Here's another air suspension thread...weird lean

NYC LS8 · #1 May 3rd, 2006, 11:50 AM

Ok, I might've posted about this strange lean the car has in the rear before, but a search didn't bring it up.

So here's the deal...

The rear passenger side of my '92 sits lower than the other side. I've lowered the front driver's side and raised the front passenger side to compensate. This helped ever so slightly.

On Monday I removed the two lines at the dryer for the rears, turned the car on and let the air come out thinking that maybe one bag was replaced and it didn't fill the same as the other. When I did this, the side that sat lower was STILL lower when all the air was out of the bags. I let it air back up and it's the same as before.

I guess it's possible that one bag instead of two was replaced. But before I just arbitrarily throw two new bags in the back, what else could be the cause of this?

ekooke · #2 May 3rd, 2006, 12:50 PM

Check sway bar bushings; on bar itself AND end links. The only thing that holds the rear level (L/R) on a 3-channel AS is the sway bar.

Bluegrass · #3 May 3rd, 2006, 01:34 PM

Tom, your seeing the car still set low on that side with the air out would suggest something amiss with the arm or mounting.
Try jacking the axle off the ground and supporting it with level jack stands so you can let the air out again and be able to get under to see what might be the problem.
That much of a difference should be able to be seen with some measrments and study.
Look at both the upper and lower arms.
I did the same thing when fitting my Mustang rear anti roll bar so body height limits were able to be checked for clearence for the bar mounting position.

NYC LS8 · #4 May 3rd, 2006, 02:21 PM

Good ideas, guys. I'll check them out. My friend's shop has a drive on lift, so I can do some checking with the bags deflated there.

Thanks!!

Memphis Raines · #5 May 3rd, 2006, 04:37 PM

Warped control arm ???? Air spring mount ???

MD-82 · #6 May 3rd, 2006, 06:38 PM

My car has this too. When you exit the car and walk to the rear and look at it, the driver's side sits lower. I once removed the plug from the high side and stepped on the rear bumper. Let it inflate then plugged it back in. It went back to level until the very next time. The driver's side was again a tad lower. I'm hoping one endlink is tightened more than the other or something.

Xander

SilverFox · #7 May 4th, 2006, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MD-82

My car has this too. When you exit the car and walk to the rear and look at it, the driver's side sits lower. I once removed the plug from the high side and stepped on the rear bumper. Let it inflate then plugged it back in. It went back to level until the very next time. The driver's side was again a tad lower. I'm hoping one endlink is tightened more than the other or something.

Xander

This is the NORM....funny that a search didn't pull anything, as it has been talked about in NOT ONLY the lincoln comunity, but ALL FOXBODY boards. For some reason all fox cars develop this lean....there is still no true answer but the following list is the top culprits as beleived.
1) Control arm warp (samped steel crap anyway right?)
2) Body flex (hard to imagine, but launching car weather at the drag strip or at a stopsign wants to PULL UP the front left tire....now imagine if you took a rectangle peice of sheet metal and held the back with your tumb and lifted the front left corner several times....eventualy you would bend the metal where the front left corner would stick up off the table....now place a rock (weight of 302 engine) on the front....what happens.......the right rear raises and the left rear falls) - and yes, I just developed that analogy sitting here at work -
3) rear swaybar misadjusted.

1LapLSC · #8 May 4th, 2006, 08:46 AM

Good advertising for SUBFRAME CONNECTORS.

I was going to ask if the car had ever been hit in the rear, but after reading your post, 'Fox, it makes sense.

ekooke · #9 May 4th, 2006, 08:56 AM

My '90 Mark VII is level within 1/8" on the rear as measured at the wheel well arches, but only when parked on a LEVEL surface. The car has about 160,000 miles, with 40,000 on the front air springs, 20,000 on the rear air springs, 20,000 on the front struts and bearing plates, but most importantly, less than 10,000 miles on the rear sway bar bushings and end links (new links & bushings).

SilverFox · #10 May 4th, 2006, 08:59 AM

My freinds consider me the "KING of analogy" as they say.....I have a strange talent of describing complicated things in easy terms.....maybe cause I've been explaining how shit works for so long to others and on forums it comes natural now.

Bluegrass · #11 May 4th, 2006, 10:48 AM

What your trying to discribe is the torque reaction the rear axle puts on the chassis.
The pinion tries to clib the ring gear. In doing this the right side of the axle tries to lift in oppisite reaction, at the same time compressing the air spring such that the body tries to sink on that side plus the torque reaction of the engine to the motor mounts.
Cars with an open rear usually spin the right wheel first when a lot of power is applied due to the axle losing weight on that tire from the torque reaction.
The air suspension ability to be precision in keeping the body level is not that good even from new.
There are too many points that bind in the suspension and not always return to their neutral positions, then add age into it yet.
The height sensors ball ends wear and become sloppy to boot.
Some air springs strech more than others.