<VV> 64 leaning?? PS:

[Tony Underwood]

At 01:03 PM 10/31/2009, Ken Lundy wrote:
>If anyone can recommend someone who would be able to diagnose and make the
>necessary repairs/adjustments, please let me know.
>Thanks,
>Ken
>
>
>My 64 convertible has 2 issues.... not sure if they¹re related.
>
>First... when viewing the rear of the car, the engine appears to be slightly
>lower on the drivers side.
>I¹ve replaced the transmission mount bolts... spacer and shims look good.
>Motor mounts look good.
>I¹ve been told by couple of people that this condition is ³normal² for a 64.


...humm.   I've not seen this sort of thing in 
any '64 I ever dealt with.   Now, if one of the 
transmission bracket mounts is sagged, the engine 
can sit crooked.  Likewise if the bracket itself 
is bent or the holes in it where the gearbox 
mounts the bracket are elongated or wallowed out, 
which can happen if the bolts had been loose for 
any considerable length of time in the past.

If need be, the transmission bracket up front 
(NOT the transmission) can be shimmed to fix this 
if nothing else becomes obvious in causing the lean to the left.


>Second...the entire car is slightly lower on the drivers side.  (about 1
>inch to 1-1/4 inch)


If this is how it measures with just the driver 
in the car, it's not out of bounds.   If the car 
sits like this empty, something is amiss.


>I replaced the springs with new ones from Clarks. Yes the rear drivers side
>spring is correct.
>After the new springs were installed, the car still leans.
>Clarks told me to check the rubber cushions between the body and the rear
>suspension.
>They all appear to be OK.


That's where I'd have looked first thing.   Maybe 
it's time to start measuring some chassis points 
to find out where the discrepancy is.  Try 
measuring the actual compressed spring height in 
the rear... make sure the springs are the same 
length under compression.   If they are, it would 
suggest a subframe/body problem.


>Nothing under the car appears to be twisted or bent. Doors, trunk and engine
>cover open and close easily... seams are nice and straight.
>
>Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.


I noticed that the location appears to be 
NJ.   The last time I saw a 'Vair from NJ it had 
rust issues underneath that weren't evident from 
outside.   Could this car have some rust in the 
unibody around the rear subframe mount area that 
you may not have seen (I know, unlikely but worth a guess)?

I'd try looking at some places around the rear 
subframe, between the actual unibody sheet metal 
and the subframe itself, to see if there's 
anything obviously different from one side of the 
car to the other.   You might also try jacking 
the car from the exact center of the front 
crossmember and check the rear again to make sure 
your issue is a rear suspension problem and not 
something up front.   That's when you compare the 
compressed length of the rear springs.



It is not beyond the realm that the car may have 
a bent rear subframe assy.   Those measurements 
might tell the tale there.     And 
finally:   Have you ever had the rear subframe out of this car?





tony..