leaf spring rear alignment

I have a leaf spring rear in my 47 and I'm about 1 1/2" off from side to side. The frame is not bent or damaged and I can't seem to find the reason. Any ideas?

 

if you have a `47 Ford...is the spring center bolt in the center hole of the rear crossmember? are both shackles at the same angle?

 

Are you talking ride height ?

 

It's a 47 pontiac. The leafs are centered with pins.

 

need to see some pics. 1 1/2 " side to side sounds like the perches were welded on in the wrong spots I.E. not centered. Is this the original rear?

 

More info needed!

Are you sure the wheels have the same offset?
Original rearend or something someone put in?
How do you KNOW the frame isn't bent? Been under there with alignment gauges?????
Are you sure the quarter wasn't damaged at some point and fixed incorrectly?

Weird things can happen in 60 years.

 

stock original rear and frame has no bends or buckles. Rear qtr has been repaired but body to frame measurments are good and so are frame diagonals

 

OK! Good work.
I'd put her up on safe stands...make sure shes level and then do some x checks of the frame and spring mounts. Look closely at the spring pad areas and the bushings at the front and shackles.
Look at shackle angle as well.
You WILL find the problem...but sometimes it needs this kind of precise check to suddenly make the obvious pop out at you.

Same offset on the wheels?

 

Yeah, I checked the front mounts on the right side leaf and bushings seem worn. A lot of side movement on the leaf. Left side seems ok but while I'm at it....
I'm an old body and paint man from way back when we still used lacquer but your right the answer will def present it's damn self!

 

Measure from the spring pad on the rear axle housing to the backing plate, compare side to side, then measure from spring pad on housing to the inside lip of the wheel and also compare side to side. Could be pads are not in correct location and or wheels have different back spacing. Take a piece of string, tie a nut on one end(home made plumb bob or use a plumb bob if you have one), tape the string to the frame rail just behind or in front of axle, now measure from spring or spring pad to the string, and compare side to side and also from string to the backing plate/wheel and compare side to side...

 

If the frame is Square and the mounting points aren't rolled over (Out of Square) Then check the rear axle for the spring mounts being square to the centre of the pot. I've found some rear axles that are out from the Centreline. The factory did this to compensate for the torque on the right wheel. It was a simple way to fix a pulling problem under acceleration.

The Old TInbasher