It is a salvage title.
The rear left sits an inch lower than the right rear
The front right sits half an inch lower than the front left.

I've swapped my rear springs with no change. Would the front suspension effect the rear in such a huge way or am I looking at a twisted frame?

If I do have a twisted *** frame, anyone know where I can get a bare shell for cheap? No doors, no windows, NOTHING. I might have a summer project on my hands.

 

Ummmmmmmm, it can be fixed (straightend) take it to a reputable shop ask them to setup and measure it. It usually costs you about 2 hours at whatever their labor rate is then they will show you the print out and explain what needs to be done and how much more it will cost to correct the problem. A small twist like that does not mean you need a new shell.

 

hrm, the thought has crossed my mind, but couldn't that cause more harm than good?

 

Ditto what 93 said. You would like to have 1 that has'nt been wrecked but its not necessarily the end.

 

Before you do theat, check your tire pressure. Mine was the same and one of my tires were going flat. New tires and its normal.

 

ya you can sometimes get the frame "pulled" back into place. i know cause a buddy of mine was drivning his little tempo and he hit a curb bent the frame a little but it was so little that he just took it to a certain shop. and they fixed it. i'de check around you might not need a whole new shell.



Prôdigy

 

brand new tires, 32 all around.


I checked with my woman on the whole shell project and she flipped at the thought. So it look like I'll be taking it to a shop.

 

Would the subframe, if it was bent, make it look like that??

 

Just get some coilovers and dial it in level...

 

I personally would bring it in to a reputable frame shop and have them measure up the frame points and give you an estimate if you indeed need repair work. You will pay for the hook up and measuring, but you really have to think what is in your best interest. The time and effort in making a rolling chasis to your spec, or the money required to fix your frame.

Find out how much out of spec your frame is and where, you should get some measurements (length, width and/height). If it's in an area of the frame that is very hard to fix, bail on it, otherwise save your self some headache. If you're decently capable and if you think your time isn't an issue go for the swap. This is all just my opinion, so take it with a grain of salt. G/L with your ride!

 

Not sure on the rear, but the front shock/spring perches sag over time, and it's common for the driver's side to sit about a 1/2" lower than the passenger in the front. The extra weight on the driver's side from the driver wears that mount a bit more.

I'd really start by inspecting the shocks and springs. I can't see the frame being tweaked that much - it's probably something more simple. Eliminate the simple stuff first before you go off the deep end.

Dale

 

1. I assume you measured on a truly flat level surface?!?
2. If you did, and it's 1" low in the LR and 1/2" low in the RF, the frame is certainly twisted. There's no way the frame could be flexible enough to have sagging springs, flat tires, etc. cause that much twist.
3. A frame-shop checkout is the best approach.
4. Another way to diagnose the twist is to check the car on scales. If you find that the low measurements coincide with significantly heavier loads on the corresponding tires, that would confirm frame twist as the problem. Any cause other than a twisted frame would result in the load on a low corner being less, not more.

 

yeah flat surface, it also looks visibly twisted just sitting there anywhere i park. Looking through the back and phasing the rear sway bar to the front, the sway bar look like it is def lower on the dirver side.

 

Before you bring it to a "frame shop" you should take a look at the suspension. A bent suspension will cause the same problem. A bent frame is usually noticeable, the car is usually really beat up. Its not that easy to bend the frame of a car. A bent frame will usually mean a broken suspension. A really bad alignment will cause a differnece in ride height, mismatch tires will do the same thing. Best thing to do is bring it to a good alignment shop, not sears or any chain store. Unless you know someone that works there. A good electronic alignment will be a very good starting point, and its a lot cheaper than what a frame shop would charge.

 

1. Has the car been repainted, the damage to the frame if that severe would be visible. The sub-frame uni-body construction wouldn't be able to hide that kind of damage. Get it on lift. Also do the door shut with uniform gaps. If so I doubt that it frame damage.

2. Be careful with four wheel alignments some shop techs are clueless and do some crazy things trying to align the rear.

 

Where did you measure the heights? I agree with others here that that much frame twist would be easily visible in door, hood and hatch mis-alignments (the edge gaps would be all over the place).

However, it is still true that if your 1.5-inch twist is real (measured from, say, the tops of the fender openings to a truly-flat surface), something more serious than bent or misaligned suspension has to be wrong.

 

measured in two seperate garages, I measured off of the rear quarter reflectors and off of the front fenders in a couple of spots.

The passanger door doesnt sit flush to the body, it sticks out a fat 1/16th of an inch maybe an 1/8th. There is a slight seperation of the multi layers of metal on the underside of the right front frame rail, but visually the rail doenst look bent in any direction. The rear hatch lid doesnt sit the same from the left to the right side, its hard to see but you can tell when running your fingers between the hatch and quarter panels.

I've looked over all the suspension components on a 2 post lift, even replaced some pillowball bushings. The only things that were bent were the front sway bar/radiator mounts that I replaced.

 

Does the hood fit squarely? If it does, then I would suspect a rear impact from the side which probably required replacing one of the 1/4-panels at least, and they probably did that w/o properly straightening the chassis first. That may be why not too much in the way of bad fitting doors, etc., is visible.