Car Leans Toward Drivers Side

GT-apb

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So my car leans toward the drivers side. This is before and after changing all 4 springs.
Before measurements:
LF 14 3/16" RF 14 1/2"
LR 14 7/8" RR 15 3/8"

After measurements:
LF 13 5/16" RF 13 7/8"
LR 14" RR 14 1/4"

The after measurements are after letting it settle out. Any ideas?
 

Iceman62

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She's not off much & there are "tolerance levels" w/ suspension settings. I'm no expert, but those minute differences wouldn't bother me.
 

07 Boss

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I would switch the springs from side to side. That way when you get in it might be level.
 

kazman59

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Just putting this here for future reference.
Mine, measured at the wheel CL, top of wheel well arch.

M-FR3A-MSVTA SUSPENSION

•RF 26-15/16 •LF 27-1/16
•RR 28-13/16 •LR 28-15/16
 

Iceman62

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^^^Kind of my point.^^^

I don't believe you'll ever reach "perfect" balance in a car's suspension measurement. There are too many factors f/ consideration (e.g. weight transfer, sag, part variance, etc.). I say, don't sweat the small stuff & enjoy your new suspension upgrade.
 

GT-apb

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Thanks for the replies, I guess its just noticeable to me because I see it everyday lol. The wife is a tiny girl, don't think she'd appreciate a larger woman riding shotgun lol. I'll just leave it be, it doesn't effect the ride.
 

JEWC_Motorsports

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Almost every car leans to the driver's side. Nothing wrong with the car. Just a factory setup.
 

86GT351

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So my car leans toward the drivers side. This is before and after changing all 4 springs.
Before measurements:
LF 14 3/16" RF 14 1/2"
LR 14 7/8" RR 15 3/8"

After measurements:
LF 13 5/16" RF 13 7/8"
LR 14" RR 14 1/4"

The after measurements are after letting it settle out. Any ideas?
It is not off much. Try and rotating the R/R spring slightly. Are you 100% sure they are installed correctly. There is a specific direction the lower portion of the spring end should face. For the rear the end of the spring should point down the centerline of the rear
 

GT-apb

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It is not off much. Try and rotating the R/R spring slightly. Are you 100% sure they are installed correctly. There is a specific direction the lower portion of the spring end should face. For the rear the end of the spring should point down the centerline of the rear
It looks like the bottom of both are not facing correctly. I know the fronts are seated into the strut in the correct way.
 

Long Stroke

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I'd also break loose the lower control arm bolts and re-tighten at ride height, just in case. Clock the springs the right/same way too.
 

1950StangJump$

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I put adjustable springs/struts on mine, and I drove myself crazy trying to get an even height . . . especially when you start balancing that against trying to even out the wheel gap.

As others have said, I eventually lived with a certain about of "tolerance."

Also note, once I lowered it, it became very evident that the k-member was not centered up front. The driver's side wheel tucks inside the fender 1/8" - 3/16" further than the passenger side. I compensated a little with camber changes, but I had to keep that within acceptable parameters too, so there was more give and take there.
 

07 Boss

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It is not off much. Try and rotating the R/R spring slightly. Are you 100% sure they are installed correctly. There is a specific direction the lower portion of the spring end should face. For the rear the end of the spring should point down the centerline of the rear


I can't ever remember clocking my rear springs. I can't remember in any of the installs I've done where the instructions had you orient the pigtail of the spring. BMR and Eibach are the only instructions I've read. When I put my CobraJet springs in I didn't read an install instructions.
 

GlassTop09

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Almost every car leans to the driver's side. Nothing wrong with the car. Just a factory setup.
This...……………...

Factory designs this to match road pitch drainage requirements....all public paved roads are crowned (or should be) to provide drainage to reduce hydroplaning so when car is on Rt side of road (US) in order to maintain proper alignment angles to prevent excessive drifting Rt the car is built to be slightly lower on the driver side than the passenger side to realign back to level when on the Rt side road crown angle. It's built into the unibody side spring mounts\shock towers so is usually maintained regardless of spring height change unless intentionally changed thus springs will need to be designed to be designated to specific placement on the unibody chassis (usually be marked to which side to be installed) or physically modified (was the usual practice back in the day by applying several methods....some methods were just stupid & dangerous but when young & broke being cool was more important sometimes than being safe.....ask me how I know) to achieve any suspension position\usage outside of the factory built in design. But as springs age they will settle & will also conform more to where the chassis normal corner weight imbalance is commonly located...…..

So if you're looking at your car when it's sitting in your driveway or anywhere where the surface is flat\level instead of crowned this lean will become more noticeable. As jewc75 has posted, there's nothing wrong w\ the car.

Coilovers are the exception as they are designed to be individually set up\adjusted by the user but some coilover manuf's will provide a standard initial setting position for installation purposes when street usage is intended....guess why that is? They were also not initially designed for public street road use either...………...their existence was strictly for racing suspension purposes but their popularity in the racing circuits found them migrating over into street use......as is the case w\ most of the automotive advancements we commonly enjoy today & take for granted.

So if this car leaning issue is really an issue for some the real, safer & permanent fix for you is to install a full set of coilovers then set all up to individual tastes then as things age\change they can be easily readjusted to realign all back to kilter...……….

In the end it's your money so your choice...…..

Just thought I'd give the engineering reasoning for what is being noticed to this discussion for those who may be interested as these cars are factory produced w\ mass transportation purposes on public roads as the main focus so they need to conform to the Federal\State public road design parameters to maintain safe operation while driven on them.

How many have ever noticed when driving down a 2-lane paved hiway while crossing the center lane to enter the opposite (left) lane passing a slower vehicle that the car would tend to slightly over steer (excessively drift) towards the left...…….but would magically recover when crossing back over to the right lane...……...?
 

Bullitt2954

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This...……………...

Factory designs this to match road pitch drainage requirements....all public paved roads are crowned (or should be) to provide drainage to reduce hydroplaning so when car is on Rt side of road (US) in order to maintain proper alignment angles to prevent excessive drifting Rt the car is built to be slightly lower on the driver side than the passenger side to realign back to level when on the Rt side road crown angle. It's built into the unibody side spring mounts\shock towers so is usually maintained regardless of spring height change unless intentionally changed thus springs will need to be designed to be designated to specific placement on the unibody chassis (usually be marked to which side to be installed) or physically modified (was the usual practice back in the day by applying several methods....some methods were just stupid & dangerous but when young & broke being cool was more important sometimes than being safe.....ask me how I know) to achieve any suspension position\usage outside of the factory built in design. But as springs age they will settle & will also conform more to where the chassis normal corner weight imbalance is commonly located...…..

So if you're looking at your car when it's sitting in your driveway or anywhere where the surface is flat\level instead of crowned this lean will become more noticeable. As jewc75 has posted, there's nothing wrong w\ the car.

Coilovers are the exception as they are designed to be individually set up\adjusted by the user but some coilover manuf's will provide a standard initial setting position for installation purposes when street usage is intended....guess why that is? They were also not initially designed for public street road use either...………...their existence was strictly for racing suspension purposes but their popularity in the racing circuits found them migrating over into street use......as is the case w\ most of the automotive advancements we commonly enjoy today & take for granted.

So if this car leaning issue is really an issue for some the real, safer & permanent fix for you is to install a full set of coilovers then set all up to individual tastes then as things age\change they can be easily readjusted to realign all back to kilter...……….

In the end it's your money so your choice...…..

Just thought I'd give the engineering reasoning for what is being noticed to this discussion for those who may be interested as these cars are factory produced w\ mass transportation purposes on public roads as the main focus so they need to conform to the Federal\State public road design parameters to maintain safe operation while driven on them.

How many have ever noticed when driving down a 2-lane paved hiway while crossing the center lane to enter the opposite (left) lane passing a slower vehicle that the car would tend to slightly over steer (excessively drift) towards the left...…….but would magically recover when crossing back over to the right lane...……...?

That reminds me of the early 2nd-Generation DSMs (Eagle Talon, Mitsubishi Eclipse - mid ‘90s Turbo Rocketships) where the Front Passenger and Driver side lower control-arms were actually TWO different lengths, ostensibly to compensate for “Crown”, as you pointed-out above.

Several people spent considerable time and effort to “correct” this in the AutoX world, IIRC - to get the cars to turn Equally-well right and left.
 

1950StangJump$

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It became obvious to me when I lowered my car that the left front wheel is tucked under the fender further than the right . . . I estimate about 3/16". It triggered my OCD, and I even mitigated with camber adjustments (staying within tolerances).

I assumed it was nothing more than a tolerance issue with the k-member install. Starting to wonder though if it is related to the left lean you guys say is typical.
 

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