Sierra is 2" lower on driver's side

803fisherman96 · July 21, 2019

My buddy just got a 2017 Sierra SLT Z71 after his old truck died. The Sierra has a 4" Rancho lift kit on it that the previous owner had installed. To keep a long story short, my buddy & I drove to the shop where his old truck was located to pick it up as they were able to make it driveable. He drove his old truck back & I followed him in the Sierra. He lives on a farm with narrow dirt roads & I had to move over to the far left of the road as there was a tractor going in the opposite direction. I hit a roughly 7" deep pothole that I couldn't see as there was grass around it while trying to get around the tractor. After arriving at my buddy's house we both noticed the left front wheel grinding on the well when I turned in, & also that the truck is a little more than 2" lower on the left side than the oppsosite side (Please see pictures, I've uploaded 2 of the side that is lower). My biggest concern is that after spending nearly 2 hours looking over everything, we can't locate the reason for the leaning. Since I was driving it I'm going to have to pay for it, & neither of us are mechanics, so I would greatly appreciate any information as to what the issue could be, if anyone in here has experienced the same thing & what was needed to fix it, etc. Sorry for the long post, I'm new to this.

*Edit*

After very carefully going over the undercarriage pictured below we discovered a crack in the control arm (albeit a small one) & also discovered that the sway bar link on the driver's side is bent fairly badly. Hopefully that's all it is but I'm wondering if those two things alone can account for a 2" drop & the wheel being off center.

Edited July 22, 2019 by 803fisherman96

DeePa · July 21, 2019

I’d be looking at bent control arms and checking out the upper strut mount.

That wheel looks like it’s a solid few inches off center.

803fisherman96 · July 21, 2019

2 minutes ago, DeePa said:

I’d be looking at bent control arms and checking out the upper strut mount.

That wheel looks like it’s a solid few inches off center.

Got it, thanks. We're out here looking at it again as I type this so we'll see what we can find.

HeySkippyDog · July 23, 2019

Damn, lol. Did you hit it going 60?

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803fisherman96 · July 24, 2019

I was going roughly 29-30mph. The shop I've got it at now says the frame is bent, which is why everything is off & the front left control arm will need replacing. That's all they've found so far. But the 2 guys I spoke with at the shop said it doesn't take a lot to bend a frame if you hit a pothole (i.e. angle at which it is it, speed, force of gravity, etc.). I'm still a tad bit skeptical though.

HeySkippyDog · July 24, 2019

I was going roughly 29-30mph. The shop I've got it at now says the frame is bent, which is why everything is off & the front left control arm will need replacing. That's all they've found so far. But the 2 guys I spoke with at the shop said it doesn't take a lot to bend a frame if you hit a pothole (i.e. angle at which it is it, speed, force of gravity, etc.). I'm still a tad bit skeptical though.

FRAME BENT over a pothole?!

That I just don't buy.

The cross section and wall thickness of the frame is much, much larger than the control arm which just got a small crack. You expect me to believe it BENT the frame and only put a little crack on the arm?

I think your friend bought a wrecked truck is what I think.

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HeySkippyDog · July 24, 2019

I hit some nasty potholes in my 2014, granted the control arms were machined and not stamped. But it never bent the frame.

You may have been behind the wheel for this latest pothole, but I seriously doubt you are responsible for the damage. It's very fishy.

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803fisherman96 · July 24, 2019

I may just have to tell him that at this rate depending on the cost estimate I get from the shop. My insurance agent told me I can't be held liable legally for the damage b/c it's not my insurance on the truck & I was given permission to drive it l, but I'd still like to pay for at least some of it since I did hit the pothole in the first place. I'll ask the shop owner in person what the chances are of frame damage from a pothole vs. the truck already being damaged prior to me driving it. Because the answer will change things drastically from a "Who's paying for this" POV.

diyer2 · July 24, 2019

Have another shop look at it.

Edited July 24, 2019 by diyer2

HeySkippyDog · July 24, 2019

I've never heard of a pothole breaking control arms. Ever. Especially not on a full size truck.

Full size trucks take on curbs all the time and the alignment doesn't even move.

Like I said, this truck had been in an accident before. No way a 7" pothole did that.

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803fisherman96 · July 24, 2019

4 hours ago, HeySkippyDog said:

I've never heard of a pothole breaking control arms. Ever. Especially not on a full size truck.

Full size trucks take on curbs all the time and the alignment doesn't even move.

Like I said, this truck had been in an accident before. No way a 7" pothole did that.

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Funny you say that b/c one of the employees at the shop it's at now said based on the rust pattern around the control arm that it's been broken for a while, just not enough to create a serious problem.