Body Lean

[Old Hippie]

Bucky, a question. Are you going to tweak the cut down so that spring face is flat? With that cut 'high' up like that, I'm afraid you may cut up your spring seats. Maybe you can take them to a rearend shop so that they can match up the sportswagon springs and set the surface flat so it won't wobble.

[opeldean]

my guess is to not tweek the cut down. (i noticed the gt springs
have an angle cut on the bottom tho.sportwagon have right angle cuts on both ends),

the uncut sportwagon springs are shown...the hats seem to indicate that the surface is a right angle not a bevel.

my guess is to leave it square to match the square hat seat.

advise

[flipper]

Hi Bucky, I dont mean to disagree with what you have going on here, but I went through several years of the same stuff with the drivers side lean. It is probably 1 of 2 things, 1; your front leaf spring is warped (not likely) 2; your perch is deteriorated (you have already confirmed this). If your perch is deteriorated, it will absolutely sag to that side. The leaf spring always rests on that perch, laden or unladen. when you put the taller stiffer springs in, you made the rearend pull the front left off of the perch. That is merely a temporary cosmetic fix. Soon after you get it on the road, the constant bumps will make the body twist just enough till that side is once again touching the spring. Also, when you drive and make turns, or hit bumps, the left side will go down farther on that side that the right. It would make for unhappy handling. It also could eventually make the leaf spring shift over as well. If you need an instruction sheet to install the perch, call ogts and they should be able to mail or fax you one. Your car will handle extremely well if you just replace that perch, and add the sway bars(which I think you already have) and just use the stock rear springs. Oh! an easy way to change the rear springs is just jack up whichever side you want to change really high, and look at where the top of the spring is and you will be able to pull it right out without having to unbolt everything. Just watch the spring top and make sure you guide it in as you lower it. I am not sure on this, but I think if you raise the rear like you had it, it might have some adverse effects on your drive haft and carrier bushings. But once again, I am not sure. If you ever get down near Spfd Mo. give me a shout!

[opeldean]

I bought a spring perch from gil a few months ago but have not
installed due to rear spring possibilities.

now that new springs are in..i think i need to look at the perch.

Gil told me: "there are 2 holes in the spring perch..how you mount it will raise or lower the front corner"..

.seems that is what my real problem is

flipper..I think I need to replace a spring perch ..i think the prior photo
of how my front spring rides is the diagnosis.

I will refer the perch install to a pro.

yes...i think the springs can be replaced by jacking up the car and not unbolting the panhard rod/shocks...but you will have more room if you do.

[Old Hippie]

Bucky, what I meant to say I put in a drawing since I no speak no good, eh?

[opeldean]

old hippie:

your photo made sense..thank you

i was assumming that the rubber hat would compensate
for an unlevel top coil..and that the coil was uniform through out

the problem that you illustrate is:if you cut a top loop off the coil,
the coil wont have a flat top..i will go back and study the springs again..

thank you again for thinking for me!

[Old Hippie]

Hey, that's what this family is for! Watch out for your brothers (and sisters)!

[N61WP]

Had a friend do this on the rear springs of his Miata. He ground flat the rounded top coil (where he made the cut) with an angle grinder. This allowed the spring to sit flat.
Jc

[opelgtmaster3]

i have a 73 gt and it leans toward the driver side. the car looks like its slated
i put new springs in and it still leans. whats the problem. can anyone help.
thanks aaron

[greensmurf20]

seems to be a common problem, altho i havent had it. everybody talks something about a rubber spacer or bumper of some sort in the front leaf spring that deteriorates and falls apart.

[nobody]

There is a rubber coated item in the front suspension that is located where the lower A arm bolts in. If it's got problems it can allow whichever side it's on to be lower. It acts as a pivot point for the front spring. You should also look for any broken or missing bolts. It would probably be a good idea to at least inspect what you can see of the front spring for any sign of cracks while your checking it out. If you do get into that area for repairs do something about your ball joints before 1 decides to come apart. There was a set on ebay not too outrageously priced. What's the front suspension like on the other car?

[kwilford]

I just merged this thread with a recent thread on the same topic. Have a look around and see if there are some answers here for your problem. HTH

[nobody]

The ball joint remark was meant for gtmaster as I know that his ball joints are shot.

[jeff denton]

We were playing with front springs last Saturday on Speedway GT for the first time and I was quite surprised at how much tension there is up there!!
(and I do similar things to big trucks every day for a living) Just use good common sense, although I found a bottle jack and lots of wood blocking handy, too. I figured it would go best if I dropped the entire lower A arm out complete with spindle (upper ball joint disconnected from upper A arm) and this made it go pretty easy. Just be careful and respect that spring tension. Plan ahead what could happen if things go wrong!! Have an assistant dial 9-1 and then hold his finger over the last 1 while you do it...

[opeldean]

I cut 2 loops out..car seems firmer..doesnt seem jacked up...car will be
jacked up if you dont cut 2 loops..

I dont know if cutting 2 loops is ok to do..I did it to firm up the back..which it did..i will drive it some more and see.

advise as needed.

[bozkm]

Today I was looking at my car, and noticed that it looked a little off. I measured the wheel wells, and noticed the right side of the car is about 1/2 inch higher than the left, between the rear wells, then the front wells. I also noticed the front wells are about 1/2 inch higher then the rear. What would cause this? I have replaced the rear shocks, but not the front yet.

Thanks.

[soybean]

Originally Posted by opeldean I cut 2 loops out..car seems firmer..doesnt seem jacked up...car will be jacked up if you dont cut 2 loops.. I dont know if cutting 2 loops is ok to do..I did it to firm up the back..which it did..i will drive it some more and see.

Bucky, I may have asked this before, if I have pardon my feeble brain. I put the tires on the rear, to move it to the outside pad to pull the front suspension, and it looked like yours did before you cut the springs. I see I am going to have to cut the rear like you did. Did you also grind the spring flat like N61WP and Old Hippie suggested? and how does the car handle now that the springs have been cut? Did you replace the rear shocks as well? Thanks, Jarrell

[opeldean]

yes, you looked jacked up.

I cut exactly 720 degrees out of the sportwagon springs. I flattened somewhat like old hipped said, but be more aggressive than me. there is a "z' effect that he shows in his picture from cutting the spring.My backend is elevated a little over stock, but the back end is firmer and I would never go back to my old gt springs. I forgot which end I cut from. The ends of the springs are different in diameter, I believe.

The elevated backend gives bettter clearance for the muffler coming over th e hump.

PS: I will enclose a photo of tire bind in my et mag, same as you,
in the proper thread

[soybean]

Thanks Bucky. When I pull the springs out I'll check the diameter of the ends. I do remember that there were numbers on the springs that appeared after sandblasting, and I put the springs in with the numbers at the bottom. Jarrell

[opeldean]

Flipper(Shawn) was in town on business and came by my house to help me with my suspension. I had ordered a spring perch and now this makes sense.The used perch I bought from ogts is in my hand.The rubber side faces the pavement when installed. You cant see it by looking up at the transverse spring,it sits above it. 2 bolts hold it in so, it can be set in 2 positions. this CAN effect ride height..in Shawns car it did..after he had fixed everything else..he thought mine was suspescious but we felt that my low ride height on the left side was due to several other factors...upper and lower ball joints are shot,spring eye bushings are shot. If you take a screw driver you can poke up into the perch to check its thickess or deterioation.

[opeldean]

shawn says my ball joints are shot.also I think i need to correct the last slide on spring perch...if you move the perch to the outside..the car will lower..correct?

also picture shows the acute angle of my ball joint..too much angle