Many of you have read my posts about the leaning problem my Camaro has (about 1/2" to 3/4" high on passenger side). I have tried almost everything imaginable to fix the problem- new subframe, all new coils/ leafs, shocks, bushings, balljoints, tierods etc.

Recently I completely disassembled the rear suspension having isolated the problem to the passenger side back corner (leafspring holding the car up). After reassembly the car still leans! I am begining to think that something is wrong with the body or there is damage to the rear frame rail. I can't see any obvious dings or bends in the rail.

The only solution seems to be pointing toward fabricating a lowering block for the passenger side. Will this adversely affect the handling of the car? Any other possible complications? My theory is that since that corner is holding the car up (or is twisted up) then lowering will bring everything back into balance.

Could there be any other things to check before I go to the trouble of adding this lowering block? Easier ways to get the car level? Maybe shim the body?

I'm about at wits end trying to figure this one out!

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See my '68 RS/ZZ4 (http://www.100megsfree.com/choptop/camaro.html)

Driving wise, you should try to equalize the weight on the tires.
It would be great if you could put the car on four scales and measure the weight on each wheel, then shim toward leveling the car and making the car equal on corner weights as possible.

You should do this with all sway bars disconnected at one end link, then after shimming, you can shim the sway bar end links to make them level with no pre-load as needed.

What is of concern is to NOT have any cross weight in the car. For instance IF the weights were equal NOW, and you shim the right rear, the right front and left rear would recieve more of the car's weight.

The car would oversteer when turning right, understeer when turning left.
When going straight ahead, the car would probably pull right.
David

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Check my web page for First Gen Camaro suspension info:
David's Motorsports page (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/David_Pozzi/)
First Gen Suspension Page (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/David_Pozzi/first_gen_suspension.htm)
67 RS 327 original owner. 69 Camaro Vintage Racer, 65 Lola T-70 Chev SB Can-Am Vintage Racer

[This message has been edited by davidpozzi (edited 09-16-2002).]

Does your car have welded in subframe connectors ?

If so, maybe they are welded in crooked.

The speed shop that welded my subs in squared the body before welding.

Best of luck finding the prob.

Just curious....what is the height measurement of each side of the car at the rear fenders? My car too has a "lean" to it as well. I too have replaced springs and shocks to no avail.

David

I don't know if this is burried waaay long ago in the beginnings of the thread, but have you checked the arch of your rear springs? In particular, there's a few places that will "re-arch" your rear leaf springs to be sure that they have the correct curvature. Perhaps one spring has more curve than another when not under load?

Dunno... it's an idea. Hope it might help! http://www.camaros.net/forum/smile.gif
Chris

Impzilla, I have no subframe connectors, I'd like to put some in but don't want to with the car leaning such as it is.

Camaro_nut, I am relatively sure the springs are evenly arched. I have swapped the springs from side to side with the same end result. This leads me to beleive that something else is amiss.

Davidhm, see my site: http://www.100megsfree.com/choptop/hotchkis.html and http://www.100megsfree.com/choptop/More%20susp.html for some measurements.

David Pozzi, is it possible that the front subframe that I had installed is not square with the body? Could this be the cause of the leaning (assuming they put the new one in the same alignment position as the old one)? This could explain why there has been no change in the leaning since then. The old sub was tweaked pretty badly, there was a big kink in the main crossbrace and some warp on the outside rail rearward from the steering box.


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See my '68 RS/ZZ4 (http://www.100megsfree.com/choptop/camaro.html)

I think this was brought up in a previous post on the same subject, but have you checked to see if the axle tube on the right side has turned in the center housing? If it has, it will cause the spring perches to not be parallel with each other, and one side will be higher than the other.

Wow, hadn't thought of that Kyvox! Could very well explain the whole deal. Is this a fairly common problem? Do I have to pull the rear completely out to check it?

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See my '68 RS/ZZ4 (http://www.100megsfree.com/choptop/camaro.html)

You might take it to a frame shop to get it checked out. Something might be wrong with the subframe mounts or who knows where...
David

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Check my web page for First Gen Camaro suspension info:
David's Motorsports page (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/David_Pozzi/)
First Gen Suspension Page (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/David_Pozzi/first_gen_suspension.htm)
67 RS 327 original owner. 69 Camaro Vintage Racer, 65 Lola T-70 Chev SB Can-Am Vintage Racer

Thanks David, I think that is the next logical step and the direction I will be heading.

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See my '68 RS/ZZ4 (http://www.100megsfree.com/choptop/camaro.html)

i would look into what kyvoxx said . my car also leans . it was hit pretty hard on the left side before i bought it but the damage was not revealed until the car was diasembled for restoration . the body was pulled professionally , two new rear quarters, a trunk pan plus a rear clip and it still leans its getting painted now but as soon as its back , in with the new rear end . good luck

Hmmm, this is getting interesting. I do know my car took a hit on the passenger rear area at one time because the trunk pan is wrinkled slightly by the inner wheel well. Strangely enough this is where the height problem is occuring.

The really weird thing is that when I had the car supported by the rocker panels (to re-do the springs) the car sat perfectly level!

I wonder if the passenger wheel took a hit and messed up the spring perch position on that side?

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See my '68 RS/ZZ4 (http://www.100megsfree.com/choptop/camaro.html)

you may have already checked this, but i had a lean to the drivers side before and after replacing all suspension components. i took the car to a frame shop -- they checked and measured everything -- kept the car for almost a month. turned out to be one of the body bushing "pockets". it was a little rusty and starting to collapse. welded in some support and seems to have taken care of it.

in some other threads, we have discussed this topic. This problem seems so pervasive that in these other threads we have sometimes come to the conclusion that it is a problem that happens to all first gens... possibly because of torque slowly twisting the car over time? I think with how many people have this problem, it is probably an inherent design flaw. That is just my opinion though. http://www.camaros.net/forum/smile.gif

I have the same problem with my convertible. I just had it aligned and was told it needed an offset bushing on the passengers side in order to get it within spec., but just on the right side (the same side that sits approx. 3/4" higher than the drivers side). I'm guessing this is due to chasis flex or the fron sub-frame sagging. This same car has the worst cowl shake I've ever felt. I was considering sub-frame connectors even though it's a pace car and I hate to alter it too much. I guess my next step is the frame shop. Oh BTW, it has all new springs and shocks.

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Camaro Club of Kansas City (http://www.camaroclubkc.com)

I am really starting to wonder if the problem, as boodlefoof suggests, comes from years of torque warping the underbody slightly. Perhaps the driver's front body mount gets forced upward slightly by the engine torque applied to the frame.

I do know that on my car the clearance between the frame and floorpan on the driver's side (at the area where the frame first curves upward)is somewhat less than on the passenger side at the same point. Maybe a few washers shimming this mounting point (or both on the drive'rs side) would effectively "raise" the car slightly on the driver's side at the front end and make the car level again?

Can a frame shop tell if this could be the problem?

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See my '68 RS/ZZ4 (http://www.100megsfree.com/choptop/camaro.html)