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Leaning -- Springs?

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Keith_M

Keith_M

Jedi Knight
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I've noticed that my '65 Sprite is starting to lean towards the driver's side a little. I'm assuming that this is because the springs are getting weak (the car is solid -- no rust to allow sagging).

Is this likely to be only the rear springs? Or do I need to replace both the rear and front springs? I suppose I could just replace the rear springs and see what happens, but I thought I'd check and see if others have had experience with this problem.

Keith
 
Quick/cheap fix. Lower the right front spring pan.

I doubt replacing the springs will solve your problem.
 
I'll try just switching sides of the rear springs. Seems like an easy and cheap solution.
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It might fix the problem if you have a broken leaf in the driver side pack. However, many people have tried this and few people have noticed any difference. While you are swapping springs, you can also do the front fairly quickly using the "long bolt method".

Good luck and let us know if it works out.
 
Trevor Jessie said:


It might fix the problem if you have a broken leaf in the driver side pack. However, many people have tried this and few people have noticed any difference. While you are swapping springs, you can also do the front fairly quickly using the "long bolt method".

Good luck and let us know if it works out.
Click to expand...

I think it might just work because the car leans even when there's no one in it. The driver's side leaf spring isn't broken (at least that I can see), so I suspect it's just a little weaker than the passenger side. I'll do the rear ones first, and if it doesn't help, I try the front ones.

Next weekend...
 
you're following the path of many who have failed. first they try swoping the rear springs side to side. when that doesn't fix it, they buy new springs. when that doesn't fix it, the finally notice that the opposite side front is higher than the drivers side front, do the spring pan thing, which fixes not only the rear end lean, but the front suspension geometry.

Before YOU go down that path, measure the distance from the top of the tire to the body work IN THE FRONT. When you find that the difference is there,.... well let us know what you find.
 
Trevor, would the difference amount to just longer bolt's and a few washer's? What would you expect one would have to lower the spring pan?

Kurt.
 
Doing one side fixes the visual imbalance. Whether it actually changes handling or not would require some serious testing.
 
I put in 3/4" spacers when I put my car together. The springs had a 1" drop I think. With stock wheals they rubbed the inner finders some. With the new wheals they rubbed inside and the bonnet. When I took the spacers out it raised the car about an 1 1/2" at the rocker. I guess I got to cared away. DSCN5247 (1024x768).jpgDSCN6663 (1024x768).jpg
 
I do not know what gets twisted on these cars, but it seems that the suspension points weaken or something twists. I've tried swapping springs on two different cars. Neither fixed the problem. On my car I put 3/8" thick spacers on the passenger front spring pan. It made the car sit almost dead level front and back when I'm seated in the car. The other car belonged to a fellow club member. He took his car to a frame shop and had them even out the suspension points. His car now sits level, but I suspect it will settle back to where it was in a few years time.
 
My Sprite has the opposite of the "bachelor lean" It is right-leaning. The apex of left front wheel well is 24.75 inches off the ground, while the right one is only 23.25 inches. That's a 1.5 inch difference. That difference is consistent going to the rear: Left rear is 19.875 inches from ground to the apex, Right rear is 18.125. Now that is empty, without a driver. I'm thinking it may sit more level with me in it, but I doubt it would make that much of a difference.

I can definitely tell a difference between right turns and left turns. When the car goes left, the right rear tire is far more likely to protest, even under moderate turning forces, than when I make a right turn.

I have a 2 1/4 ton jack and jack stands coming in this week. Obviously, I'm going to have the get the car up off the ground and see what the heck is going on.
 
Yikes!!!! When they went to put new tires on the Sprite, the right rear leaf spring was shorn in half. Only one leaf was keeping the entire suspension from collapsing. I guess that would explain the 1.5 inch difference in ride height! Looks like this might get a bit expensive before all is said an done.
 
SO there are like 10 spring leaves back there. Are you saying all but the long link is broken. Some more description here would help us solve your problem for you.
 
Jim_Gruber said:
SO there are like 10 spring leaves back there. Are you saying all but the long link is broken. Some more description here would help us solve your problem for you.
Click to expand...

I'm really not sure. I didn't see the broken spring, but I do trust this place and if they said the spring had sheared in two, I believe them. He said there were four leaves and only one was left intact, so maybe this was close to one of the spring ends? I was getting a smell of burning rubber from the rear, but I figured that was a combination of the leaning problem with poor tires. I didn't realize the body was rolling right onto the tire. In any case, I did order new springs and associated hardware for the rear end. There goes my repair budget for the next four months.

Until the parts come in, they have a piece of wood between the axle and the frame keeping the car from settling onto the tire. This has definitely corrected the lean, albeit temporarily. The right front, which was also leaning has returned to its correct height with the propping of the rear, so at least my front end seems to be intact.

I knew getting into this that the unexpected is going to happen. I just didn't expect it this soon. The spring appeared fine when I bought the car. I pretty much even know when the spring gave way, I just didn't identify the specific nature of the problem properly. Thank god that I went to replace the tires fairly quickly after the purchase. It would have been ugly if the spring had fully given way while driving, especially if I had my daughter in the car.
 
Is this a square body car or a bug eye?? I forget.

Kurt.
 
Square body. 1969 Mark IV.

I'm just happy it was caught in time. Of course, since I've replaced the rear springs, I guess I can add "front springs" to the project list. If I'm going to end up replacing the underpinnings, I might as well do it right!
 
SaxMan said:
I'm just happy it was caught in time. Of course, since I've replaced the rear springs, I guess I can add "front springs" to the project list. If I'm going to end up replacing the underpinnings, I might as well do it right!
Click to expand...

Definitely a good thing you caught it when you did!

And, ah, the dreaded while-you're-in-in-there's. Figure on bushings, etc while you've got everything apart.
 
drooartz said:
Definitely a good thing you caught it when you did!

And, ah, the dreaded while-you're-in-in-there's. Figure on bushings, etc while you've got everything apart.
Click to expand...

Yes. Ordered all new hardware along with the actual springs. Now, I just wonder how long the shop will have the car. It figures this happens as soon as we get an extended stretch of beautiful top-down weather!
 
Heh, I've never heard of quarters breaking other than maybe some racing dude or rusting to oblivion... Are you sure they weren't snortin the funny stuff??
 
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