Left Side sits lower than right

[Hundehuchen]

Ok I just picked this Explorer up and have only had it for about a week... All I know is the PO took good care of it and only used motorcraft parts.

But my friend was following me and noticed the drivers side has a lean to it.. more than the Passenger side. Once I looked at it I realised it too.. It does have a trailer hitch on it, the only thing I can really think of is maybe one of the leaf springs has a crack? or is weakend in another way?

Also the truck has about 183k maybe something is just giving out?
No matter which way I slice it I can't beat a free car (and it's better than my old VW)

 

[KPT]

The gas tank is on the left. That combined with with the drivers weight causes it.

You could swap the leaf springs and tighten the torsion bolt on the left. Rear will lean right then but may even out eventually.

 

[robertoa1a]

This is common. There are many threads on this.

 

[robertoa1a]

This is just one of the answers to this problem (not the best). I purchased these at a discount store to bring the back end up to spec. It leveled the left and right as well. $25 well spent! I wanted more towing capability and stiffness and got it!

 

[Cat Stevens]

Roberto

Those look dead simple. Perfect for a lazy guy who doesn't wanna turn it into a science project. What are they called?

 

[Hundehuchen]

Yeah where do I find those?! That might be the answer to my question...

Upon further inspection, even without me in the car the left rear leaf spring sits on the overloads... with 1/2 tank of gas... I think it may be more than a weight distribution issue... I have to take a picture and post it I suppose...

 

[robertoa1a]

They are helper springs. Advanced auto parts, Auto Zone, Pep boys and O'riley should have them. They are pretty generic but tried and true. I saw them on the shelf by the shackle kits. You have to jack the truck up from the frame. see how the U-bolt end is tucked in there. You dont want to bind that metal slat and the leaf stack together.

Yours, like many others leans from years of the unequal weight distribution while hitting bumps. You may start noticing a lot of Explorers are like that. The helper springs cured this for me and raised the back, which was sagging a little.

 

[gray_fox]

lock right locker

hi i have a 91 and i just want to know if going with a lock right locker in the rear would be a good idea? i can et a new one in the box for $250.00 but i dont know enough about them, and want to know if there are any different things i need to know about them

 

[Hundehuchen]

Put the Helper Springs on, the guy at Auto Zone had no idea what they were I got them for $25 bucks out the door... Installation was about 15 minutes and they completly changed the feel of the Explorer... It feels stiffer, like I can actually go around corners now.. And got rid of a bunch of suspension squeeks as well.. But most importantly, the Explorer finally sits level.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[robertoa1a]

A few folks think it is kind of a jury rig but most of them are serious 4x4 ers.

 

[deer kill mounty]

Hi I have the same problem on my 99 mountaineer, which i just did a torsion twist and shackle lift on. Did you just put a helper spring on the side that was sagging? did it adversely affect anything else? Im hoping it will work for me however I am slightly skeptical.

 

[robertoa1a]

I put them on both sides because I had rear sag as well as drivers side lean. The helpers took care of about 80% of the problem (I measured from frame to ground to tell) then I tweaked the front torsion bar accordingly.

There is no real need to be sceptical. You will definitely feel like you got $25 improvement, + 20 minutes labor.

 

[Joe Dirt]

gray fox- please start a new thread, you question will get buried in here. There are tons of threads and lots of sections on the forum- putting the question in the right place will increase the chances that someone will be able to help...

 

[Delta Dog]

OK........if the drivers side is lower than the passenger side and you install the helper springs on both sides like in the pic above........wouldn't the back end just be higher but with the same drives side lean???? Or is there some adjustability in those helper springs??? :scratch:

 

[robertoa1a]

A little. The drivers side was more than 3/4" lower before the added helpers, and after the helpers were added there was about 1/4" difference. The springs aren't only adding height as shackles do. With adding spring, the side that sits lower is going to put more demand on its spring.

I adjusted the drivers side torsion bar up a hair too. I assumed that not all of the problem was due to rear leafs sagging. I think that an add a leaf would look a lot better though. I could have bought new OEM springs, but I'm not happy with how soft they are.

In short, my truck is sitting level now.

 

[Delta Dog]

Great info......thanks!! I think I am gonna try the helpers!! Hopefully they are still around $25 at my local auto parts store!!

I have AutoZone, Advanced and O'riellys........do they all carry the same thing or am i looking for a specific brand that is better than another??

Thanks again.....I LOVE this forum!!!

 

[robertoa1a]

I got mine at Advance. They have holes were you put a rivit like thingy near the front to adjust height.

 

[Delta Dog]

Advance it is then........and with your picture I shouldn't be able to screw it up too bad!!!

 

[JCat]

I have tried the helper springs. For me, they only worked for a while.

I was very surprised at how cheap I could get replacement leaf springs at a local shop. I think it was $75 for a pair (Atlanta, about 9 years ago) ........and they had one or two more leafs and 2" more curve as well. Perhaps I was lucky....I dunno.

I also was surprised how easy it was to install them. It was not nearly as difficult as I had thought.

 

[robertoa1a]

I would like to find what JCat found but not having much luck. I keep 400lb box in in the cargo area and I tow stuff. Haven't noticed any new sagging after a year.

DeltaDog, Deer-kill-Mounty, gray fox, and JCat. It's like a zoo.