Frame adjustment

SAXBY2 said:
Is there any method to raise up one low frame point (sag) without removing the body, etc .?
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Sure. You can lift it as high as you like (-up to the Moon if you wish) however without access to the top chord of the frame rail to measure flatness, you have no idea how much sag there is, -nor how much you have lifted it.
 
The method that was published a few years ago was to chain each end of the frame down to an anchor in 10 inches of concrete, then jack up the low spot with a 10 ton bottle jack. The instructions showed a block of wood between the jack and the frame. The frame was chained down at the shock locations. I cannot remember the details of how the chain was mounted to the frame, but maybe using the bolt holes for the shocks.

An alternative would be to use a stout I beam or H beam to chain the frame down to and to support the base of the jack.

Are you sure you have sag? I thought I had a sagged frame but it turned out to be flattened rubber pads between the frame and body. The normally 1/4 inch thick pads were flattened to paper thin in places, and brittle. The pads can be added by converting the holes to U shaped and sliding them between the frame and body at the bolts. Of course you have to loosen all the bolts and slightly raise the body up. I had to add two pads in places to get my doors to fit perfectly. I also had to replace all the bolts because the body had never been off the frame and all the bolts were in poor shape.
 
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Just bending it the other way is a band aid. It will come back down …now maybe not in my lifetime. You have to put some heat on the stretch and shrink it.
 
My '30 coupe leans left buy 1 inch. I measured from the frame to the floor on all 4 corners. I have already replaced the front spring as it was bent near the eye. The rear spring does not look bent or bad. Any likely cuprite?
 
wickcopland said:
My '30 coupe leans left buy 1 inch. I measured from the frame to the floor on all 4 corners. I have already replaced the front spring as it was bent near the eye. The rear spring does not look bent or bad. Any likely cuprite?
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Wick - Are you sure both springs are properly centered in the frame crossmembers? The top of the spring bolt on each spring fits fairly precisely into a square hole in the cross member. If that bolt is turned or not fit properly the spring will be canted to one side or the other. You MIGHT get a clue by looking at the U-bolts and clamps that hold the spring in, if they don’t look equal then that might indicate that the spring isn’t centered.

You might also get a clue where to look by putting the car on three points and seeing where if that mismatch disappears. For example, if you jack up the center of the front so both front wheels are off the ground and the 1” discrepancy disappears, that would suggest looking at the front end. Same concept with jacking under the banjo so both rears are off the ground.

Once you get an idea where to look, you could try removing the suspect spring and rotating it 180 degrees. You have worked on the front and presumably replaced shackles, you might have a bad shackle or frozen bushing in the rear to address. The spring perches on the rear axle housings often wear badly and destroy proper alignment of the shackle.

And, to your original point: what caused that original front spring to bend at the eye? That suggests to me some significant trauma at some point…
 
wickcopland said:
My '30 coupe leans left buy 1 inch. I measured from the frame to the floor on all 4 corners. I have already replaced the front spring as it was bent near the eye. The rear spring does not look bent or bad. Any likely cuprite?
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My Town Sedan leaned to the left for no apparent reason. When I pulled the Rear End to install my Mitchell O/D I found this... left rear shackle broken.

54751076251_d77e2c0721_z.jpg
 
I've heard if the springs are not lubed the car doesn't return to level. Jump on the right running board and see if that corrects your left lean. If it does lube the springs.
I think PS showed this in one of his videos.
 
Left leaning common with old cars.

Drivers side.

I have fixed with attention to the springs.
 
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