bronco lean or tweaked body???

[PBR]

so i am "finishing" up my wifes '77 and it has a lean to the front drivers side. i have replaced all the suspension with new bushings and i measured the radius arms when installing the c bushings and they were within 1/8". but i guess i still could have screwed something up. or should i just shim out the body to make up for the lean??? i took it to a frame shop and he said the frame wasn't bad enough to fix. so, how should i go about fixing or diagnosing the lean???

 

[Tito]

pics pics pics, when will you guys learn ;D
Where is it leaning? Often the front body mounts are a little tweeked and need a tad bit of shimming.

 

[PBR]

i will post pics tonight but it is leaning in the front towards the drivers side.

 

[Carl]

Mine is leaning also to the drivers side. I measured the distance between the floor and the front frame rails and the distance between the floor and the rear frame rails. The measurement was the same.

When I measure the height of a point on both sides of the body, for example a reflector or door hinge, the drivers side is about 3/4" lower. So can I assume that it is the BODY that is leaning and NOT the frame?

 

[rednck21]

ive seen the channel that runs across the tub under the floor pans creased and bent causing the body to sag on the drivers side.

 

[Carl]

ive seen the channel that runs across the tub under the floor pans creased and bent causing the body to sag on the drivers side.

I'll have to check into that. My Bronco does have drivers side damage like it was hit or rolled on that side.

 

[JMP]

Didn't notice it until this thread, went out and checked and mine is leaning to the driver side as well. 3/4" at the driver rear and 1/2" at the driver front. Checked the channel and it is not bent, then I looked at the bump stops, driver side was closer to the axle, which indicates it is suspension, not body...

Huh-Shim it? Suspension sag due to weight difference? Interested to know what you come up with on yours-

Thought at first it may be improperly seated coils but the rear is leaf...

?:?

 

[ransil]

When the suspension was installed did you tighten the rear too tight?
drive it a bit get everything to settle, then re torque the bolts.

If you jack up each corner one at a time until its level, you can find which corner is causing the lean, ie right left low front right is causing it. ( opposite corner) take measurements from a good point like the front fender body line and the rain gutter on a hard top.

 

[Carl]

I tried jacking up the drivers front and drivers rear and it didn't matter. The drivers side would always be higher than the passenger side. I could never get it level.

 

[PBR]

what are the torque specs on the rear, i may have over tightened them.

here are some pics of my lean:

 

[PBR]

sure the driveway is level

nope ???

 

[73stallion]

i thought you had a tweaked body mount, didn't you?

 

[PBR]

i thought you had a tweaked body mount, didn't you?

i am really not sure what the deal is and i am so new to this bronco thing that i am just scratching my head at this point.

i measured from the top of the front axle to the frame and the drivers side came to 9 3/4 and the pass side was 10 1/4 so do i have the lean???

 

[Carl]

i am really not sure what the deal is and i am so new to this bronco thing that i am just scratching my head at this point.

i measured from the top of the front axle to the frame and the drivers side came to 9 3/4 and the pass side was 10 1/4 so do i have the lean???

I would say yes you do have the Bronco Lean. Have you tried the whole radius arm fix?

Nevermind, I just re-read your first post.

 

[ransil]

I tried jacking up the drivers front and drivers rear and it didn't matter. The drivers side would always be higher than the passenger side. I could never get it level.

I think it is opposite corners, passenger side front will cause the drivers side rear to lean.

For rear spring torque if the bushings are squished it is too tight, jack up the frame and check to see if the shackles move.

 

[Carl]

I think I typed that wrong. I'm confused now. I'll have to try jacking the drivers side up again.

 

[Tito]

You do have a little lean from those numbers but it is compounded by your front body mount. If you look at your bumper in comparison to the body the driver side is about 1/2" lower than the pass side. Did you replace your body mounts yet? If not, that is the partial culprit, is so then your bronco has had a fender bender in the past and one of the body mounts got tweeked a little. You can either shim it or beat the right one up or the left one down, or a combo. You may have a little suspension lean too but the body mount is the first thing I saw in the pics.

 

[Carl]

Good call Josh, I didn't notice that about PBR's Bronco. So you're saying that the bumper is attached to the frame and should be level with the frame. Therefore if the body isn't level with the bumper, then there's a good chance that there is a problem with the body mounts.

 

[Tito]

Yeah it would be a tweeked frame or body mount (more likely). I have had 3 Broncos that all had this same condition and were all wrecked at one point in the front. I just used some washers to even it out.

 

[PBR]

so josh - i do think it was hit in the front so a body mount could definitly be tweaked but how come my frame to the top of the axle measures 10 1/4 on one side and 9 3/4 on the other???

and should i just put washers on the front body mount or should i shim that entire side???