What the? 46 Ford not sitting level

Ok, we can't figure it out and are hoping someone here might have some insight.
We took the front friction shocks off my brothers '46 tudor. He bought some shock mounts from Pete and Jakes that bolt right in place of the old friction mounts. Seemed easy enough. With the old shocks off and the new mounts on we dropped the car back down to measure how long the new shocks should be. When the car is back on the pavement the drivers side is sitting about three inches higher. We took the front spring out to inspect it for any cracks or a break and it appears to be good. (When it was still in the car it laid out much flatter on the passenger side)

I know this is a shot in the dark but anybody ever have this problem? Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Jerry

 

I don't know, but the guy pointing with the cup in his hands looks like he does.
Car looks cool though.

 

disconnect the shocks form the bracket and set the car back down. does anything change? swap the shocks side to side and see if anything changes. if they are gas shocks, one might be blown out. are the shock mounts the same length?

 

Hahaha Labold, that's funny.

As for the question about the shocks, they're not even on the car yet. Just the brackets to mount them. Could the sway bar joints be rolled over in the opposite direction on one side?

 

28-48 Ford shocks are not friction shocks.
They are Houdaille hydraulic lever-arm shocks and when working are quite effective, though expensive to have rebuilt.
Ford springs can sag on one side only. Most get flatter on the driver's side since there is always a driver on board when the car is use.

 

It sounds like the front spring needs to be re arced or replaced

 

That is a really bitchin 46 I like it! Look at the Shackles position, then the sway bar/bushings

 

I don't know if it matters but it also rides on a 4" dropped front axle with longer spring shackles. Tired springs were the first thing we thought of but it didn't lean at all before removing the shocks. Would the shocks compensate for a weak spring?

 

The weak spring on one side only, is that what people refer to when they call it a bachelor's lean?

 

The originals were pure hydraulic, they resist but cannot support. Their inherent stiffness could not resist car weight...gas shocks are pressurized and can raise ride height, but maybe can be acquitted if not on the car yet...

The F&R anti-sway bars couldn't flop as they are not shackled, just pivoted at frame and axle, but, though I can't quite get my head around the idea, have you peered under at the spring shackles?? Might they have somehow gotten flopped on one side while you were raising/lowering/messing with front spring??
If so--I wanna see a picture!
That is right where you took things apart...and if there were separate people working on the two sides...maybe someone will never live this one down!

 

Hey Bruce, I'm not positive on the shackles but I'll head over to his place in just a bit to check.
Would it be ok to drop the car down onto the bumpstops with the springs removed just to see if it gets hung-up?

 

There is nothing down there on a '46 Ford that is easier to break than the jack or the floor...go for it.
Remember another potential check is to turn the spring side for side...
BUT...the spring was messed with. It coud easily have been installed with center bolt not in the hole in the crossmember...TILT, perhaps exaggerated by the location of the lower side.
Also, no idea if the shackles could be flopped because I never managed to do that myself...bu they were messed with in the front, and you always look at last thing messed with in cases of sudden mystery...
Another factor I cannot put dimensions on: The original rotary shocks will only rotate so far.
On a lowered car, could they have been bottomed out and SUPPORTING the car, overriding a badly lopsided spring?
Anyhow...given chain of evnts, spring and shackles up front are prime suspects.

 

figure it out?

 

a quick bump becuase im curious...and have something similar going on.

 

So far neither the problem nor the answers seem to make much sense...closure needed!

 

I had the same thing happen in my T coupe... with the 46 ford Spring/banjo axle, it was leaning to one side, even with nos shackles installed. So I got a wedge for drop blocks, it's made out of aluminum, 3/8" on one end and 1/8" on the other, put that in there and bam! Fixed!

 

Concur, my truck was leaning an inch or 2 to the driverside. Flipped the transverse spring in the back and now it's level.

I'm assuming that the new spring settled from me driving solo in the truck. Spring was about 3yrs old.

Worked for me.

 

Shocks do not hold the car up the springs do.

 

my personal version of this problem is the same 4 inch difference per side, but also notice that the high side also has the wheel a few inches closer to the fender and the low side tucked further in. i havnt had the time to mess with it yet but with even shakle angles and non bent anything i noticed that the car had been bumped from the front and when looking at it super close it seems that the center bolt in the middle of the spring has jumped the centering hole in the crossmember and so its sitting off just a bit to the side.

i noticed you have the same height desparity so was curious as to what yours ended up being as to give me more ideas for when i tear mine apart and find out that what i thought was causing this issue isnt right haha.

 

A new spring was installed and has corrected this problem. Have to belive Bruce was correct with his diagnosis of the shocks. Thanks Bruce

 

Vegas called, they want their dice back....

 

awesome, glad to find out what resolved the problem!