10 PM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
I'd park it on a flat level surface and bust out a measuring tape before trying to guess whether or not there is an issue.

It also takes a little time and some driving for the springs to settle to their final ride height.

Bagd72Chevy 03-23-2015 04:54 PM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by jhwkns (Post 7102483)
"Chevy lean"is usually a bent frame.

Disagree. Usually Chevy lean is from the driver, gas tank, and battery being placed on the drivers side. On a 67-72 though the battery is on passenger side and tank is equally split on both sides, even if relocated to the rear.

PO: How much is it leaning? I would drive it a bit and it will settle some. Do you have a sway bar? Is it adjusted evenly?

markmdz 03-23-2015 05:21 PM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
can you park it on level ground and take pics straight on from the front and rear? ...and as 67redneck suggested, bust out the tape measure and measure from the ground to the fender well to make sure it's not just an optical illusion.

That said, let's get technical for a half-second. Damn near all manufacturers of aftermarket springs for 'lowering kits' batch test their springs only, so the likelihood of a slight variation from one spring to the next is pretty good (unfortunately). In racing applications, each and every spring is tested on a dyno for spring rate, uncompressed height, compressed height, 'loaded' height, etc.

Nearly no aftermarket mfg's will take corner weight measurements on vehicles and slightly tweak each 'set' to accommodate corner weight differences from right to left on the front and the back. They usually will take a stock spring (1 front and 1 rear) from a vehicle, test it's spring rate (or do rough calculations based on material, height, steel diameter, overall diameter, spring shape (beehive, cylinder, etc) coil spacing, number of coils, progressive or linear, etc) and do a best effort match to accomplish a "x-inch drop".

kerls72 03-23-2015 08:15 PM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
1 Attachment(s)
here is a pic it leans to passenger side I tried to correct photo with leaning my phone yesterday.
I checked spring seat on the leaning side yesterday and made sure it was locked in the correct position.

kerls72 03-23-2015 08:18 PM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
back is nice and level

kerls72 03-23-2015 08:20 PM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
Shocks are Belltech gas shocks
Found a few sites that showed different drops for rating
Max was 4 inches
being a big block I would guess it went down an extra 1/2

LockDoc 03-23-2015 08:56 PM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by kerls72 (Post 7103080)
here is a pic it leans to passenger side I tried to correct photo with leaning my phone yesterday.
I checked spring seat on the leaning side yesterday and made sure it was locked in the correct position.


The side that is down isn't the side that would be out of place it would be the drivers (high) side.

LockDoc

ksshane 03-24-2015 07:42 AM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
When I did mine I had a bit of lean as well. I checked everything out to make sure it was seated properly... or at least I thought I did. About a week later I was turning a corner and my front end made a loud pop noise.
I pulled over low and behold my lean was practically gone (Less than a half inch from side to side).
So you might just try driving it a little bit to make sure everything is seated properly. Some times those springs need to move just a little more.
Hopefully you haven't done your alignment already like I did.... Or you will have to do it again if something does move.

EARNHARDT#3 03-24-2015 09:45 AM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
I think it's cool...just looks like a clapped out ole Chevy! The way we like em :-)

derotoreut 03-24-2015 09:59 AM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
When you measure the clearance, it's important to have the truck on level ground, which sometimes isn't so easy to find. Also make sure its a good surface. Concrete or paved. Take it to a level parking lot if you need to. When I installed my skyjacker lift kit on my 71 K10 I took measurements before and after the install. After the install, I rocked the truck up and down several times, on both the front and rear to work the new springs and shocks. Granted now, this is a 4X4. I took measurements again, using the same level location in order to have good comparative results. I measured from ground surface to fender and tire to fender. You can see what I did by looking at post #24: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=620627

The drop looks good. What are the details on your wheels and tires? I know they are 20 & 22" Coys, but what are your tire sizes and backspace for the wheels. Thanks.

Jobe72 03-24-2015 10:07 AM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
can't help, but truck looks good!

magwakeenercew2jh 03-24-2015 11:31 AM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
1 Attachment(s)
Quote:

Originally Posted by kerls72 (Post 7103080)
here is a pic it leans to passenger side I tried to correct photo with leaning my phone yesterday.
I checked spring seat on the leaning side yesterday and made sure it was locked in the correct position.

You could measure it if you really want to know.

When bare of front clip, cab, bed, and without any driveline (except the rear end), my frame was "spec'd" before and after
a full frame off suspension treatment. Then, after the build, the height was 1/4" off side-to-side ...maybe a little more.

After an alignment and driving it a couple of thousand miles, I don't see the lean any more.
Maybe it's not there. Maybe I just don't see it.

Unless you have a lean like this, I'd drive it for a while just to see what "settles".

jhwkns 03-24-2015 12:36 PM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Bagd72Chevy (Post 7102869)
Disagree. Usually Chevy lean is from the driver, gas tank, and battery being placed on the drivers side. On a 67-72 though the battery is on passenger side and tank is equally split on both sides, even if relocated to the rear.

PO: How much is it leaning? I would drive it a bit and it will settle some. Do you have a sway bar? Is it adjusted evenly?

Why is it hard to accept that a truck that has been running around for nearly half a century, all the while being grossly overloaded at times, smacking curbs, catching air. Might have a bent chassis. I recommend to anybody with one of these trucks to take it to a frame shop. People will spend thousands on their project, and ignore inexpensive things that will actually make their baby drive properly.

kerls72 03-24-2015 09:48 PM

Re: finished truck today but drop is a little off help
 
thanks for the help so far
I have put a ton of time in the truck with my son and call it OCD or 20 years in the Marine Corps
I want everything perfect.
that pic is funny


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:58 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright 1997-2025 67-72chevytrucks.com