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Thread: Left side suspension, advice?

  1. #1

    Left side suspension, advice?

    So I started to work on my dads 63 buick riviera, it has been sitting for a while but has been covered. I checked major spots for rust and appears not to have any. The car is leaning to the leftl ike the springs on the left side of the car has broke. is his a good thing to assume or is there a much bigger problem with the car? and if i take off the lefttires will i be able to see the problem. I figured i would start with the suspension because it is the most obvious thing wrong with the car.

  2. #2

    Suspension......

    Unless a spring is broke or there is a bent component somewhere, or a worn out bushing in the A frames, you probably wont be able to see much that is wrong...
    From the factory , the springs on the left side are just a bit stronger/longer than on the right side to compensate for the drivers weight.... measuring from the ground to the drivers side back bumper and front pumper the car is supposed to sit 1 in. higher than the right side.....and over time springs will weaken and settle,, and you have to really look close to spot it... unless some dummy took a torch to them to lower the car.... then it is obvious....
    Suspension work is not that complex, you can do a lot of it yourself, but bear in mind , you have to be really carefull and get it right or it can kill you.....
    Get a shop manual and follow it to the letter and you will do all right....
    Last edited by DocModisett; 08-20-2011 at 05:08 AM.

  3. #3
    So if I can't see what's wrong should I just replace the springs and shocks?

  4. #4

    springs.....

    On a vintage car of that age it is better to just go into the project whole hog and rebuild the complete front end,,,, that is what I have done on my cars.... there are some places where you can get your old springs re done and retempered.... or just replace them... and naturally shocks.... on a 63 just replace them... and while you have it all torn down , clean the parts up and repaint them satin black....
    safety tip,,, when you remove the springs , first pull the shocks out then run a piece of chain down thru the spring and around the frame and bolt the ends of the chain together... that way if the spring squirts out of there, the chain will keep it from knocking your head off....

  5. #5
    Ah thank you I wouldn't of thought of thar. Well I wanna rebuild it but ill prolly be able to do the suspension for now then get the frame and stuff later. I'm only 20 and work at Costco so I have to buy this piece by piece

  6. #6

    rebuild.....

    OK,,, it will cost more to buy the individual parts and rebuild.... but , some times you gotta do what you gotta do.... if you buy a ''kit'' it is usually cheaper... try this,,, it costs next to nothing, to tear down, clean up the parts and repaint them.... meanwhile save your coins,,, when you get everything cleaned up and ready to go,,, then buy your ''kit'' and then proceed to rebuild,,,, you can get a shop to remove and install the a frame bushings as a ''bench job'' cheaper and easier than you can do it your self unless you have compressed air and a air hammer/chisle your self....
    just get the shop manual and follow the steps it is not rocket science.....

  7. #7
    I actually do have those so idk ill figure it out alright thanks.

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