Truck Leans To One Side

robertbick · July 4, 2008

I noticed a while back when my truck is in the garage and looking at it from the rear at a distance that it seems to lean a bit to the left. I then measured the truck on both sides from the ground to the middle of the rear wheel well openings. The passenger side is 42 1/4" and the drivers side is 41 1/2". That is a 3/4" difference. It does not seem like much but it is very noticeable to me. The front is fine, it's just the rear.

Can this be adjusted? Should I take it to my dealer? I only have 2K miles on it.

ZZ327 · July 4, 2008

its probably alright, try jouncing the bed. step on the bumper and start jumping the back end up and down. See if that evens out the suspension

Kodiak450 · July 4, 2008

Can you take a picture and post it? I'd like to see if it is noticeable. Couple of issues would come to mind, one being a bad shock, perhaps it is not fully releasing properly. Two , could be a bad leaf spring, maybe try lubing the leaf springs. Did you at anytime have a heavy load in the back in the past? I remember one time when I had 2 yards of stone in my bed, and the weight caused one of my leaf springs to catch the clamp on my after market exhaust, causing it to pull the exhaust up into the body and denting the body.

cbxeric · July 5, 2008

Take your truck (and ruler) to the dealership, let them try to figure it out. might just be a bad spring.

robertbick · July 5, 2008

I have only carried a couple hundred pounds of bagged stone in it so far. I have tried bouncing it a few times but no difference. It seems to be a little worse with a full tank of gas. The gas tank is on the drivers side. I'll probably bring it to the dealer in a few weeks after I return from camping. Will be pulling a trailer so will wait to see if that changes anything.

Here is a pic of it... it does show the drivers side a little lower.

Ranger · July 5, 2008

Seems pretty normal, my 1500 NBS is the same way...Up to 1/2" difference on either side.

Zembonez · July 5, 2008

They all do it. Some more than others. (I know... I know... several will chime in and tell us how theirs is "perfect") They really do vary.

If you measure any 20 foot long sprung vehicle the differences may amaze you. I had a customer once that was complaining of the same issue. We measured about 30 trucks that were in our shop and by the time we were done, he was happy that his was one of the least crooked ones! It doesn't take very much difference in the front end to make a noticeable difference at the rear. If the left front is a little high the right rear will be low, etc. Small spring rate differences (they all have em), the amount of fuel in the truck, etc can all have an effect too.

We also found out that just because a concrete floor "looks" nice and level doesn't mean it is. We found several spots in our shop concrete that looked just fine but weren't level. If you take a laser lever and put the laser right next to the floor (looking across the floor) you'll be surprised how uneven that floor is.

CharlyG · July 5, 2008

Check the RPO for the Gumby code! Sorry, just havin some "fun".

Zembonez · July 5, 2008

Check the RPO for the Gumby code! Sorry, just havin some "fun".

Kodiak450 · July 5, 2008

I was gonna bring that up to about the gas tank. Have you noticed the truck still leaning when you have say only 1/4 tank of fuel vs a full tank? Also what Zem brough up with the concret floor being unlevel, have you taken a level to your floor? You could have a pitched floor. From looking at the pics, I really can't see the truck favoring the drivers side, maybe a little, bur it's very hard to tell. That is a 2500 HD right?

dietz4ibanez · July 5, 2008

My truck does that too on the driver side... I just went on a diet and then when my wife goes somewhere with me I put a 80lb bag of seed in the back seat behind here to even things out....

VMax2007 · July 5, 2008

Seems pretty normal, my 1500 NBS is the same way...Up to 1/2" difference on either side.

+1

Mine sits 1/2" different side to side in the front and the rear, can't recall which side is higher though. I can't notice it visually though.

pennzoil29 · July 5, 2008

+1 on the concrete floor. Most garage floors are not level. They slope towards the drain in the middle of the garage, assuming yours has a drain, might be giving you the illusion that it leans worse than it actually does.

robertbick · July 5, 2008

+1 on the concrete floor. Most garage floors are not level. They slope towards the drain in the middle of the garage, assuming yours has a drain, might be giving you the illusion that it leans worse than it actually does.

No drain in my floor and I have not checked it for level so that could be a part of it but I doubt it. I only measured it with a full tank of gas (3/4" difference between sides) and a half tank of gas (1/2" difference between sides). I usually don't let it get below a 1/2 tank of gas. I don't want to know how much it costs to fill an empty tank.

I'll probably let it just go but it's hard for me since I have a touch of OCD.