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 Leaning wagon

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Fred Kiehl
lakeffect
Skier
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Skier




Posts : 77
Join date : 2014-05-27
Location : Western Pennsylvania

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PostSubject: Leaning wagon   Leaning wagon Icon_minitimeTue Jul 28, 2015 11:52 am

Folks,


I have a '95RMW that leans ~1" to the right front and back. I replaced rear coils with Moog Cargo coils and shocks with Monroe load levelers. Pushed up rear 1 to 1.5" but still ~1" lean to right, front and back. I tried replacing front right coil also but couldn't get the compressor up inside (found out I was using it wrong afterwards). I would think if the rears were replaced it would remove some the of lean in the back if it was caused by both right springs being weak. May be was just a weak front spring. I needed the back up because I put on a Putnam class 4 hitch I got out of a junk yard near Petosky, MI from a '92 RMW and keep bottoming out when leaving.

It is obvious the donor car leaned to the right as the bottom of the hitch was scrapped up on the right side.

Any help is appreciated. I measured the top of the spring perches and shock mounts in the back from the bottom of the car, they were even.


Thanks,


Chris
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lakeffect

lakeffect


Posts : 3892
Join date : 2009-08-18
Location : Rochester NY 14621

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PostSubject: Re: Leaning wagon   Leaning wagon Icon_minitimeTue Jul 28, 2015 12:42 pm

General rule of thumb is always replace both springs or both shocks on any given axle.
Considering the overall weight of the engine as p-art of the load, the front tends to be more heavily loaded at all times. The rarity is actually carrying a load in the cargo area.

So, I'd make sure I replace both springs up front with new ones at the same time. My impression from your comments is that only one may have been changed.
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Fred Kiehl

Fred Kiehl


Posts : 7146
Join date : 2009-11-13
Age : 75
Location : Largo, FL 33774

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PostSubject: Re: Leaning wagon   Leaning wagon Icon_minitimeTue Jul 28, 2015 9:21 pm

Check your anti-roll bar for a bend. I had a 1 inch list in the front, and the bar was bent. I put another bar on it, and it is level.

You can also check to see if the bushings on the suspension have been tightened with one wheel in the air. After checking your anti-roll bar, loosen all of them, and tighten with the car level, and weight on all wheels (on a pair of ramps is good).
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phantom 309

phantom 309


Posts : 5848
Join date : 2008-12-28
Age : 114

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PostSubject: Re: Leaning wagon   Leaning wagon Icon_minitimeTue Jul 28, 2015 10:48 pm

right front coil broken,.

you do have 4 matching tires right?
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Skier




Posts : 77
Join date : 2014-05-27
Location : Western Pennsylvania

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PostSubject: Re: Leaning wagon   Leaning wagon Icon_minitimeWed Jul 29, 2015 8:51 am

To All,

Brand new Tires, Front coils are still original and not broken, just back ones replaced. Front anti-sway bar does not look bent or loose, will recheck. Frame sticks out from under body the same on both sides, will also re-measure. I even have a new coil-over shock on right front that did not help. The original shock is on the left front.

Thanks


Chris
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lakeffect

lakeffect


Posts : 3892
Join date : 2009-08-18
Location : Rochester NY 14621

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PostSubject: Re: Leaning wagon   Leaning wagon Icon_minitimeWed Jul 29, 2015 9:15 am

Measure the height of the two unbroken front coils.
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Fred Kiehl

Fred Kiehl


Posts : 7146
Join date : 2009-11-13
Age : 75
Location : Largo, FL 33774

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PostSubject: Re: Leaning wagon   Leaning wagon Icon_minitimeWed Jul 29, 2015 11:27 am

Someone may have put a different anti-roll bar standoff on one side, and it may be different from the one on the other side.
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phantom 309

phantom 309


Posts : 5848
Join date : 2008-12-28
Age : 114

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PostSubject: Re: Leaning wagon   Leaning wagon Icon_minitimeWed Jul 29, 2015 8:18 pm

Skier wrote:
To All,

Brand new Tires,  Front coils are still original and not broken, just back ones replaced.  Front anti-sway bar does not look bent or loose, will recheck.  Frame sticks out from under body the same on both sides, will also re-measure.  I even have a new coil-over shock on right front that did not help.  The original shock is on the left front.

Thanks


Chris

this doesn't make sense,. you have a coil over shock on the low side and it still leans?

cars aren't magic,..
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Andebe

Andebe


Posts : 3323
Join date : 2013-02-20
Age : 54
Location : Centerville, IN

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PostSubject: Re: Leaning wagon   Leaning wagon Icon_minitimeThu Jul 30, 2015 1:05 pm

phantom 309 wrote:
Skier wrote:
To All,

Brand new Tires,  Front coils are still original and not broken, just back ones replaced.  Front anti-sway bar does not look bent or loose, will recheck.  Frame sticks out from under body the same on both sides, will also re-measure.  I even have a new coil-over shock on right front that did not help.  The original shock is on the left front.

Thanks


Chris

this doesn't make sense,. you have a coil over shock on the low side and it still leans?

cars aren't magic,..
I seem to remember yours magically changing grills. Suspect
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Skier




Posts : 77
Join date : 2014-05-27
Location : Western Pennsylvania

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PostSubject: Re: Leaning wagon   Leaning wagon Icon_minitimeFri Jul 31, 2015 7:52 am

Fred et alii,

I changed my oil and filter last night. I looked at the anti-sway bar and it may be bent, will need to remove to confirm or deny. To correct until obtaining a new one I could put a longer end link on the right side

Chris
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Fred Kiehl

Fred Kiehl


Posts : 7146
Join date : 2009-11-13
Age : 75
Location : Largo, FL 33774

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PostSubject: Re: Leaning wagon   Leaning wagon Icon_minitimeFri Jul 31, 2015 8:37 am

You could drive it without the sway bar and not have any major issues. It will just lean a little more when driving around corners.

Just be extremely cautious when installing the chassis bushings. The screws do not need a lot of torque, and if torqued too much will strip the frame threads. Put some thread locker on them, and torque sparingly. The FSM says 24 ft. lbs.
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benn

benn


Posts : 557
Join date : 2011-12-22
Location : Ontario, Canada

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PostSubject: Re: Leaning wagon   Leaning wagon Icon_minitimeFri Jul 31, 2015 5:16 pm

is it rusty? rotted body mounts?
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AzDon

AzDon


Posts : 359
Join date : 2011-08-05
Age : 67
Location : Lake Havasu, AZ

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PostSubject: Re: Leaning wagon   Leaning wagon Icon_minitimeSat Aug 01, 2015 11:36 pm

I'm with Fred here!......You wouldn't be able to see a twist in the stabilizer bar, but it would hold L and R at different heights....You could remove the link on just one side to release any l to r bind and see if the car is then level (after bouncing the front a couple of times) It's diagnosis that costs very little time and zero in parts!

Further..... If you find that it IS a twisted bar, you could still use it and have a level car by simply putting a long link on one side and a short link on the other......The link kits are available in different lengths
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Skier




Posts : 77
Join date : 2014-05-27
Location : Western Pennsylvania

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PostSubject: Re: Leaning wagon   Leaning wagon Icon_minitimeSun Aug 09, 2015 9:54 pm

AzDon et alii,

Thursday after work I un bolted the right end link, raised the right side 2 more inches and added ~13/16" with 1/2" washers on the bottom side of the lower side of the lower inside bushing (on the top of the lower control arm. I had my youngest son slowly lower the right side so I could start the nut. Rescrewed nut ~1/2" up. Now the front is equal and the rear around 3/8" different. Now I finishing up with my front brake upgrade with Astro van AWD rotors, etc.

Thanks for the suggestions
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Fred Kiehl

Fred Kiehl


Posts : 7146
Join date : 2009-11-13
Age : 75
Location : Largo, FL 33774

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PostSubject: Re: Leaning wagon   Leaning wagon Icon_minitimeMon Aug 10, 2015 8:16 am

You should have checked it with the bar unbolted, before reattaching it.
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AzDon

AzDon


Posts : 359
Join date : 2011-08-05
Age : 67
Location : Lake Havasu, AZ

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PostSubject: Re: Leaning wagon   Leaning wagon Icon_minitimeMon Aug 10, 2015 10:06 am

I actually meant to use a longer link on one side IF the bar was TWISTED AND CAUSING THE LEAN.....If the car was still unlevel after removing a stabilizer link and you leveled it by putting a longer link on one side...... that could be unsafe
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Skier




Posts : 77
Join date : 2014-05-27
Location : Western Pennsylvania

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PostSubject: Re: Leaning wagon   Leaning wagon Icon_minitimeWed Aug 12, 2015 11:24 am

Gents,

The right arm of the stabilizer bar is up above the frame and the left below. The links have 1-1/2" of threads exposed so there is no need to use a longer link, just shim.

New brakes are in
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