Drivers side sits higher than passenger side in rear, opposite in front

[SN95_Project]

I searched a few forums on this. On here, it looks like it was due to spring orientation. I confirmed with maximum motorsports (who I bought the suspension from) that this is not the case for me.

If you look at the car from the rear, the driver's side sits about 1 1/4-1 1/2" higher than passenger - has since I bought it. Didn't notice it when I bought it, but it has been that way for the two years I've owned it. On the front, the passenger side sits a bit higher (maybe 1/4"? Not sure f it's significant). I need to check on the front if the suspension was tightened down with the suspension under load or hanging. I put in new LCAs on the front (the OEM kind). In the rear, I put in MMs lower control arms, so those bushings should actually twist. I had hoped replacing the suspension would fix it. It did not.

I can put a spacer on the driver's side spring, I suppose (car is a cruiser only - not a drag or track car), but would that cause adverse effects? Any tips? I did read on some other forums that it could be "frame" damage. If that's the case, would welding in the subframe connectors help? Not looking to make it mint, but definitely want it safe and no real eye sores.

Thank you!

 

[cobrajeff96]

What material are the bushings in the arms you replaced? Factory rubber, polyurethane, Delrin, spherical Heim joint?

If it's anything other than Delrin or a Heim joint, the torque procedure is important. I say this because a bushing can become a spring itself. Both rubber and poly will deform under suspension movement and bind up at a certain amount of travel, but that's ok. What's not ok is when the final torque on the fasteners is done when the car isn't fully loaded under its own weight on the ground. If you torque a rubber or poly joint not fully loaded, once the car is all the way back on the ground with full weight the suspension then articulates and twisting of the bushing has the chance to become excessive, adding spring to one side, the other, or both. Not saying it's what happened to you, but it is possible it happened and worth jogging the memory over.

 

[SN95_Project]

What material are the bushings in the arms you replaced? Factory rubber, polyurethane, Delrin, spherical Heim joint?

If it's anything other than Delrin or a Heim joint, the torque procedure is important. I say this because a bushing can become a spring itself. Both rubber and poly will deform under suspension movement and bind up at a certain amount of travel, but that's ok. What's not ok is when the final torque on the fasteners is done when the car isn't fully loaded under its own weight on the ground. If you torque a rubber or poly joint not fully loaded, once the car is all the way back on the ground with full weight the suspension then articulates and twisting of the bushing has the chance to become excessive, adding spring to one side, the other, or both. Not saying it's what happened to you, but it is possible it happened and worth jogging the memory over.

The bushings in question are polyurethane and do not bind on the crush tube (I think that's the name of it...). Per MM, I should be ok regardless. To your point though, I am not 100% sure if the front was torqued down under pressure or not. I should check that. Thank you!

 

[cobrajeff96]

I think not all poly is created equal. They have a range of shore hardness or durometer. Some are softer than others, but yea most poly will probably be fine.

 

[SN95_Project]

I think not all poly is created equal. They have a range of shore hardness or durometer. Some are softer than others, but yea most poly will probably be fine.

Agreed, but in this case, it's not molded into the arm. It's greased and then hand pressed in. It's designed to rotate.

 

[cobrajeff96]

They can still bind, ask me how I know.

The messed up thing about putting polys on OEM stuff is that really the OEM stuff should have nothing but rubber anyways. The faces of the material where the poly will contact are not smooth. They dig into the shoulders of the poly and mangle them up, plus OEM suspension movement is not in a single plane and there's a double whammy happening to a bushing that was never meant to go into a stock geometry system.

 

[RAU03MACH]

Any accidents on front end or rear ended
Week springs
Bent upper lower control arm
Week shock

Mine was mostly shocks and bushings as mentioned

 

[badass98svt]

Figure out the rear, and the front will level out.

 

[SN95_Project]

Any accidents on front end or rear ended
Week springs
Bent upper lower control arm
Week shock

Mine was mostly shocks and bushings as mentioned

Apologies as I just saw this. Sorry!

No accidents that I know of on rear end. springs are new. Control arms are new. Shocks are new. It COULD be one of those I suppose, but unlikely.

 

[@mustangdearborn]

I searched a few forums on this. On here, it looks like it was due to spring orientation. I confirmed with maximum motorsports (who I bought the suspension from) that this is not the case for me.

If you look at the car from the rear, the driver's side sits about 1 1/4-1 1/2" higher than passenger - has since I bought it. Didn't notice it when I bought it, but it has been that way for the two years I've owned it. On the front, the passenger side sits a bit higher (maybe 1/4"? Not sure f it's significant). I need to check on the front if the suspension was tightened down with the suspension under load or hanging. I put in new LCAs on the front (the OEM kind). In the rear, I put in MMs lower control arms, so those bushings should actually twist. I had hoped replacing the suspension would fix it. It did not.

I can put a spacer on the driver's side spring, I suppose (car is a cruiser only - not a drag or track car), but would that cause adverse effects? Any tips? I did read on some other forums that it could be "frame" damage. If that's the case, would welding in the subframe connectors help? Not looking to make it mint, but definitely want it safe and no real eye sores.

Thank you!

Interesting situation. How is the passenger side front wheel caster? If it is further back than the driver's front wheel, it may happen that the passenger's front side itself is higher, as well as the driver's side rear wheel. Note this if possible.

 

[SN95_Project]

Interesting situation. How is the passenger side front wheel caster? If it is further back than the driver's front wheel, it may happen that the passenger's front side itself is higher, as well as the driver's side rear wheel. Note this if possible.

Sorry for the late response. Looks like this is the case. Additionally, it looks as if the rear has "mellowed" a bit. Runs about 3/4" higher now that everything has settled in. Similar number on the front passenger side. Thinking frame twist b/c of this...