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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Lopsided '38 coupe

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Posted By Discussion Topic: Lopsided '38 coupe -- page: 1 2     Tim I 04-03-2011 @ 6:52 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 73 Joined: Apr 2010 I noticed my coupe seems to sit a little lopsided in the back. I measured from the top of the axle housing to the frame kick-up next to the rubber bumpers, and the drivers side is 1 inch lower than the passenger side. I can't see anything obvious by way of adjustment. Is there any way to correct this? As always, any insight would be much appreciated! Tim ford38v8 04-03-2011 @ 8:34 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2769 Joined: Oct 2009 Tim, your problem is much more common than you can imagine. There are many factors that contribute to the "drunken horse" syndrome that plague so many Fords of the early years, so I will attempt to list the ones I can remember in order of relevance. 1- Transverse springs... Number one, top of the list, the single feature of the early Ford that made it so unbeatable, so indestructible, so much fun to drive, and so lopsided. When one side of the car depends on the other for stability, it's always a fight to see which comes out on top. Fords will lean, so get over it. Maintenance helps a lot here. Springs get weak, they wear grooves on each other preventing full flexibility, and they break. Lubrication is not easy, and attachment to the frame can loosen, making all other reasons unimportant. 2- Hoiudaille shock absorbers... Like transverse springs, Houdaille shocks are pure Ford, provide really great, arguably the very best spring control, and are chock full of problems. They freeze up, they get out of adjustment, they leak, they never get filled with the right fluid, and are all but impossible to rebuild without sending in the Marines. 3- This is really a stretch here, but running a weak 3rd is everything else... Tire inflation, overweight driver (who, me?}, parking on a side hill, I don't know, just squint cockeyed and lean the same direction as your Ford! Seriously, go through the suspension from ground up and you'll find so many maintenance issues that affect the stance of your Ford, and they all fight against each other to make your Ford look like Smoky the Drunken Horse in "Cat Ballou" Alan supereal 04-03-2011 @ 9:27 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 I can't can't top that, Alan! A Ford does lean 99.9 percent of the time, but short of joining Jenny Craig, you can turn the spring end for end, which usually helps. While you have the spring out, take it apart and examine it for one or more broken leaves. They usually can't be seen while the spring is assembled, but one or more will cause the car to list. joe b 04-04-2011 @ 6:01 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 389 Joined: Oct 2010 Speaking of Hoiudaille shocks what do recommend for fluid to add/refill? TomO 04-04-2011 @ 7:17 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7257 Joined: Oct 2009 The people that rebuilt my shocks, recommended hydraulic jack oil. Other re-builders have other recommendations. Tom Tim I 04-04-2011 @ 9:36 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 73 Joined: Apr 2010 Thanks for all the information. For now, I will just consider the lean to be a "feature," as I tackle other more pressing issues, like 40-year old tires, exhaust leaks, and worn kingpins... Tim supereal 04-04-2011 @ 10:22 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 The original fluid was some kind of glycerine-based stuff. Adding oil to lever shocks seldom produces much improvement unless they have been rebuilt. ford38v8 04-04-2011 @ 4:49 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2769 Joined: Oct 2009 There were three different fluids used in the Houdailles, and refilling with the wrong one could produce cottage cheese. With modern fluids such as hydraulic jack fluid now being used, that many more versions of cottage cheese can result unless the shock has been rebuilt and starts fresh with the modern fluid. The three original fluids were: Castor oil, glycerin, and mineral oil. Each fluid was identified for refill by a specific plug, round for castor oil, square for glycerin, and dome for mineral oil. Over the years, and as shocks were rebuilt, plugs could be mismatched to different shocks, so this info is just food for thought, not a recommendation for fluid identification today. Alan 37RAGTOPMAN 04-05-2011 @ 5:12 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1965 Joined: Oct 2009 tim I do not forget to check the front end,for anything,like spring, shackles. shocks, etc, all four corners should be measured to be accurate. also I have a question, if you get out of the car, and rock the car, does in still lean to the left,,? you might have one good shock and one that does nothing, if you know somebody with a drive on lift, would help, this way to know it is level just do not go by the ground, also Motorcycle shops sell SHOCK oil in many different weights, so if you can ajust your shocks by going to a heavier oil or lighter depending on what resistence you want hope this helps 37RAGTOPMAN This message was edited by 37RAGTOPMAN on 4-5-11 @ 5:46 AM Tim I 04-05-2011 @ 10:33 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 73 Joined: Apr 2010 I do have a drive-on lift, so will also check the front carefully. And, I'll do the rocking test you suggest and see if it always settles to the left. Thanks for the suggestions! Tim

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