My car is leaning to the left, one tire is lower, what's wrong?

[jumpfroggy]

When walking down my driveway the other day I just noticed that my car seemed to be leaning to the left (driver's side). I checked the wheels, and sure enough my driver's side rear wheel is "lower" than the rest (it's actually "higher up" closer to the body, which lowers that side of the body towards the ground). I've included pics, especially of me measuring the distance between wheel and body with my fingers (more obvious that way).

I took a couple of pictures of underneath, but I realized I have no clue what I'm looking for. What could be broken? What things should I check? If someone has a suggestions, I'll get out there and check and take more pics, but at the moment I just don't know where to start.

My goal is to figure out what's wrong, and how to fix it. Thanks!

 

[xdxoxuxgx]

strut(s) is/are blown

 

[HIGHPSI4]

You have a spring issue, strut simply absorbs shock energy. You may want to replace that rotted tire as well.

 

[crimsondragon]

Wow nice rust. I also think it's a spring issue. Check to make sure none of them snapped. Wouldn't surprise me if it did.

 

[No_Skillz]

Note that a slight lean towards the drivers side is normal. It was done so it would be easier to drive in a straight line on a one lane road, which rises in the middle to assist in drainage.

After 10+ years, the suspension bushings are probably worn out, causing excessive lean.

It might also be due to different brand/size tires. I can't tell from your pictures.

It's unlikely due to blown shocks (although that's not to say they're not blown) since OEM shocks wouldn't change the height that drastically, and equally unlikely to be a snapped spring (although one may be warped) or the car would be sitting on the tire.

 

[crimsondragon]

I've personally seen a spring snapped in half with the suspension still being ridden on it. It was only till my friend who was changing the brakes that he noticed it was snapped.

 

[vinnio]

Wow nice rust. I also think it's a spring issue. Check to make sure none of them snapped. Wouldn't surprise me if it did.

That rust is nothing. You should see some of the cars up here. Minnesota winters combined with all the salt they use will kill a car very quickly.

Look at your springs for a broken coil. Its not that uncommon.

 

[havoc742]

Check the spring seat at the top of the strut tower. The rubber spacer might have rotted bad enough the spring busted through.

 

[jumpfroggy]

You have a spring issue, strut simply absorbs shock energy. You may want to replace that rotted tire as well.

Yeah, I'll check the springs again. A quick look didn't show anything, but it definitely looks strange. And yeah, new rear tires are in the plan (just replaced the fronts about a month ago).

Wow nice rust....

Believe it or not, this is one of the nicest DSM's I saw for sale in the area. New England is not very nice to metal (with all the salt that goes on the road, plus the owners that don't maintain their cars).

Note that a slight lean towards the drivers side is normal.
It might also be due to different brand/size tires. I can't tell from your pictures.

The thing that got me is that 3 tires are the same height, while one is a lot lower. The 2 pictures of the wheels with my hands for comparison are the rear left and rear right (same tires). The rear left is just under 3 fingers high (super scientific, I know). The right (and both fronts) are 5-6 fingers high. So one wheel only is half the height of all the others.

---

Thanks for all the comments, I'll check the springs as well as the seats at the top, hopefully something will jump out at me (not literally!) and it'll be obvious. Just one more thing to fix before I get to start working on the good stuff (ie. upgrades).

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Yeah, I'll check the springs again. A quick look didn't show anything, but it definitely looks strange. And yeah, new rear tires are in the plan (just replaced the fronts about a month ago).

Why are you replacing your tires separately? Is this some risk you're taking due to financial shortcomings or do we just not know that you have to replace all 4 at the same time with an AWD DSM?

 

[jumpfroggy]

Why are you replacing your tires separately? Is this some risk you're taking due to financial shortcomings or do we just not know that you have to replace all 4 at the same time with an AWD DSM?

It's because I'm ignorant. One of the fronts popped so I rushed to replace both fronts. I didn't stop to think about replacing all four due to AWD. In my defense, my previous dsm was a fwd. But I'm planning on replacing the rears now seeing as how they're in bad shape as well. But for posterity, is it recommended practice to always replace tires in fours for an AWD car? I didn't know, but that's why I'm here

(btw, fronts were replaced less than 2 months ago and I've been gone for a month, so the fronts haven't gotten much wear yet)

 

[Dallas J]

The springs sit on this big ribbed pad, if those ribs get dried out and break off then youll loose about 3/4" of an inch.

-Dallas J

 

[MY1GDSM]

I've personally seen a spring snapped in half with the suspension still being ridden on it. It was only till my friend who was changing the brakes that he noticed it was snapped.

I've seen that also....Funny same thing happened ... well might of been a wheel bearing he was changing....

 

[jumpfroggy]

Ok, I feel like an idiot but I think I may have cried wolf here. I finally got off my butt and took the car across the street to a parking lot to take a better look at it, and I think it was all my bumpy driveway. What threw me off is that I'd never noticed the lean before, and it was only on one wheel and the difference was very noticeable. I'll look again today just to make sure, but at this point I think the lean was just due to my driveway.

Sorry for wasting time, and for me being such a newbie. Hopefully next time I can bring you guys some real disasters to solve

 

[meliketoball]

It's ok. I remember my 2nd car. I thought the rear on one side was sagging until I moved it and found out it was on a bump...Make sure you don't have any junk in your trunk.