Why does my truck not sit level?!? Help please.

[shawno72]

My OCD is driving me nuts. The rear of my truck sits 3/4" higher on the passenger side verses the drivers side. The front is perfectly level side to side so why does the rear not sit the same? When I look at my truck from the front it's looks great but when I look from the rear it looks like its leaning and its buggin the heck ou of me. I pulled a tape and sure enough top of the fender well on the drivers side is 27 3/4" and the passenger side is 28 1/2". I did some more measuring and from the frame to the ground is about 1/2" higher on the pass side as well from the cab back. Does this mean my frame is bent? The frame looks really good with no evidence of being in a wreck or anything looks completely original. The rear has new 5" drop springs and new 1 1/2" blocks. When I measure through the rear springs from the frame to the trailing arm the measure exactly the same side to side. When I go to do the Cnotch I thought about bending the rear of the frame down a hair to level it out. Don't know what to do, anyone else run into this problem? I do see some other older trucks lean a bit to the left but I thought it was just because they had old sagging suspension parts or worn springs. Help.
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[midniteblues]

Perhaps a bad trailing arm bushing?

[edhtrd71]

I feel your pain. I have an extra 1/2 inch spacer on the passenger side. My frame also doesnt show any signs of an accident. I have measured it front to back and thought about putting it on the frame machine. I guess I just feel bad about pulling so hard on it. If I remember right the right rail starts to rise right behind the cab mount. I have heard others complain about this and wonder if its common. Oh by the way Its the same with different springs, trailing arms, swapped front springs left to right.

[shawno72]

Originally Posted by midniteblues

Perhaps a bad trailing arm bushing?

I thought about this to but there doesn't appear to be any play in the bushings.

Originally Posted by edhtrd71

I feel your pain. I have an extra 1/2 inch spacer on the passenger side. My frame also doesnt show any signs of an accident. I have measured it front to back and thought about putting it on the frame machine. I guess I just feel bad about pulling so hard on it. If I remember right the right rail starts to rise right behind the cab mount. I have heard others complain about this and wonder if its common. Oh by the way Its the same with different springs, trailing arms, swapped front springs left to right.

Maybe someone else will chime in and confirm that this is a common problem with an easy fix. Boy wouldn't that be nice Hey so with that 1/2" spacer on the pass side, did that do the trick? I thought about that cause I got some 1/2" plate so it would be real easy to make up a spacer.
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[JRE]

Yea mine is 3/4 difference from one side to the other. I haven't checked yet but was thinking it might have something to do with the coil springs

[CURSED GEARS]

I noticed that on mine once. Did the same thing, pulled out the tape measure, and sure enough, one side was off. I crawled under it and found the metal around the coil spring had rusted through and collapsed. I made a repair for it and welded it in while laying on my back, which resulted in slag going down my ear canal. In my haste to get out from under the truck before the metal hit my ear drum, I slammed my head into the frame.
Long story short, the repair worked, and the truck sits level again.

[CURSED GEARS]

Originally Posted by shawno72

I thought about this to but there doesn't appear to be any play in the bushings.



Maybe someone else will chime in and confirm that this is a common problem with an easy fix. Boy wouldn't that be nice Hey so with that 1/2" spacer on the pass side, did that do the trick? I thought about that cause I got some 1/2" plate so it would be real easy to make up a spacer.
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Its been a few years since my incident, but after reading this it jogged my memory. I did make a spacer to fit between something or another, and then fixed the bad metal.

[cdowns]

seems to be a very common problem with the chevy trucks i've had from the 60's 70's and 80's used hard as worktrucks they seem to develop slight twists in the rear frame sections// even with new springs bushings etc the twist remains// solution is either shimming of box mount or a trip to the frame repair guy

[shawno72]

Originally Posted by cdowns

seems to be a very common problem with the chevy trucks i've had from the 60's 70's and 80's used hard as worktrucks they seem to develop slight twists in the rear frame sections// even with new springs bushings etc the twist remains// solution is either shimming of box mount or a trip to the frame repair guy

This makes good sense. Looks like I'll be shimming it somewhere.
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[no moa]

mine does that also, cause of my fat a$$ being on one side. lol

[CC69Rat]

Shawn -- so the front is level side to side?

If you swap rear springs does the problem move to the other side? Just a thought. What kind of rear drop springs did you use? TJ springs, CPP, etc. .. maybe one spring is just a little more weak than the other? Good idea on the spring cups too .. you might check to see if one is rusted in the bottom of the cup but I wouldn't think that would make 3/4" difference.

You could also put a spacer on top of the driver's side front coil. If you raised the front (opposite side) about 1/2" it would lower the passenger rear about 1/2 the same. This is very common in Chevy trucks. It is called the Infamous Chevy Lean. Every truck I have ever dropped has sat a little lower in the front driver's side. It kinda causes it to sit a little tweaked .. or a little higher on the passenger rear. C10 / S10, I have seen it. I wouldn't think the frame is bent.

just my .02.


If it were on BAGS.. you wouldn't have this problem ! Hint ..

[shawno72]

Originally Posted by no moa

mine does that also, cause of my fat a$$ being on one side. lol

I thought that to so I hopped in the passenger side and my wife said there was no difference. I even tried to load the pass side with my engine hoist and the whole rear end sagged evenly.

Originally Posted by CC69Rat

Shawn -- so the front is level side to side?

If you swap rear springs does the problem move to the other side? Just a thought. What kind of rear drop springs did you use? TJ springs, CPP, etc. .. maybe one spring is just a little more weak than the other? Good idea on the spring cups too .. you might check to see if one is rusted in the bottom of the cup but I wouldn't think that would make 3/4" difference.

You could also put a spacer on top of the driver's side front coil. If you raised the front (opposite side) about 1/2" it would lower the passenger rear about 1/2 the same. This is very common in Chevy trucks. It is called the Infamous Chevy Lean. Every truck I have ever dropped has sat a little lower in the front driver's side. It kinda causes it to sit a little tweaked .. or a little higher on the passenger rear. C10 / S10, I have seen it. I wouldn't think the frame is bent.

just my .02.


If it were on BAGS.. you wouldn't have this problem ! Hint ..

You know my friends bone stock 72 leans to the d/s 1" front and back and we just always thought it was from the weight of the driver over the years. But mine is perfectly level in front with cut springs the po did so maybe he didn't cut them evenly. The springs are CPP and the cups were in great shape when I installed them. I even measured the compressed length of the springs installed on the truck and they are off less than 1/16". I'll just have to tell my wife that I have to bag it or otherwise the whole truck could fall over and cause an accident
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[CC69Rat]

I'd look at the front as goofy as it sounds. Maybe the pass front is not sitting in the index in the LCA? Did you jump a ditch or something and maybe the spring shifted a little? Maybe try some new 3" drop springs up front?

I know, it's a lot of work to 'try' .. but before I thought the frame was bent I would try all I could. .. just my opinion.

[sir_talk_alot]

from what somebody explained to me once, the combo of just a driver on one side, and apparently we turn to the right more than the left,entering highway and daily driving. it shifts the weight of the truck plus our weight to one side. over time the suspension sags more on the left side than the right. thats just my .02

[shawno72]

Actually when I bought the truck it sat lower on the pass side up front and lower on the ds out back. I found some worn a arm bushings so I rebuilt the entire front end, indexed the springs and then it sat level. I bought new springs and blocks for the rear hoping that would take care of the rear but it didn't. I do have a new pair of 3" CPP springs but I am waiting to do a drop spindle/disc brake upgrade.
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[CC69Rat]

Sell me the spindles and springs and get you some bags. I want you to be safe buddy.

[shawno72]

Originally Posted by CC69Rat

Sell me the spindles and springs and get you some bags. I want you to be safe buddy.

Yeah I ran the bag idea past my wife and she looked at me like I was coo coo.
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[dubds10]

It's called the infamous Chevy lean. Every chevy truck has a lean on it lol Even up until now. It's actually true though, the S10's all came from the factory with a lean and companies have spacers for it because it bugs owners. I never cared in all my GM trucks cause if it'd bother me, I'd just bag it anyways

Although these older trucks, since they're work trucks I'm sure all the frames have very slight tweaks in them. I slight twist, can cause something more noticeable at the rear end, even if it's naked to the eye.

Nate

[CC69Rat]

Just messin with you .. My wife won't let me either.

I really think I would wait until the disc upgrade is in place, drop those 3" CPP springs in it then worry with getting it exactly level. If you do it now or start pulling on the frame to get it leveled out then change springs you might go the other direction (?) My luck anyway. I wonder how the PO cut the springs? Disc or torch? It may have taken some of the strength out of one coil if it got hotter than the other?

I may be way off looking at the front but it really sounds like you have the back covered (to me) The only other thing I can think of would be the track bar. You do have an adjustable track bar on it? I wouldnt think that would cause it to be unlevel though. Strange. Maybe put 60psi of air in the driver's front till you get your springs in?

[shawno72]

Yeah I have a cpp deluxe track bar, the one that goes to the trailing arm. I think I will wait to do the front or try a spacer in between the the spring and the frame. The thing I don't want to do is raise it up in the rear. I would rather lower the other side to match, like em low low low.

[CC69Rat]

When you convince your wife you really need a PB stage 2 kit for the back, 3" drop arms, crossmember etc. Will you call and ask mine for me?

[shawno72]

Originally Posted by CC69Rat

When you convince your wife you really need a PB stage 2 kit for the back, 3" drop arms, crossmember etc. Will you call and ask mine for me?

I tell you what you convince my wife to let me buy a stage 2 PB kit and I'll buy you one as well.

[sir_talk_alot]

here is how to get it. get her fav flowers, fav candy, do a movie, a dinner, then ask, and when she looks at you like a coo coo, you ask why not. just stand out of striking distance just in case. or ask her while she is talking on the phone with one of her friends! let me know how that goes for you.

[shawno72]

Mike I'm taking the family to Disneyland at the end of April and still she says how much for a dm kit? So I tried to counter and say how much to eat breakfast with goofy?!
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[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by dubds10

It's called the infamous Chevy lean. Every chevy truck has a lean on it lol Even up until now. It's actually true though, the S10's all came from the factory with a lean and companies have spacers for it because it bugs owners. I never cared in all my GM trucks cause if it'd bother me, I'd just bag it anyways

Although these older trucks, since they're work trucks I'm sure all the frames have very slight tweaks in them. I slight twist, can cause something more noticeable at the rear end, even if it's naked to the eye.

Nate

Bingo.