Lean to the left?

[SwissArmyJeep]

I installed a 3" full spring BDS suspension last summer. I've been very happy with the on and off road performance and quality of the lift.
Question is, why when looking at my jeep from behind does my driver side sit a little lower than the passanger side. (I'm not that fat!)
Could it be that I have one OEM shackel tightened tighter than the other, and it is not flexing? I just cannot believe the two springs settled that much differently.

 

[MIXJ]

could be that one of your spring clips in the front is missing and the front spring rotated. This might sound like it would affect the front, but it could also make the back look like its tilting too.

 

[mnaemark]

The shackle thing happened to me. The oem shackle on the drivers side locked up only allowing the passenger side to move. Raised the drivers side about an inch in some cases. I broke it free with a breaker bar last night and it has been sitting level ever since

 

[lost1]

this is gonna sound really stupid, but I've already caught it twice locally on other XJs...is your rear swaybar still connected?

 

[beakie]

I have the same deal, no rear sway bar, however it did the same when I did have it.
3" spring pack from Rusty's less than 3 months old
whatever it is I will be keeping an eye on this thread to try and remedy my situation as well

 

[SwissArmyJeep]

this is gonna sound really stupid, but I've already caught it twice locally on other XJs...is your rear swaybar still connected?

Nope! Sway bar hit the scrap pile when I put the stiffer springs on.
I may have to try the breaker bar to the shackle Idea. I just remembered that my son-in-law tightened that side (he's kind a a brute, tight = tight as hell).
I won't get the chance 'till tomorrow, so i'm still open for any other ideas.
Thanks!

 

[crazyXj33]

I woluld like to find an answer to this as well. I have a 4.5in lift and mine has a slight lean to the right. Don't know why. ????

 

[Mdub]

Oh yeah, I have a lean too. Didn't have one till I put on a new sway bar and new front coils. I even swapped coils side to side but it remains leaning (lower) on the passenger side. I'm bringing it in for an alignment. I'll let you know if the adj. track bar adjustment helps.

 

[UprightXJ]

AAAAhhhh, the Cherokee lean. This is a well known issue that as far as I know, has no solution. Our crew has had several XJ's and all of them have had the lean. The funny thing is, I've noticed on mine, one day the lean is present and the next day it will be level. Dirk has swapped his coil springs and leaf springs on his current XJ, only to find that it still leaned on the passenger side.

If anyone has figured this one out, please nlightn. It appears that this is one thing only God knows.

 

[rmm727]

I heard once that jeep tend to sag on the passenger side due to the twisting motion caused when accelerating. Just a thought

 

[XJCreeper]

X2. I've heard this theory too and I think there may be some vality to it. I'm got a powertrax locker and find that after unloading the gear from a trip the passenger side will lean down as much as an inch. Drivers side is always high.

Usually after a couple trips down the freeway empty it will spring back. But there are times it doesn't. So then I put it on jackstands and let the rear hang for a bit and that fixes it.

If this doesn't work then swapping the spring pack lowers will fix it for sure. Usually at the end of summer this needs to be done. I'm running RE 4.5" springs and greasable 1.5" tomken shackles. Didn't start having this problem until I beat on the rear suspension for a couple years. Maybe my leaf packs are getting worn. Good think I got a kid whose is trained in leaf pack swapping to help me out! Kids are great!

 

[CommandoXJ96]

i just finished my 3 inch rustys lift and my Drivers side is low. so maybe the passengers side rear will sag on me and fix it? it seems that the front axle is whats doing it though - not my rear axle. Does anyone think could I adjust the sway-bar or tie-rod somehow to compensate? or should i just put a spacer in the passenger side to make up the ~0.6 inches? i dont like this 'lean business'....

 

[87manche]

I'd just put a 1/2" spacer on that sie and call it done. It could be from more weight on the drivers side.
How often do you have passengers?
Is your spare still in the stock location, that's an extra 50 lbs on the drivers side right there.

 

[RayBecker]

Any chance that friction between the individual leaves of the spring pack cause the pack to settle to a different level at rest? Just a thought. thx
Ray

 

[99xjstl]

I have a 4.5 rubicon lift, and from the outside you cant notice a lean, but when driving it you can see the passenger side leans. I have aligned it and messed with the springs and no luck either way just one of those things.

 

[Mdub]

My Heep is leaning too. It is new since I added some new coils. Long story, but if I figure it out I'll let you know. Shop said that frame might be twisted, then they stopped looking. My ass it's bent. I think it is my leafs or shims, but not sure. I plan on swapping leafs to investigate that. Already replace track bar and swapped coils. No improvement.

 

[herreraxto]

swaping the leaf springs the left to the rigth and viceversa

 

[RicksXJ]

i bet you still have your original swaybar links in the front...
sometimes front anti-swaybars are tweaked, with one end higher than the other.
since regular links are the same length, one of them is gonna pull that side down in the front, but the tilt is more noticable from the back. disconect your front links, bounce the xj up and down once or twice and look at it now. if it is level now, you just need to buy adjustable length links [like jks] and adjust them to your tweaked swaybar.
i hope i wrote this so it makes sense to you.............. ;]