The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 51 leans to left

Does anyone have any ideas on why my 51 leans to the left. It is not just the cab it is the cab and bed together. If I push it up on the left side it will stay untill weight is put back on the left side. Any ideas will help. Thanks

Sounds like your suspension is a little "sticky" or possibly weak on that side. Take some measurements (springs,shocks,links) and compare to the right side. Also check the spring pins and bushings (and respective mounts). How much is it leaning?

Like tcox said it may be sticking. Also check your springs for a broke one. I have seen a broke spring act like that.
Steve

Funny my bed leans a little, but my cab is straight. Always just figured as long as everything is secure, its just an old truck.

Im pretty into off-roading, and have a Jeep Cherokee. It has leaf packs in the rear. When you install big leaf packs for big lift, they always seem to lean over time. usually swapping the leaf packs around solves the problem. Maybe if both your packs are in good shape, try swapping them.

The original owner was probably a big guy. That caused them to lean to the left. The springs on the drivers side probably need re arching.

Have a look at the angle of the shackles on each side to see if they are different. That can give you an idea of which pack is sagging more.

You think he is joking but there is more truth to that than anything else.

Look at any older truck or car for that matter that is normally driven by one big guy with no passengers riding with him and it will lean a bit to the drivers side.

Having or rearching the springs so that all of the springs matched in arch would fix the problem.

When I was doing front end work in the 70's I would have to put AC spacers on the springs on the left springs of some Pontiacs that had heavy drivers and sagged on that side.

My truck leaned to the left because the kick panels had rusted away from the floor which is typical on the old truck. the floor had buckled from no support and i had a bulge in the floor.