Is there a good reason my Explorer leans to the driver's side?

[vhfreak]

The whole vehicle leans slightly to the driver's side on the front-to-back axis. Is this just the result of years of being driven with a 200+ lb person in the driver's seat?

What do I need to do to fix it? Get new shocks?

I've seen some other Explorers from this generation that do the same thing, so it must not be too uncommon.

Thanks...

-Rob

 

[Dan Whitaker]

Shocks do not lift. They absorb shock hence the name shock absorber. You will either need to replace the springs in the rear or use add-a-leafs.

For the front you can do a torsion twist to level it with the rear.

 

[Turdle]

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162963&highlight=gangsta

 

[vhfreak]

Got it, thanks....I was just thinking the shocks on that side may be sagging since they're 170K miles old, but I see what you mean.

 

[steventadams]

in that case it cant hurt to replace them anyway. Improve the ride quality a fair amount probably...

 

[Donner]

When you say 200+lbs, what's that mean? I had mine for 7 years at that weight and it never leaned. Does it lean when you are not in the vehicle?

 

[Joe Dirt]

Snowball had the same exact issue- I replaced my shocks because they were totally shot, and it didn't change the lean at all. It's totally a spring issue, the gas tank is on that side, along with the driver, etc, and it just wears the spring down.

Still

 

[Charlie]

I've got a little gangsta lean going on.

 

[Benji-Man]

To futher add to the list. Yes the Driver , the gas tank, battery, steering column, power drivers seat motors, gas-n-brake pedals, master cyl, brake booster, brake lines, jack and lug wrench.

Its made me wonder what the weight at each wheel is for these vehicles are.

FYI its snowing here, almost time for some fun . 3" on the ground already and snowin its a$$ off . 2 days ago it was 70 degrees.

 

[Benji-Man]

almost forgot both fuse blocks, instrument panel, ebrake pedal and cables and all the wiring for the extra window swicthes and instrument cluster and seat motors, relays, flashers, fuel lines and filter, abs module

 

[Charlie]

Yeah, all of those really heavy things

 

[Nocturnall]

I was thinking gas tank, battery, and driver causes the lean....not all that other relatively light stuff.....

 

[Charlie]

(psst-I'm pretty sure he was joking about the other stuff)
(psst-at least I sure hope he was)

 

[TheJackal]

Hmm... guess it's time for the Explorer Diet...

 

[Donner]

if this is the case, the car would lean out of the factory...

 

[Joe Dirt]

You forgot about the front floor mat retainer... But that could be offset by the rear wiper blade...

 

[BIGHVM]

think you can take up that lean by adjusting the tosion bars- make sure you measure the ride height of the good side to enable accurate setting, also after a test drve at the end re check the ride hight and re adhust if required- hope that fixes it for you!

 

[Godzilla]

Mine used to lean, too. It had broken sway bar links. I replaced them with the TRW ones from Advance Auto for about $27.00 for the pair. They are beefier than the stock ones. That cured my lean.

 

[Potomac30]

Let some air out of the passenger side tires.

 

[Joe Dirt]

yikes...

The torsion adjustment will give you minimal change, in most cases, the lean is too much for the torsion adjustment to level it. I've only heard of leaf replacement/adding and now the end link replacement fixing it on some trucks. I would not recommend dumping air out of your passenger side tires to level your truck- heck- especially the passenger rear on an Explorer...