Car leans

[Bill Hartwick]

I have the 1952 London Roadter and it lean to the passenger side. So low that the passener side frount tire can rub when. turning to the left. Would air shocks help or just new shocks.The frount and back both lean. What should I check?

[Toller]

Bill
You are going to have to provide some additional info. Is the car a VW pan or Chev/Ford chassis? Can you post pics? What is the difference between the left and right, measuring on a level surface, measure from floor to common chassis points on left side and right side. Pushing down on the tub on the right side then the left is there a difference in shock travel?

David B Dixon
Port Perry ON CA
Sabine

[Royal]

I don’t think that going to air shocks is the correct way to fix this problem.  You would be able to level the car but would adversely affect handling.

I would predict that there is one or more torsion leaves in the front suspension beams that have either come loose from their grub screws or they have broken.  The torsion leaves are available and are not very expensive.  The work involved is described either in the “dummies” book or on Rob & Daves website.  I have done it, and if you are confident in your mechanical ability and have a good toolbox, it’s doable.

Check old (circa 2011-12) postings of mine and you will see the procedure.

[edward ericson]

I’d start by inspecting the undercarriage and the front suspension. Check to make sure the beam (assuming this is a VW-based kit) is properly bolted to the chassis. THEN LOOK AT WHAT IT’S BOLTED TO. The frame head is a common place for rust. If it’s real bad the car could start to list and there nothing more dangerous.

If all the metal’s there and accounted-for, try greasing the front beam. It is not unheard-of for the torsion leaves to get “sticky” from disuse. Roy’s advice is also good: disassembly of the front is pretty easy and if you’re problem is a broken or loose leaf you’re golden.

The rear torsion bars are harder to get at but the can be reindexed individually. It’s a tricky job but has been step-by-step photo-illustrated on TheSamba and elsewhere. Google rear torsion bar adjustment indexing VW

Report back what you find; usually these cars sag on the driver’s side, where the fat guy sits.

[Author]

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