The Horrible Mustang Lean....

[projectfiveo]

Ok so ever since i bought my car its had a bad lean on the left side so i figured it was the springs...so i installed new shocks struts and springs...but its still leaning...and i was looking around on here and noticed that im not the only one out there...so i was just wondering if anyone has found out what causes it and what can be done to fix it??

 

[S&B]

adj. lower control arms

 

[Deleted member 87397]

My fuel tank is a little lower on one side and the the other and it makes mine look like it's leaning when it's not. Probably not the same for you, but that's all I got.

 

[projectfiveo]

would it help if i just bought some new lower control arms?

 

[88gt]

OK...first go measure the length of the spacer in between the bushings for the front sway bar end links. If they are the same, your problem is more serious than mine. I replaced the sway bar end links and the gangsta lean went away.

You may also check to make sure the pigtails for the springs are all in the same location.

 

[Shakerhood]

A Good Place to start is checking your Springs for correct Installation, your Front Springs Pigtails should be Between the 2 Holes in the Lower A Arms, and out back the Pigtails should be towards the rear with both sides pointing towards the drivers side.

 

[genericstang]

i have the same problem with the lean to the left(but only on the rear of the car)

i also replaced the springs and shocks/struts all the way around, but the problem is this there(although its not as bad)

 

[blackstangt]

I have this problem, didn't think of LCA's being the prob, but i'm going to do a battery relocation which should help, other than that i'm thinking of just waiting till after college and then removing and installing better structural reinforcements(cage and subframes instead of frpp subframe connectors.

 

[projectfiveo]

i have the same problem with the lean to the left(but only on the rear of the car)

i also replaced the springs and shocks/struts all the way around, but the problem is this there(although its not as bad)

yeah i know man same here....sheww this is nuts....there has to be some way to fix it

 

[stangrod2000]

Leans to the left

I've got the same problem. My car leans to the left. After reading some posts on here I decided to look under my car. Just give it a quick visual inspection to see if anything jumps out at me. Well something did. The floor pan under the driver seat sags something aweful. Just thought the front seat frame was twisted. Called up my buddy to see if he can check it out. Taking it there tomorrow. Will post the results tomorrow. Don't leave work until 11am tomorrow or else I would take it today.

 

[projectfiveo]

I've got the same problem. My car leans to the left. After reading some posts on here I decided to look under my car. Just give it a quick visual inspection to see if anything jumps out at me. Well something did. The floor pan under the driver seat sags something aweful. Just thought the front seat frame was twisted. Called up my buddy to see if he can check it out. Taking it there tomorrow. Will post the results tomorrow. Don't leave work until 11am tomorrow or else I would take it today.

well you may be on to something cause when i first bought my car my seat was hanging through the floor board...i got that fixed but its still a lil messed up so keep me posted

 

[stangrod2000]

Ok. Took my car to my mechanic buddy today. He put the car up on the lift, and things are not so pretty. The car definately has some frame damage. My buddy said it looked like the whole driver side floor pan and other parts had been replaced. He said the welding looked pretty good, but you can tell where areas had been replaced. One really weird thing was the rear of the car above the rear end. Part of the body was creased. There is no other evidence of a rear end collision, but there is a nice crease for some reason. It is on the driver side of the car, between the differential and rear driver side tire. Taking it to a frame shop tomorrow to get estimates. The one thing I will do is get pictures before any work is done so you guys can see what I am talking about.

 

[Immortal LuD]

My '96 V6 has a gangsta lean to the left. I thought it was the springs, but I really don't think that's the problem. I did spin out and hit a curb, with the left side... Broke the axle. I think that might have something to do with it... Not sure. It's over an inch lower on the left, than it is on the right. My Stang is hanging lowering that my Brother's '95 Cobra.

 

[Mustang78]

my 82 mustang leans to the right about 1.5-2 inches lower, the right tire rubs 10 times worse than the left(drivers side) tire.. i bought a parts car for the drivetrain, and it never leaned to any side, so i switched out the springs/shocks/axle and i dont think it had a lean for a couple weeks, then BAM one day its back..to the same left side..what gives?? i'll try checking the rotational position of the rear springs tonight when i find out what the clunk is..

~Mark~

 

[90blacknight]

Drag racing can easily twist fox bodies if there are no structural reinforcements, such as frame connectors. If you don't have them, get them installed immediately, they are cheap. Sounds like more than one person in this thread needs a trip to the frame shop. Twisted frame = will never be the same again, usually.

 

[blackstangt]

i'm actually thinking it's more to do with springs... i have sub frame connectors, when i welded them in, the car was sitting unevenly(the way it is now) on my old stock, very beat up suspension. the car was leaning when i got it, most likely because of the suspension, and when i put the sub-frame connectors in, that kept it in that stance.

 

[stangrod2000]

Went to the frame shop

Took my car to the frame shop last week. Actually a couple of them. I was told that my frame was not a problem. I had some damage under my front seat, but nothing that would affect the frame. I felt good about that. The first frame shop I went to said they had seen three other 91's like this. Mine being a 91 I felt like I had joined a club. One of the guys there has a brother that owns four fox bodies. Two of his had the lean to the left side. He said his problem was the rear four link suspension. If this doesn't sound correct, forgive me I'm a total newb. He said that the bushings on the four link had gone bad on the left side, and that one he repaired the bushings the lean was gone. I have yet to have my buddy check this out, but I will. Two little boys and life have ruled the last week!

 

[blackstangt]

was putting front end back on after fixing a leak in the cowl and i see that we installed my driver front spring wrong, going to get a compressor and rotate it... hopefully it will make it better not worse.

 

[mud]

My 90 vert has a left lean. I found it when I did the suspension. I knew that it had been hit in the front before I owned it. It sat straight, but someone had enlarged the lower mounting points of the right strut to drop the right equal with the left. With new struts and Steeda springs the left front sits low and the tire rubs in turns. Also the strut tower brace didn't fit. It stuck out in front of the towers. The frame shop pointed out bends in the front frame rails. They said that they could probably pull it out but that it would probably just bend again. He said my only real choice is to replace the frame rails. I don't know what to do. I had already spent money on a new top and seats as well as the 2300-k brakes and '98 cobra wheels. It's also a 7-Up car. I don't know if I should keep it or move on.

 

[stangjunkie]

my 88 gt has a right lean only in rear however not very severe. i replaced shocks and springs but that didn't help, i simpole put rubber spring stops inbetween two coils on that side and that fixed that