Several weeks ago, I was whining to the list about the approx. 1 inch
difference in body height over the front wheels on my '76. I promised
to pass along the solution if ever I found one.
To recap, I had rebuilt the suspension--mild comp springs, Spax
adjustables on the front, Apple hydraulics on the rear, nylon bushings
throughout. I hadn't noticed the difference before the rebuild, so I
assumed I'd put something back together wrong. But loaded spring
height, ground clearance, and everything else on the suspension I could
measure were identical on both sides. I even removed and reinstalled
the rear springs and was planning to do the same to the front. I
wondered about damage, but the PO--who is an honorable man--swears the
car has never been wrecked and three mechanics who inspected it have
told me they believe him. The local alignment shop told me all four
wheels were aligned but they couldn't explain the difference in body
height. I was losing sleep.
A couple days ago, I took it to a good body shop to check for frame
twist--before tackling the front springs--and voila! Someone--probably
the honorable PO--had jacked the car up from behind the wheel well,
instead of using a jack point on the frame. The seam underneath where
the wing meets the floor panel was crimped--which I had noticed before
and now seems so obviously the cause--pushing the entire wing up over
the wheel. Maybe I hadn't noticed the problem earlier because it wasn't
as obvious with the tired stock springs. (I used TRF springs on the
rebuild that raise the overall ride by an inch.) Or maybe I just missed
it. The frame man had it on the rack for about 5 hours, pulling the
wing back into position and verifying all the frame measurements. He
even straightened the bent seam. It's perfect. Cost: about $200. So,
I'm finally driving a straight, level car and I am smiling.
Thanks again to everyone who offered advice and especially those who
suggested I have the frame checked. This list is a God-send for
mechanic wanna-be's like me.
Ian
CF57345U
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