1984 cj7 uneven from the back????

[julesbcjing]

ok , i have a 1984 CJ7 ,just changed the body bushings..at first i thought it would help the minor tilt i have going on. when you look at her straight from the back, the drivers side is ever so slightly lower than the passenger side..??about a 1/2 inch lower...after the new bushing i still have that tilt...i noticed that the body mount spot right in front of the rear tire on the drivers side is pushed in a little bit.. not much.. can this be the reason for the tilt??..i talked to a couple people and they say that alot of cjs had this problem, anyone else fix this??? I had fun the last few days installing a few much needed items for the jeep..new parking brake,new fuel and temp gages,new tun signal switch,and steering wheel,and the bushings!!! thanks to this site I diagnosed all my issues.. thank you to all that post here.... now if I could only level her out.....

 

[2lostspace]

I have not see this, not many CJ up here where I live. Is there any way that you could get a good picture from the back and post it so I can see what you are talking about.

By the way good looking CJ.

 

[TDHofstetter]

If it's pushed in 1/2", it might (MIGHT) be responsible for 1/2" of visible tilt.

BUT... is the tub tilted in relation to the frame, or is tilted in relation to the ground? That's a very important distinction - your frame may be drooping on the driver's side, from weak springs, shackle issues, even lower tire pressure on that side.

If it's definitely tub-to-frame, you may want to install a short stack of fender washers on each of the driver's-side body mounts to lift it a little, or pick up some more body bushings intended for some body lift & install 'em selectively on the driver's side, being careful to keep the tub as flat as you can - approximately equal pressure on each of the bushings.

 

[Old Dog]

This is a very common problem on cj's. I've seen it discused on many other fourms. No one really knows why, but many of them lean, mine does.
I'm talking about frame tilt here. If it's only the body see the above post.

 

[BajaEdition]

Uneven CJs are common
it is because of twisting in the frame. Remember that jeep is over 25 years old
you could either put it on a frame machine or put up with it.
I have one that leans to the left, my CJ6 and one to the right, my CJ5

 

[cjnewbie]

i am new to the jeep world but my 79 CJ7 leaned more like an inch and a half i instaled new springs and my lean went away this may not be your problem but it fixed mine

 

[mhubacek]

My 68' CJ5 leans to the drivers side, I'm hoping new bushings and springs will fix mine. My bushings were toast! When I had it stripped to frame and axles, I could lift up on the rear of the frame and get at least a half in inch of play in the bushings. If that doesn't cure my problem, I'm going to get new springs for it. If that dosen't help I'll look into new body bushings, and keep working up until I get it right. IMHO, I'd want to rule all drivetrain related issues out of the equasion first. Hopefully, it's not the frame, that is beyond my abilities. Just sharing my simular experiences with this same issue. Mine's still not right yet, so take it for what it's worth

 

[Cheepjeep85]

mine is an 85 and it leans to the left just a little bit

 

[essexmo]

The frame should be fixed and count yourself lucky youre still driving a vehicle with a real frame and not these new peices of with a unibody and crumple zones plus airbags that could kill you frames are fairley easy to straighten and the measurements are on the site in docs you can use a 7x7 length of hemlock a couple of bottle jacks and some chain then jack away i would suggest bolting a strengther where the bends took place or getting the frame heat treated and galvenized after but it depends on your location and amount of salt they use there

 

[mhubacek]

ESSEXMO, can you explain your process to some of us not as mechanically challenged? 7X7 Hemlock, and bottle jacks to fix twisted frame? I need to hear more!

 

[essexmo]

ESSEXMO, can you explain your process to some of us not as mechanically challenged? 7X7 Hemlock, and bottle jacks to fix twisted frame? I need to hear more!

No probs the hemlock beams can be made in a rectangle then you find out where the frame is bent then using chains secure the lenghs 3 foot away both directions then use a length of 4x4 under a 4 ton bottle jack and jack till youre 3/8 past the bend then when you realease the pressure the frame will spring back to the right position you may need to take the body off the frame and turn upside down too all depending where the frame is bent

 

[mhubacek]

Great info! I like old school tips, because I can't afford all the fancy machinery. Is there somewhere I could get pics of this process?

 

[essexmo]

Great info! I like old school tips, because I can't afford all the fancy machinery. Is there somewhere I could get pics of this process?

i will be straightening my frame and doing a full rebuild on it and posting lots of picks and tips as soon as the snow melts

 

[essexmo]

If the frame has a twist in it then you can use a 10 foot length of 2 inch rigid and a chain to untwist it As you may be building a garage might i sugest adding hooks in the concrete you can fasten chains to could be handy in the future

 

[mhubacek]

Looking forward to that build thread.

 

[Chevy350 CJ7]

Mine leans as well, but I think it's because of the soft leaf springs I have on it. Also, the emu springs weren't meant to hold a 350, so it sags a bit more in the front...

 

[IOPort51]

This is an excelant idea essex.

Hemlock beams are readily available in Canada but a bit scarce in Texas. I have on a couple occasions found a railroad siding in an industrial area on a weekend and chained the frame to the track and set the jack on the ties. Railroad sidings are also remarkably level, as a general rule and it’s pretty easy to get the chain under the rails.
Here is a tip, drive across the track, it is a lot easier to get on and off than if you try to straddle it.
One time we had a police officer stop to see what we were up to but he just looked and asked how well this worked , then he stood and watched for about half hour untill he had another call. He told us to be careful and drove away.