How To: Correct Chevy Lean

[2.2L Sonoma]

Quote: Originally Posted by hamagc

would it work if you just put a couple of spacers on the drivers side end link? if it doesn't adjust the ride height, just the side to side, then i could see it saving you the work of cutting anything out...

just a thoguht. maybe i'll give it a try.

Hey everyone
I tried this method out on my truck. I had about a 3/4" differential between the two sides (with truck basically on empty.) I took two hex nuts (equalling about 3/4" together) plus three 1/8" washers (large enough to keep the bushing there) totalling 1 and 1/8" of total adjustment. I wanted to put a little more in than what i measured because i figured my driver's side would sink with more fuel and me sitting in there. Anyways, I took it out for a 4 mile swervy drive and after measured that the driver's side was 1/4" higher than passenger side. Needless to say, I'm happy with a little more on the drivers side, I'll measure it again after i fill it up...next week if gas prices go down, I won't be driving much this weekend.

One thing i did notice though, the roll/spring rate effect seemed a bit stiffer on the driver side than before. That's understandible, because i assume the driver's side is loaded more. If i dont make a "big" purchase here within the next few months, ill be upgrading to a 4dr blazer/zq8 front sway bar anyways.

Anyways, nice thread.

AJ

[Up0n0ne]

Well when I lowered my truck it had the same lean. I went back cause I believed it was a spring that wasn't seated right. Well I compressed the spring and turned it and it turned a little and well I thought it was definately fixed. Well as with the one side I heard it seat in when lowered it from the jack, this side I still didn't after reseating the spring. So I drove it and went over some speed humps in my brothers sub-division and heard and felt nothing. And as I pulled in his driveway finally heard and felt it seat in there. That pretty much took care of mine.
If your springs aren't in the correct place at the end of the coil that will cause the lean as well.

Marc

[jeremytd30]

**Newbie Alert**

Do you need to correct the chevy lean if you drop your truck using spindles up front and blocks in the rear with all the other components staying stock?

[TubbD]

Well I did this in my drop and it worked here.

[hamagc]

Quote: Originally Posted by jeremytd30

**Newbie Alert**

Do you need to correct the chevy lean if you drop your truck using spindles up front and blocks in the rear with all the other components staying stock?

now if i'm not mistaken the chevy lean is stock so unless you focus on fixing that, it will stay there no matter what you use, spinldes or springs. this post is a DIY fix. they also sell the spring spacer. but yes, it will still be there with spindles.

[2LoS10]

hey man that is awesome but how do u fix the lean in the back, i heard that all u have to do is take out a couple of leafs out of the leaf spring what do u think

[Kovz]

Quote: Originally Posted by 2LoS10

hey man that is awesome but how do u fix the lean in the back, i heard that all u have to do is take out a couple of leafs out of the leaf spring what do u think

NO!!!! taking 1 leaf out drops it about 1.5" and that would be retarded to only take one side out. using the method of cutting the end link on the sway bar, it leveled my whole truck out. front and back.

[hamagc]

Quote: Originally Posted by 2LoS10

hey man that is awesome but how do u fix the lean in the back, i heard that all u have to do is take out a couple of leafs out of the leaf spring what do u think

now (if i'm not mistaken) i do believe that the back does not need to be adjusted to fix the lean. the rear is on a solid axle. so the side to side height should be the same. the front is independent. so one side can lean, making the back appear to lean. once you fix the front the back should even out. if the side to side height in the back is not even, then i would look at replacing the leafs. if you pull a leaf on one side and not the other, then it will really be uneven. i have pulled 1 leaf out of both packs on my dime and it dropped about another 1-1.5in in the back. if you only pull one leaf from one pack and leave the other as is, expect that much lean. Please correct me if i am wrong in this thought process.

[sokr2004]

^^^no correction needed

[S10Speed001]

im going to try the spacers & hex nuts on the drivers side. Hope it helps !

[spatch137]

I got a new belltech spacer for sale if anyone wants it.

[JollyGreenMini]

I don't know if this was covered, I didn't read the whole thread...

What we did on my work truck was get those metal coil spacers that just basically screw into place in between a coil on each side. Slapped 2 of those in the driver's side coil, and no more lean. My truck doesn't ride any different than it did before, and it's been like that for almost 2 years with 0 problems. And, the best part is it only took 30 seconds, and I think the spacers were like $5.

[ar15 guy]

My truck barely leans so I will probably just use the method described in this thread. I already have the new sway bar end-link. I just haven't got around to installing it.

[S10Speed001]

Did this over the weekend...it was so simple, the hardest part is cutting the gold spacer!
corrected my lean problem , thanks!

[HotRodV6]

So now that some of you have had this mod done for a year or more, hows the long term looking, any problems?

IM in the middle of swapping my 2K Bravada onto a 96 2wd frame and going with 2in drop coils and drop spindles and 3in leafs and 2in blocks out back for the drop and want to fix the lean, and like the low buck approach used here.

[grndscrpr03]

how do you know it's gonna have the lean?

[Thanatos56]

Quote: Originally Posted by HotRodV6

So now that some of you have had this mod done for a year or more, hows the long term looking, any problems?

IM in the middle of swapping my 2K Bravada onto a 96 2wd frame and going with 2in drop coils and drop spindles and 3in leafs and 2in blocks out back for the drop and want to fix the lean, and like the low buck approach used here.

When my 2000 was brand new, it was 1/2" lower on the left front than the right front, 1" lower on the left rear than the right rear. Didn't notice it until I did a 2/3 drop, and then it was painfully obvious. Do not personally like the idea of a pre-stressed sway bar... sway bar bushings should be tightened down with no pre-load of any kind. I used a 1" Belltech rear drop spacer on the right side (rear); made the truck equal height left/right, both front and rear. (So, technically, the truck was dropped 2" front, and 3"/4" rear).

My truck now has a 4/5 drop, and still 1" more drop on the right rear to keep it square.

Do it any way you want, but... those sway bar bushings should still be tightened down with no pre-load in order for it all to work properly.

In your specific case... I would recommend doing it as you posted, and then - depending upon whether you want to raise one side or drop the other to make it "look right" - purchase either a 1" block set, or a 3" block set, and use two different lowering blocks in the rear to make it square.

[elitelowsjack]

I know to some it sounds stupid but, I have no sway bar...and still have S10 lean.

[556mm]

damn i wish i had seen this thread alot earlier. oh well i'm gonna try the spring spacer i bought from belltech. if that doesn't eliminate my problem i'll do the endlink trick.

[newgroundsonoma]

Ok i am wondering how much that will correct the problem. or can you shrink one and extend the other?
thanks
Dave
New Ground <SNMTCC>

[grndscrpr03]

Quote: Originally Posted by elitelowsjack

I know to some it sounds stupid but, I have no sway bar...and still have S10 lean.

doesn't sound stupid to me at all, I have seen many trucks that didn't have a sway bar and had the lean.

Quote: Originally Posted by newgroundsonoma

Ok i am wondering how much that will correct the problem. or can you shrink one and extend the other?
thanks
Dave
New Ground <SNMTCC>

yeah you can do that, but you are just putting more stress on the swaybar and taking away it's abilities even more. By modifying the endlinks you are just defeating the whole reason to have a swaybar.

[2002Chad]

i agree, this is the most getto way of "fixing" the problem.

[556mm]

Quote: Originally Posted by 2002Chad

i agree, this is the most getto way of "fixing" the problem.

just use the spacer. i put it in today and it worked like a charm.

[ironpimp]

this is your sway bar link . If you change it and make it shorter on the passenger side...the driver side is going to be off...which me more stress on one side no ?

[nlazoff]

does this lower the highside or raise the low side?

[SickSpeedMonte]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tom S

You actually don't need to get a shorter bolt. You can just put the piece you cut under (between the bushing and a washer) the lower control arm.

Put another washer on the bolt head and stick the cut piece between that washer and the washer that cups the bushing.

If you put it directly on the bushing it will eat its way inside of it and then you will have a loose, noisy sway bar.

[SickSpeedMonte]

it will put stress on the entire sway bar and both end links... all the sway bar does is resist body roll. In theory, it shoudl be able to rotate pretty freely within the frame bushings. I wouldnt personally do this because the truck will handle differently around turns, whether you feel it or not in the seat of your pants. Put your truck on a set of scales and see what it looks like. I'll bet that you have alot of weight on diagonally opposite wheels (driver front and pass rear) adn not so much on the others. This is a big no-no in trying to make a vehicle handle well.

Balance out the ride height with spring spacers(not b/w the coils either... on top or below). It will keep your spring rate the same from left to right, and it shoudl even out your corner weights as well.

[THEWHITEASIAN]

cheaper then that belltech spacer

[SickSpeedMonte]

And alot easier too, but that doesnt make it the best solution.

[2002Chad]

Quote: Originally Posted by THEWHITEASIAN

cheaper then that belltech spacer

so is just letting some air out of the right side tire to even it out but does that make it a good idea?

[THEWHITEASIAN]

ok then go waste 50 bucks on that spacer

[2002Chad]

to me, doing things the correct way is not a waste. i'd rather do that than half ass it and compromise handling.

[juicedondubs]

i did this like 2 years ago on my bagged 2001 i dunno why it leaned in the first place being bagged, i measured the cups and everything was the same so this seemed like the only thing that could possibly work and it did. i drove my truck a few months with out the sway bar it was terrible NEVER DRIVE WITHOUT SWAYBAR. my truck drove better after i cut the links and i just put the extra on the top to keep from getting a shorter bolt

[KENNYMO]

Hey Guys So For I Have Only Lowered The Back Of My Truck. I Used 4 Inch Blocks And Cut My Bump Stops. Now The Only Problem Is, It Leans The The Drivers Side. About A Half Inch. Is This The Same As The Chevy Lean Even Though Its In The Back?

[Kovz]

Quote: Originally Posted by KENNYMO

Hey Guys So For I Have Only Lowered The Back Of My Truck. I Used 4 Inch Blocks And Cut My Bump Stops. Now The Only Problem Is, It Leans The The Drivers Side. About A Half Inch. Is This The Same As The Chevy Lean Even Though Its In The Back?

yes. by correcting the front when you lower it, it will help the back be even as well

[greencactus3]

'may'.... why does the lean bug you guys soooo much? lol.

[J_Rod]

Quote: Originally Posted by SickSpeedMonte

it will put stress on the entire sway bar and both end links... all the sway bar does is resist body roll. In theory, it shoudl be able to rotate pretty freely within the frame bushings. I wouldnt personally do this because the truck will handle differently around turns, whether you feel it or not in the seat of your pants. Put your truck on a set of scales and see what it looks like. I'll bet that you have alot of weight on diagonally opposite wheels (driver front and pass rear) adn not so much on the others. This is a big no-no in trying to make a vehicle handle well.

Balance out the ride height with spring spacers(not b/w the coils either... on top or below). It will keep your spring rate the same from left to right, and it shoudl even out your corner weights as well.

You're assuming the truck's corner weights are even to begin with, which they aren't...there is physically more mass on the driverside anyway, and the coils' spring rates are equal (within factory tolerance).

But the theory of what he's doing isn't bad, in fact its common practice in road racing. Just do a search of "Adjustable Sway Bar End Links" and you'll see. Granted almost a full 1.5" is on the extreme side, but the idea works.

[beaniebmx]

my passenger rear is an inch lower than the drivers side, its the opposite of what you guys are saying... my swaybar was rusted and broken, no end links...

any way to fix this? i dont know what size or where to get swaybar end links either,

[JHANSO25]

Would this also work if you're using drop spindles instead of drop coils?? I don't see why it would be different, someone let me know...

[greencactus3]

Quote: Originally Posted by JHANSO25

Would this also work if you're using drop spindles instead of drop coils?? I don't see why it would be different, someone let me know...

yes. makes no difference

[russell]

couldnt you just put a spring 1 inch lower in the pass side?

[greencactus3]

Quote: Originally Posted by russell

couldnt you just put a spring 1 inch lower in the pass side?

you could.. but some people dont have a full inch of difference. and some people dont wanna have different spring rates in right and left. at least i know i take left turns and right turns both.

[itscypha]

man oh man it took me forever to find this thread...should be a STICKY!!! read all of it ppl sayin bootleg this will stress bla bla bla...man act like spacers isnt bootleg. why not have the actual corrected spring made being bigger? ..but ya now im going to go do this!!! sticky it!

[greencactus3]

Quote: Originally Posted by itscypha

man oh man it took me forever to find this thread...should be a STICKY!!! read all of it ppl sayin bootleg this will stress bla bla bla...man act like spacers isnt bootleg. why not have the actual corrected spring made being bigger? ..but ya now im going to go do this!!! sticky it!

because the 'correct' way to fix the lean is by adjusting preload... and thats done by a spacer. not a longer spring... youd need a different spring rate/length to get it right to have the equal spring rate right and left if they are different lengths

[Ownage]

spacer ftw

[swamp_rat]

my truck leans to the passanger side a bit..full tank of gas fixes that problem

[Sleeper S10]

i corrected mine with a spacer and it toor a few days to settle and then it totally evened out!

[itscypha]

well i didnt do it anyway...wanted to but was lazy... maybe someday it wont have the lean get wit a fat chick to have her make my right side even out. spacer link?

[SteveHH]

Does summit carry the sway bar end link?

I can't find one on their site...And I need to replace mine

[SteveHH]

Quote: Originally Posted by itscypha

well i didnt do it anyway...wanted to but was lazy... maybe someday it wont have the lean get wit a fat chick to have her make my right side even out. spacer link?

Summit part# bel-4930