Leaning to one side

[bugedd]

I've been trying to figure out why Ms. Scarlet is leaning on the drivers side and was hoping ya'll could help me out. It scares me a bit, as my last yellow bugeye was pretty bent up.
The rear leafs are the "S" bend ones, assuming from Winners Circle. The drivers side rear is 1" lower on the drivers side than the passengers side. I figure its just a sagging leaf, so I called a shop that re-arcs leafs, and they said to measure the difference in the wheel arch, send them the low spring, and they will do what they do to make it right. Seems all too simple, as it seems the bend and spring rate determines the ride height. But part two.....
The front drivers side is low as well, a bit less however. I replaced both front springs with Moss lowering springs thinking the same, a sagging spring. But the drivers side is still low. Drivers side is 1 1/2" from top of tire to bonnet arch, and passengers is 2 1/2". Now to the inner fender its drivers side 2 3/8 from top of the tire to top of inner fender and 2 3/4" on the passengers. Okay, that would mean the bonnet is sitting lower on the drivers side, which it appears the reveal of the bonnet is further down compared to the arch on the drivers side, where as the passenger side its level. The bonnet reveals are clean and equal all the way around. This confuses me.
Okay, thoughts? Hopefully I explained that clearly

 

[drooartz]

Bachelor's Lean.

Most of these cars will lean a bit to the driver's side -- the result of having only one person in the car for many miles. Can be frustrating to sort out, as it's not always intuitive to fix. Others will be along with better information.

 

[hoefnix]

Exchange the left and right leaf springs and drive along for many miles with a car leaning to the other side.
After some time it will be level (assuming that the driver side leaf spring is a little tired )

 

[bugedd]

I would do the swap, but the springs have the "S" bend in them for tire clearance, making them side specific.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Try installing some 3/8" thick lowering spacers on the front passenger side coil spring pan.

 

[bugedd]

Good call. I'm going to have the rear spring that is sagging re-arched, but I keep reading how its very temporary unless its tempered which is a bummer.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

How do you know the rear spring is sagging? If you are wanting to make everything "correct" then take both springs to have them matched.

 

[bugedd]

I'd imagine it would have to be sagging if there is a 1" discrepancy between the two sides

 

[Trevor Jessie]

I had a midget with close to a one inch difference. I tried to fix it by swapping the springs and ... it still was one inch lower. So I swapped the front springs... still no difference. The body had just taken on a twist.

 

[bugedd]

No way to fix that.

 

[chea-pass]

New guy here - not much street cred yet, but maybe check for a clapped out shock or two. Just a thought.

 

[bugedd]

I have not, good thought. As the shock is merely a damper, it won't control the ride height, just the spring would. One thing I noticed is when pushing down on the sagging side of the car, the suspension feels rough. I may pull both leafs today and check them out, maybe pull them apart and grease between the leafs and put in new bushings before I look into rearching them.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

True, you could have something binding. If you pick up on the low side and let it down easy does the car sit level?

 

[bugedd]

Today I tore into it and this is what I found...

The good spring is behind the clearly cracked bad spring. Guess 2 of 3 leafs could cause a 1" sag on one side I sent in the broken one and the opposite side to Morris Springs in Stockton to see if they can recreate the broken leaf. Keep your fingers crossed!