Truck is leaning

[Mastiff]

I've been trying to ignore it, but it's driving me crazy. Truck leans to driver's side a noticeable amount. Measured at the body wheel opening, it's about 2 inches. At the spring mounting bolt it's about 1" in the rear, 3/4" front. I have barely used ORD custom springs all around, new body mounts, no rust, etc.

These springs are soft, and it seems like there could be a noticeable amount of extra weight on the driver's side, including exhaust and steering, plus that's where my spare tire is. I tried moving all my gear and tire to the other side and gained almost half an inch, but even so still easily noticeable to the eye.

One possibility is that I had an incident where the U-bolts came loose and the rear axle basically fell off (I have a thread about it). This may have stressed the rear springs and screwed stuff up.

Any suggestions how I can know for sure who the culprit is? I'd consider new springs if needed, but I don't want to throw around that kind of money just guessing.

Here's a pic with all the gear and tire moved over to try and counteract:

 

[Fastereddie]

Your (free) test would be to swap the springs around

 

[Mastiff]

Good idea, although these arched springs are a PITA to install, I had to ratchet strap them to a 4x4 last time to get them flat enough to reach eye to eye. But it may be my least bad option if I can't live with the lean or figure some other clever idea. It'd be cool if I could measure the weight on each tire somehow.

 

[Fastereddie]

Thats wierd. I dont remember any issues putting my ord's in. Do you have rear lift springs or a shakle flip? You can weigh it at each tire. Just have to find somebody with wheel scales. Last time I hit up a local scca club. They usually have scales. Or if you know any d.o.t. cops.

 

[Bent77]

You just need a passenger

 

[Heavyd462]

Local weigh station helped me out with my motorhome. Broke out his portable truck scales so I could get a 4 corner weight. Worth a shot, it was just lucky timing for me.

 

[rampage]

… and it seems like there could be a noticeable amount of extra weight on the driver's side …

View attachment 237201

Enough said

I was going to suggest the spring swap too since I'm a big fan of the free testing. But I do remember you trying to install them. You should have the process down by now though.
Did you measure from axle tube to frame on each side to compare?

 

[Mastiff]

The lift on the front from tube to frame is very close, like maybe 1/4" different left to right. The rear is much more off. I think this indicates that the rear is the source of the problem and the front is along for the ride. The front springs are surely stiffer though, to account for engine weight, so the rears are likely much more sensitive to loading.

 

[rampage]

Then I would try taking the front suspension out of the equation. Use your ratchet straps to tie the front axle to the frame. Then jack up the front end and toss some jack stands under the frame so the front wheels stay just off the ground. Then measure the rear axle to frame difference again. Could do the same process to measure the front end too but it doesn't sound like that's your problem. Like you said, I suspect one of the rear springs got tweaked (passenger rear IIRC) when your axle became dis-located.

 

[skunked]

Multiple sets of springs on my last frame and my truck leaned. I'm interested to see if it still does with a new frame under it.

 

[sreidmx]

How many miles are on these? Have you beat on it some offroad??

 

[Mastiff]

Very few miles. Are you thinking they might be worn in unevenly?

 

[bp71k5]

I thought everyone had the "Chevy lean"?

 

[sreidmx]

Very few miles. Are you thinking they might be worn in unevenly?

I think that might be, the springs need to be worked in, I know the coils we use do settle the first couple of weeks while the customer breaks them in, we usually have to adjust the preload to make it even. I have to imagine leafs being more of the same.

 

[K85 Octane]

My front 52" ORDs are new and tend to lean some times. Its just part of the game. They even warn you it might lean a little. The off-the-shelf springs dont lean cause they are stiffer and the company doesnt want people calling up to complain. Thats my guess anyway.

I Changed from front HD TC springs to ORD and noticed the small lean. I changed nothing else. Whatever, truck drives a little soft'n sloppy but manageable @75mph.

 

[mrk5]

My crew cab with front ORD springs leans due to my big ass. I try to keep the passenger saddle tank full to counter weight a little.

 

[nvrenuf]

I don't have custom springs but I've noticed my truck with Superlift 2.5" 52's up front and 56's with a flip in the rear tends stay leaning a little in the direction of the last body roll. (if that makes sense)

 

[K85 Octane]

I don't have custom springs but I've noticed my truck with Superlift 2.5" 52's up front and 56's with a flip in the rear tends stay leaning a little in the direction of the last body roll. (if that makes sense)

Yes, exactly. I sometimes notice my father's hardly worked '06 3500CCLBDmax4x4 leaning one way or the other. But my truck always tends to lean driver side, without a driver, and it's pretty well balanced weight-wise.

 

[skunked]

I don't have custom springs but I've noticed my truck with Superlift 2.5" 52's up front and 56's with a flip in the rear tends stay leaning a little in the direction of the last body roll. (if that makes sense)

yup

 

[Stephen]

K5s and subs are extra sensitive to loading because of the overhang and the fact that most of the cargo tends to be stacked behind the axle in the cargo space. Some quick math on a K5s dimensions shows that a tire carrier bumper can add 50% or so MORE weight to the rear suspension than the actual bumper weight itself. Think of a teeter totter here. I feel like cargo in a pickup bed tends to be loaded to the front where it's shared between the front and rear springs rather than actually taking weight off the front springs and placing on the rear. The farther any load is from center, the bigger it's effect. That heavy gear that's bolted to one bedside isn't helping unless it has some similar weight buddies on the other bedside. There's also enough sticking friction in a 10 leaf pack that they always tend to sit funny according to their last load condition.
I'm glad to see a lot of good advice and observations here. Getting wheel weights can be priceless. Swapping springs (although a royal pain) can be valuable to see if a lean follows a spring. I like the comment that "big box" springs are stiffer and they just mask the problems that soft springs let out of the bag. One that I need to bring up is measuring the free arch. If you have 2 springs that are the same free arch, they should hold the same weight at the same height. It's also important that the springs are so close together on these trucks (especially on the front) that 1/4" at the springs can make a 3/4" or so difference at the fender and 1/4" at the spring is within manufacturing tolerances. On the wide side, but not bad. Lack of swaybars can contribute too since there's less "roll righting" force available to level the truck.
Really when you get down to it, I'm a little amazed that they ever sit level.
Coilovers are worse except that they have less friction and can be pushed back straight easier. When I get in my K5 it picks the passenger side up enough that my kids used to make me get in last because they couldn't reach if I got in first.