Author Topic: body twisted or something else????? (Read 7512 times)

Banditboy21 · « **on:** July 03, 2006, 10:09:00 PM »

does anyone know how to tell if the body is twisted or flexed in my 79 t-top ta. just got done replacing ALL of the suspesion front and rear with new springs , shocks , poly bushings and when u look at the car from the rear it sags a lot on the driver side when i measurd the height there was a 1 1/2 to 2 inch differnce between the driver and passenger side. so i fear that maybe the body might be twisted. any ideas in anything to check for would be appreciated

Tin Indians Rule · « **Reply #1 on:** July 03, 2006, 11:44:00 PM »

Be sure you have a matched set of springs for your application. Had the same problem with an 81 Z-28 and the trouble was two-fold. 1st the left front spring was not fully seated in the lower control arm and that made about an inch of difference once corrected. 2nd I bought a set of cheapo springs from Western Auto and they were different if you measured the thickness of each coil. Not saying thats you're trouble... but check to be sure you have the end of the coil visable looking through the inspection hole in the lower control arm.

Banditboy21 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 03, 2006, 11:53:40 PM »

this is the rear of the car leaf springs not the front the problem is tge rear of the car

ta78w72 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 04, 2006, 10:56:53 AM »

Well, you could get out your tape measure and check the spring distance from the body one side to the other. This must be maddening.

Banditboy21 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 04, 2006, 12:18:22 PM »

already did that that is how i came up with 1 1/2 to 2 inches of difference

Tin Indians Rule · « **Reply #5 on:** July 04, 2006, 01:19:55 PM »

Are both rear leaf springs the same length, same number of plates? Was it like this before you replaced all the bushings and springs? Is there any evidence of repair to the spring hanger at the rear? Did you buy NEW rear leaf springs?

Banditboy21 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 04, 2006, 01:56:22 PM »

Brand new leaf springs, same length ,part numbers the car sagged alittle bit but thought it was just because of the old leaf springs in it were bad. it has 5 leafs in each and no repairs what so ever to the hangers

Tin Indians Rule · « **Reply #7 on:** July 04, 2006, 02:30:14 PM »

Did it sag evenly on both sides prior to the leaf spring install? You don't mention in the post... but the engine is not in the car, is it?

Banditboy21 · « **Reply #8 on:** July 04, 2006, 03:40:35 PM »

dont remember if the car sagged evenly the car has engine and everything in it been driving around this past week

Tin Indians Rule · « **Reply #9 on:** July 04, 2006, 04:07:38 PM »

Well, Thats about all I know to check without putting the car on a jig or lift and pulling a tape measure to all the alignment points.

Don't rule out the front coil springs yet. Can you see the end of the coil by looking through the tiny inspection hole in the lower control arm? If yes, and all the bushings, springs, etc are all double checked it may be time to have a frame/body shop check it.

Keep us posted. It's driving me nuts too. :?

Banditboy21 · « **Reply #10 on:** July 04, 2006, 04:14:37 PM »

u can see the coil springs in the inspection holes of the lower control arms so they should be good when looking at the back of the leaf springs i noticed that the passenger side shackle is going straight up and down and the driver side shackle is angled towards that back of the car so i thinkk that may have something to do with it

Tin Indians Rule · « **Reply #11 on:** July 04, 2006, 04:27:52 PM »

I'd say so. that could very well cause the problem. I thought they were supposed to be able to pivot. Could one be over tightened? Whew, that would be great if that were the root of your woes.

81BlackTA · « **Reply #12 on:** July 04, 2006, 08:08:15 PM »

I was selling some parts to kid one time and he had a twisted 80 TA. I checked it over for him and found that it had two distinct problems both caused from the car being in the ditch at one time. The body mount under the heater core box was actually bent a bit. There were some creases in the firewall where the mount box was welded to the firewall. The creases were not apparent until I compared his to mine. He did not know that the car had been in the ditch since he bought only a few months before. Frame machine was the fix for it. In the rear the head of the center bolt was sheared of where it goes into the spring pad. The right rear wheel was 1.25" behind the left wheel. That was easy to fix, new centerbolt.
My car had also suffered from what I thought was body flex and showed up on the drivers side quarter panel/roof seam. The factory fill had cracked at the seam and had the be ground out, welded and refilled. That leaded seam really stinks when it burns. I'm sure I'll get lung cancer some day from that job.
Are your tires all the same size?

81BlackTA · « **Reply #13 on:** July 04, 2006, 08:09:54 PM »

I didnt see your post about the shackle...you probably found it