normal? Car sits higher on LH after drivetrain removed

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eccentricMagpies

eccentricMagpies

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maybe this is normal? Pulled the drivetrain and noticed that it wasn't setting level. (first time pulling a motor since ~89 and i don't recall being very concerned with much back then)

the driver side is ~1" higher. I don't know enough to know.... but if the drivetrain is simply off-center (69 dart) which would envolve a torsion difference??

I just didn't notice this when the thing was still together.

I do plan to redo the front end of this car eventually but I was planning to first replace the full floor pan in the car along with footwells and patch the rearseat floor, then a new trunkpan (yeah I know.. why patch when everything else is being repaced anyhow) that would lead to another topic of how much work is envolved with tubbing??

my early concern would be ... seems I've read that the car needs to be level prior to a full floor pan install..
Would level be consider sitting on 4 jacks? 4 tires??
 
So....you're worried about the ride height with no engine? Why would that matter?
 
I would support the car from the frame rails and level it up in order to do that.
 
Okay, so I should not concern myself with the car's current stance at all? I'm okay with that.

When I pull the front end and clean things up I should be sure to set the car back to the 1" higher on the driver side versus the pasenger side?
...by marking torsion bar or whatever it takes?

Just making sure it's no big deal and normal to see.
 
I wouldn't worry about trying to set the car's height without the drive train in it. Just wait till it is all back together with the weight on.
 
Are you talking RH side in the drivers seat or lookin at the car from the front? If you are talking in the drivers seat, and the drivers side is higher, than I would say since the engine is off set to the passenger side it is normal.
 
Purple Haze said:
Are you talking RH side in the drivers seat or lookin at the car from the front? If you are talking in the drivers seat, and the drivers side is higher, than I would say since the engine is off set to the passenger side it is normal.
Click to expand...

yeah... sitting in the car.

I can't picture what's going on in that scanerio. If it's positioned over the passenger side more, which i'm not against, wouldn't more wieght be applied to this side which would mean more force needed to push up? Then I'd think that the passenger would be higher after everything is pulled.
:dontknow:



No matter, doesn't sound like it's really anything to be concerned with since i'll just put it on stands...
 
Wouldn't you get your car aligned while you are sitting in it? Makes sense to me...give the driver another inch...
 
I know that with my alterkation front end and brand new SS springs on the rear, my Dart was 1" higher on the right rear then on the left rear with no engine or tranny. Dart engines and trannys (centerlines) are offset about 1-1/4" to allow for proper function of the drive train universals and for loading of the rear springs on launch, balancing the rear end traction. Once built and complete fine tuning of the LCA adjustments should be all that's necessary .
 
I'm putting in some nice solid subframe connectors tomorrow and since I don't have a totally level spot to do it, I am going to use a laser and stands to make sure the car/frame is actually flat and not twisted before the connectors get welded.

Same Idea with your floor pans applies I would think.
 
pauly v.100 said:
dumb me, i always thought they were offset to clear the steering box.
Click to expand...

I don't think so because Auzzy Valiants are driven on the right side and I don't think they are offset the other way. (I may be wrong). If you think about it if a drive-line was perfectly lined up (the tranny centerline perfectly lined up with the driveshaft) there would be no movement of the universals other then they go around. All the load would always be on a couple of needle bearings causing premature failure. Some angles in the driveshaft are a good thing.

See, on this site you learn something every day. :cheers:
 
It might sit higher on one side because one of the rubber bump stops might be missing. Once the drivetrain is out the upper a frame rests on the stops.

Fred B
 
Just saying. Do you realize that the motor and trans live 1.5" off center of the car?
 
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