1969 Fleetwood Brougham Rear Springs challenge

[cwbbear]

Hello, I am working on my 69 Fleetwood Brougham and there is almost an inch height difference from right to left.  It is not the end of the world but every time I open the garage I can not stop looking at it.  The car as 12K miles on it and I wanted to keep her looking good. I figured time for new springs but I am not finding springs for a 69 Brougham because of the Auto leveling system (which is not working).  I called around and not finding any that make coil springs when the ALS is install. I am thinking of replacing the original shocks with new air shocks with a manual fill. Got me thinking if I put them on separate air lines/valves I can use the shock to level off the height.  besides not being factory, any one tried this or have an idea to solve this visual challenge?

[Clewisiii]

I would look at your bushings as well. For my 61 I had springs made by Coil Spring Specialties.
https://www.coilsprings.com/

There were actually 4 or more spring rates for my model year. and they made them specific for my Fleetwood with AC.

[Carfreak]

Contact Eaton Detroit Spring. They have a chat feature on their website or call & talk to a Tech. They will work with classic car owners to make what you need. For many years, they sponsored the Woodward dream cruise.

https://www.eatondetroitspring.com/

[GBrown #8092]

I've had good luck with Coil springs specialties, based on a recommendation from another local member who had used them.

Glenn

[Alan Harris CLC#1513]

I was told once by a guy in the spring business to make sure that the springs are the problem by measuring the height of the frame from the floor on both sides and not the height from the body to the floor. You want to make sure that your problem is not a compressed or deteriorated body mount on one side instead of a bad spring. 

[TJ Hopland]

Ya do some measuring to make sure its the springs.  If its the springs it could have been caused by it spending a bunch of time on an uneven surface or with a flat tire. 

You could try swapping the springs left to right.  Sometimes that works out since most likely the front isn't even either so that could help offset things and maybe it will balance out.

[James Landi]

Chris,

The ALC system may likely be attempting to inflate the air shocks and one of them has a leak, either in the feed line or in the air bag... thus you're "listing."  When the air pump is working you should hear and feel a clicking sound as the compressor attempts to inflate the shocks.  You can also visually detect a partially functioning system by looking at the air bags --- if inflated, they are definitely expanded around the shock.  You may find one is inflated and one is NOT, thus the "list."  There is also a schrader valve on the top of the compressor, and a tire pressure gauge will show significant compressed air when you test.

The original equipment self leveling control, when pressurized, is designed to purge compressed air when the car is moving, so even if you were to connect up some sort of static air pressure reserve tank to it, it will likely bleed down.  Many folks simply inflate the shocks using a tee and run the input plumbing to the rear of the car using a schrader valve (and a tire inflator), so that one inflates the shocks to the desired height.  It's not an elegant fix, as the original design included a separate compressed air "emergency bleed off" if the air shocks had to absorb a violent bump.    I think your system is trying to work.

[cwbbear]

Thanks,  What I did not mention is the Auto level control is not working because the air line is severed, sometime in the past it was melted in half.  I have tested in a few ways the line from the pump and no pressure builds. But at the shocks I know they are not inflated at present.  I will check out the frame height its true we did the bumper test.  thanks for the recommendations too!!