1/2" lower on left front after lift, suggestions?

jbones

Original poster
Member
Dec 5, 2011
658
After lift was completed (24 Feb) we measured and notice drivers side is ½" lower than the other three corners, all spacers are in there assigned place.

I’ve checked the height on several different surfaces, tire pressure is good, and post lift alignment (Les Schwab) has been done. It does feel ever so slightly pulling left, not sure if a product of poor alignment, or the ½ difference.

I plan on taking taking back under 30 day warranty this Sat to have the alignment re-checked for the light left pull, but before that, I was hoping there may be some areas I should look at for tweaking, like a shock riding to high or low in a lower strut arm, sway bar connections, anything that could be loosened and adjusted to correct the 1/2" before having the alignment re-checked.
 

ScarabEpic22

Member
Nov 20, 2011
728
Some trucks end up that way, a lot of SSs aren't level in the front either.

Have Les Schwab check it, but alignment shouldnt change the ride height.
 

Bartonmd

Member
Nov 20, 2011
545
ScarabEpic22 said:
Some trucks end up that way, a lot of SSs aren't level in the front either.

Have Les Schwab check it, but alignment shouldnt change the ride height.

Alignment will change ride height due to the angles of our suspension. Devilisht on here lifted his SS, and had one side of the front like 1" lower than the other. Turned out that, for whatever reason, his aligned with one LCA all the way in, and the other nearly all the way out. With the way the angle of our coilover is, slide the LCA in, and it pushes the tire down (or body up) in that corner.

Mike
 

jbones

Original poster
Member
Dec 5, 2011
658
ScarabEpic22 said:
Some trucks end up that way...
:cry:

ScarabEpic22 said:
Have Les Schwab check it, but alignment shouldnt change the ride height.

Yah, more concerned with the pull, was just hoping to fiddle around before that looking to reclaim the 1/2". But you know it could have been that way before hand, I never did check the left side heights prior to lift :eek:

I do know the left pull is new, not there prior to lift/alignment, not even with the old worm tire's before lift.
 

jham

Member
Nov 20, 2011
1,334
If I recall on the offroadtb with all the spring rates some of our truck came with different springs on the front like a 83 on the driver side and a 84 on the passenger side. Couldn't this cause measurements to be different from side to side?
 

DJones

Member
Jan 21, 2012
701
St. Petersburg, Florida
When I first installed my lift, there was a noticable difference in sides. Between 1/4" and 1/2" if I remember correctly. It was the same misalignment before the lift.
 

ScarabEpic22

Member
Nov 20, 2011
728
Bartonmd said:
Alignment will change ride height due to the angles of our suspension. Devilisht on here lifted his SS, and had one side of the front like 1" lower than the other. Turned out that, for whatever reason, his aligned with one LCA all the way in, and the other nearly all the way out. With the way the angle of our coilover is, slide the LCA in, and it pushes the tire down (or body up) in that corner.

Mike

Ah good call, now that I actually sit down and think about it for a minute that makes sense.

Jeff, Id be more concerned about the pull vs the height difference. I know we didnt take pics or record what the front springs were, but do you remember what the rear ones are? (Think you had an 83 and 84 front spring, we put them back on the same side they came out of.)
 

jbones

Original poster
Member
Dec 5, 2011
658
ScarabEpic22 said:
Ah good call, now that I actually sit down and think about it for a minute that makes sense.

Jeff, Id be more concerned about the pull vs the height difference. I know we didnt take pics or record what the front springs were, but do you remember what the rear ones are? (Think you had an 83 and 84 front spring, we put them back on the same side they came out of.)

At this point I'm going to concentrate on the pull. I bet most people won't even notice the height difference, only bugs me because I know about it.

Since we only did fronts one side at a time we know there was no chance of part crossing as you mentioned. I forget the codes the rear's were tagged with, but I did look them up afterwards and they referenced left and right rear spring. Will have the alignment checked later today or tomorrow morning.

Here's the first one.
View attachment 19432
 

Attachments

  • 123040.jpg
    123040.jpg
    53.9 KB · Views: 12

navigator

Member
Dec 3, 2011
504
when my shop did mine they told me it would pull a little to the left.
They got everything in spec except the caster.
I don't remember exactly why it pulls to the left but it does a little.
With one hand on the wheel you don't really notice but you can tell if you take your hand off the wheel.
 

jbones

Original poster
Member
Dec 5, 2011
658
jham said:
If I recall on the offroadtb with all the spring rates some of our truck came with different springs on the front like a 83 on the driver side and a 84 on the passenger side. Couldn't this cause measurements to be different from side to side?

On that note I decided to check, put her on jacks, pulled the fronts, and left and right springs read 15128883, so I guess both mine are 83's.

The rear springs are YUZ 15948010 RR, and YUY 1594009 LR.

Nosing around everything is as tight as the day the left was installed, the only thing I noticed was this, where the LF was 14" from the point were everything meets the UCA to bottom of lower strut mount, and RF was as you see 13 3/4". not sure if the signifies the height difference. It was the only off measurement I could find, even the springs measure the same from identical points, I forget, I think that was 11"?

I wonder would a thicker spacer between the upper mount and UCA take care of the issue?

View attachment 19470
 

Attachments

  • DSCN0119A.jpg
    DSCN0119A.jpg
    88.8 KB · Views: 6

jbones

Original poster
Member
Dec 5, 2011
658
Just back from Les Schwab for the 30 day warranty, problem left pull since first alignment. They said they ended up adjusting toe. Not savvy on the process but will say the pull is gone, and I can now drive with hands off on a straight line again.

Here's the original from the 24th, and the adjustment from today.

View attachment 19475
 

Attachments

  • 123039.jpg
    123039.jpg
    59.4 KB · Views: 5
  • 123040.jpg
    123040.jpg
    53.3 KB · Views: 5

Forum Statistics

Threads
23,273
Posts
637,498
Members
18,472
Latest member
MissCrutcher

Members Online

No members online now.