Truck leaning to the right - 1 -1 1/2"

[Alex1]

I own a '80 step and noticed the truck was leaning to the right. I changed the front coils and that made no difference. Do you think shocks could cause this? Next step is to check the rear leafs. I've gone over the control arms and frame and see no damage - got to get this fixed!

[Walts_restoration]

body mount bushings?


as i remmber from an older post, you dont happen to be in the 400+ club? haha, cant remember who said that, i think it was in the 67-72 forum

[Alex1]

LOL no-

I'll look at those and see what shape they're in.

[Captkaos]

Due to spring sag over time, all vehicle springs will settle at different heights. If you switch springs from left to right and it didn't make a difference check the bushings.

[James McClure]

Alex: Measure from front bumper\frame interface to ground on both sides front and rear. On a flat floor all should be within 1\2" of each other. Shocks don't have anything to do with riding height UNLESS they are gas charged. If you have gas charged shocks take them out and re measure. If ground to frame measurements are bad it's suspension or bent frame. If frame to ground measurements are good, it's a body mounting problem.jim

[Alex1]

Bumper to ground( front) is off by 1 1/2 inches. Seems to be getting worse - and the truck is parked for the winter!

Hey - I have air shocks in the rear...could be a leak?

[Ivan D.]

Alex - air shocks are usually tied together in a common supply air line, and unlike OEM air springs they don't have solenoids in them either - there's nothing preventing air from transferring left-right, so if there's a leak on one shock the other will go deflate too.

[xtreme80]

This could be stupid, but are you sure the bumper is perfectly even on the truck? I say this because my truck's front bumper is about an inch and a half crooked, and I've seen it on quite a few trucks around our year (mine's an 80 too)

For about a month and a half I thought it was the whole truck leaning, then I realized it was just the bumper.

[James McClure]

Alex: At this point the only thing left is suspension\frame problem. This might sound a little funny or odd, but I want you to check the tire pressure before you go any farther, get them all the same. Next roll truck back or forward from where it is 25 or 30 feet and then make sure your on a flat surface (level and SOLID). From the front of the truck look at the front tires and see if they tip in or out the same amount (camber angle). Next look at the truck from the side and see if the distance from the tire to the front fender is the same. (caster angle). It's true they would have to be off by alot to be able to see it, but it's a place to look for trouble without an alignment machine. If you see something odd, check the bushings and as unlikely as it may be, the ball joints, especially the lower one's.
If everything is OK there, get out your tape measure and work your way down the frame measuring from the frame to ground at the same points left and right sides, they should be the same + or - 1/4". jim

[Alex1]

The odd thing is I bought this truck this summer -and I don't recall it leaning to one side -and I haven't hit or damaged anything. Presently the truck is in the garage for the winter (floor is level) tire pressure about 32psi on all 4. The bumper is not crooked -I've measured from the top of the right tire to the lip of the fender and it's lower than the left side by roughly 1 1/2". I haven't checked the leafs in the rear -maybe some are broken -or they have lost their arch? The frame looks mint ( absolutly no rust or damage) - could it be because the gas tank is on that side with possibly weak leaf springs and the excess weight causes it to sag?

The truck does not have a front sway bar either (big block to boot) and I've noticed when I turn to the left and all the weight transfers to the right side - the front end really wants to lean - this does not happen when I turn the other way.

Yeah the air shock thing was a shot in the dark and I noticed they were both tied together, so if there's a leak, both will lose pressure.

I'll also check the control arm to see for damage.

[Alex1]

I'll measure the frame to ground tonight or this weekend -thanks for the ideas guys!

[Slonaker]

Are the tires the same size left to right? It sounds like a stupid question, but my old Mazda had a slight lean to it. It turned out to be because Pep Boys mounted one size of tires on the left and the next size up on the right.

I would check the rear springs for any broken leaves.

Slonaker

[D-Day]

Can you get a tripodded level picture for us?

[Alex1]

Originally Posted by D-Day

Can you get a tripodded level picture for us?

Hmmm, that would be hard to do - the truck is in the garage for the winter - Once side you can't even walk (small garage). I can take a picture of the front of the truck if that will help.

[jermasaurus]

If you measure the fender lip to the edge of the rim, do you still come up with the same 1 1/2"?

[f.monroe]

Let me take a WAG at this . I am guessing that you have a truck with A/C and a single gas tank on the side that sits lower . I have had several of these and every single tank A/C truck I have had has leaned 1 to 1 1/2 inches to the right (passenger side ). My non air single tank 78 doesnt do this . My 77 long bed , my 35,000 original mile short bed I sold and several others that have come and gone , have all leaned . I also replaced the coils in my current 77 but it still leans . I am going to swap the leafs and coils from side to side . I believe that 30 plus years of supporting the added weight of the A/C and gas tank with fuel and doing it 24/7 weakens the springs . My problem is that I couldnt find a good source for new springs that was affordable . I have a set of new matched lowering springs that I thought about installing to see if the rear levels out . I have also thought about adding just one extra leaf to the passenger side to support the extra weight . If you jack the rear up to sit level with the other side , believe it or not the front will attempt to level out since the low side gets a little help and the front high side gets weight shifted to it and in turn lowers a bit . Frank

[Alex1]

Alright,

So i managed to crawl underneath and do a more thorough inspection. Rear leafs are good -none are broken. The frame (front to back every couple of feet)/cab mounts/lower control arm bolts measurements to floor are all within 1/4 -1/2"!

so looks like the frame/suspension SEEMS ok.

I noticed the inner fender on the right side is like 1/8 to 1/4" away from the upper control arm (where it bolts to the framee bracket). Can someone look at theirs and confirm that the inner fender sits so close? Something is not right.

F.Monroe: the truck has 1 tank on the right - but no AC. It was a small block truck/auto, but now we've installed a 454 and TH400.