I've done some googling, and some searching here, but to no avail. I have a 32 ford that my Father built around 28 years ago. I've owned the car for about the last 10 years now. I pulled it apart this summer to re-do the suspension bushings, tie rods etc... and change the color from "rusty/flaking" chrome to all black. Car is back together now, and sitting about 1/2" higher on the Passenger side. Orginally I thought I just needed to adjust the C/O pre-load in the rear, but that didn't seem to change anything. I have more adjustment, but I think my issue may be in the front. Today I pulled the axle from the spring to make sure it wasn't bound up, as I could see that the front was not level either. I pulled the spring out, made sure it was centered in the crossmember, and reinstalled. Bolted the front end all back together, and it's still no level. For details and information, It has a Pete and Jakes 5" drop tube axle, Posies dual-flex spring, hairpins with ford tie rod and the 4 link bushing type ends on the batwing end, and a panhard bar. Rear is a 4 link 9" with ride-tech coil overs. Could the hairpin adjustment, or panhard bar be causing this? Or what am I missing? The front end is pretty dang simple. Wondering if I just have something adjusted a little bit wonky. FWIW, I haven't really driven the car yet more than about 2 miles since I reassembled it. Here's some pics, but I can take more if it helps.
I've built 100's of buggy spring rears and occasionally one wouldn't sit level. It didn't take much to get them level. I went down to the local big truck alignment shop and got the thinnest 2.25 pinion wedges they had. It didn't take much, it worked and they never fell out. Probably not the perfect solution but when your working with s customer a thousand miles away it was a solution that worked.
Where did you install these shims? Also FYI, I do not have a buggy spring rear end, it's 4 link and coil overs.
Just wondering, maybe it was set up that way to compensate for the weight of the driver, and you've now fitted the spring the wrong way round, e.g. turned it around/swapped end for end??
I’d turn the front spring around, but if that doesn’t fix it, get a 1 degree wedge like Gary recommended.
If you do a search for bachelor lean you’ll find this. Years and years of one guy cruising the car sags the suspension un evenly. The pinion shim he’s talking about putting them between the cross spring and the cross member near the tie bolt to lean the car back correct. You can see if it’s in the spring by flipping it side for side and putting it back in and seeing if the lean changes sides. as far as the coil overs it could be the same thing and you could test for it the same way. Swap them side for side. I know not all coil overs are adjustable but if yours are I’m sure it wouldn’t take much to get 1/2 different side for side.
I would not be a bit surprised if every new car is 1/2" off side to side. I have measured most of the old cars I have owned through the years, and non of them were right on, and most were 1/2" off.