C2 Rear Spring - Car sits uneven

[Ken K.]

I took the rear suspension (spring, both control arms, 1/2 shafts, and shocks)
out of my '67 to detail the bottom. I just got done with putting all the parts back onto the car. Now the car is about one inch higher on the drivers side then the pass side. I removed the spring again and flipped it around, thinking that one side of the spring may be weaker then the other, NO luck, same thing. The spring is in the center hole, and I don't torque the bolts until the car is sitting on the level surface. Is there anything I should check? or adjust? Thanks Ken

[Stephen L.]

Re: C2 Rear Spring - Car sits uneven

Drive the car around the block and then see what you have. Sometimes the rear suspension won't setle until you do this. Also try loosening the trailing arm bolts before you take the SHORT drive.....

[Duke W.]

Re: C2 Rear Spring - Car sits uneven

Did you install new spring link cushions?

Duke

[Gary B.]

Re: C2 Rear Spring - Car sits uneven

Ken,

Did the high side switch when you flipped the spring side for side? If not, seems like it's not the
spring.

Gary

[Ken K.]

Re: C2 Rear Spring - Car sits uneven

No, after flipping the spring, the drivers side was still the high side.(Its NOT the spring). No I used the same spring link cushions, I should have put new ones on. Ken

[Joe L.]

Re: C2 Rear Spring - Car sits uneven

Ken-----

You MUST ALWAYS use new cushions when you re-assemble the spring. NEVER, EVER reuse the cushions.

If the NEW cushions don't solve the problem, then the problem is not in the suspension. It's in the body-to-frame mounting/shimming. This is VERY common in Corvettes. My 1969 was like this from the day it was new.

[Jim K.]

Re: C2 Rear Spring - Car sits uneven

Maybe before you removed it, it was uneven and you didn't notice it. Jim

[James W.]

Re: C2 Rear Spring - Car sits uneven

Kevin,

My '64 convertible is the same way. The right rear sits about 1 inch lower than the left. I recently went through the rear brakes and while I had the car on jacks I installed new cushions on both sides and had the car's suspension re-aligned. The new cushions were not the answer for me. I rebuilt the rear diff, trailing arms and religned the rear spring about 12 years ago. That is when I first noticed the car not sitting level. At that time, I did not know that you were not to torque the leaf spring attachment bolts while the car was suspended on jack stands. I'm wondering if jacking the car back up loosening the bolts lowering the car back to the ground a retorqing the bolts would help. I always pondered whether you could adjust the ride height by using a longer trailing arm to leaf spring bolt or some type of shim arrangement at the leaf spring/ cushion? I don't want to do this since it is only a band aid fix for what is actually causing the problem. One question I do have is would it make any difference if I installed a new spring liner between leafs 6 and 7 where I understand there is not supposed to be one? Duke... Anyone? Anyone? Beuhler?

Regards,

James West
Omaha, NE.
1964 Convertible #9258

[Jack W.]

Re: C2 Rear Spring - Car sits uneven

I am no Duke or Joe L, but I did just replace my rear spring, freshen up the rear suspension (new cushions, new Bilsteins all around, new spring end-bolts, etc.) and I can also identify with the others whose car was uneven when looking at it from the rear (mine was low on the p-side before I embarked on that rear suspension mission, although such was not the reason for the effort - and the rear remained unbalanced afterwards too). It is unlikey a rear spring would deform on one side only and be the cause, flipping the spring and still having the unbalanced situation rules that out. It is also quite unlikely that you could achieve an unbalanced situation to that magnitude (1/2 inch, 1 inch, etc.) by torquing down the leaf spring (against the rear diff) in a one-sided unbalanced fashion, but a visual inspection of the spring in that area would confirm that it is essentially snugged up against the diff on both the left and right sides. And, no way could inserting a leaf spring liner (which does not favor any one side) be the solution.

What you need to do, before proceeding to any "cures", is to take some measurements to determine right now if it is (a) your frame or (b) your body that is out of kilter. Obviously, the body looks like it is higher on one side right now, so measuring it won't decide the issue but it will give you a baseline to compare to once you have tried some fixes (some wise man can tell you where the "approved" measurement spots are, I happen to think top of the rear fender lip is a good place, measuring to the bumper is a bad idea since they themselves can get out of whack). To determine whether it is the frame and suspension or the body, you need to measure the frame to ground distance on each rear side (again, experts will tell you where, so does the Shop manual) - that will likely measure out even, meaning the area to adjust is where your body is sitting on the frame - shims for that readily available.

I offer these thoughts based on my own, recent experience with the same issue.

[Duke W.]

Re: C2 Rear Spring - Car sits uneven

If the car looks uneven the first thing to do is measure the "Z" and "D" dimensions as outlined in the AIM or service manual, and compare it to spec. Now you have something objective to go by.

It's possible that a rear spring could have a broken leaf, and it may require disassembly to find it.

There were also different length spring link bolts used over the years, so they should be measured to ensure they are the same length.

Duke

[James W.]

Re: C2 Rear Spring - Car sits uneven

Duke,

Would happen to know the application or when the length of the spring bolts changes? Possibly what the different lengths might be as compared to what I have? The bolts are the originals that were on the car when I restored it. When I refurbished the spring back in 1991, I examined each leaf for cracks and pitting prior to putting it back together. I found no evidence of any cracks on any of the leaves after I bead blasted them.

Thanks for your input.

James West

[Duke W.]

Re: C2 Rear Spring - Car sits uneven

I recall that Joe L. went over this some time ago. Regardless of whether they are correct or not measure their lengths. If they are different, there's your answer.

Are you saying the rear ride height has been uneven since 1991?

Duke

[James W.]

Re: C2 Rear Spring - Car sits uneven

That's when I really noticed it, after I had put everything back together. I restored the car in 1982 and did not notice it at that time and up to the point in 1991 when I dismantle the rear suspension do to differential bearing replacement.

James West

[frank mccracken]

New Bushings?

Joe; I'm wondering why one must never re-use spring link bushings if in good condition?

[Joe L.]

Re: New Bushings?

Frank-----

The bushings compress and distort after installation. It's just not worth fooling around with used bushings for the cost of them. I replace them whenever I remove the spring bolts. In actuality, the cushions should probably be replaced far more often than they ordinarily are replaced.

Also, GM recommends that the cushions AND the spring bolts be replaced whenever they are dis-assembled.