Hello everybody! Got a problem on my dart '68.
Let's begin from the start : i found someday that the right tire is slightly touching the quarter panel. I guess it was like this when i bought it a few months ago because i didn't do anything and the car isn't rolling yet so...
I thought it was because of the big tires on it (215/75 R15) but of course it wasn't because the left tire wasn't touching it's quarter panel and there was even a few inches of room!
So i decided to put it all apart...
Yesterday i started loosening the rear end (rusted bolts...) and i found out both my leaf springs are like bent to the right. This just makes sense since my right tire is too close to the quarter panel...
What could make this happen?!

Also a few other questions : on my flexible brakeline that goes to the rear axle, what should i loosen first? The big nut on the flexible or the small nut on the rigid one?

I also don't really know how to make my rearend "fall apart", i loosened the shackle bolts at the rear, the shock mounts on the leaf springs, the front mount (both the big nut in the leaf eye and the four nuts of the mounts). Should i try to pull the whole thing in order to make the front mount come off?

One last thing : my car is actually on axle stands at the rear, i'm a bit unsecure about it, can it stays a few days like this whithout bending the frame?
By the way, my left subframe (just in front of the leaf spring) is a bit crushed "to the inside" as if someone tried to lift the whole car on this point. Can it be a problem for the whole structure or is it just common?

Thanks a lot for your help and reading this novel i wrote...!

Marc

I'd say someone slid into a curb...............

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

Well, maybe... Do you think someone can "rebend" the leaf springs?

Not worth the effort when new ones are relatively inexpensive.... Are you sure its the springs themself and not the shackles?

Are the rear springs mounts still solid and in the proper spot.

it would take one @#$% of a hit to bend a pair of leaf packs sideways! I would think there would be other evidence of the mishap as well.

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David Kight
'62 Valiant Signet, White
'98 Dodge Dakota
'06 Jeep Liberty

Growing older is unavoidable but growing up is strictly optional.

Are you talking of the U things that tighten the leaf springs to the rear axle?
[/quote]

Nope; where the spring shackles mount to the frame. If you could post some pictures of the whole situation we coudl be a lot more helpful.

Yep, wheel/tire was probably totaled and replaced......

And I'd be worried about the axle shaft on left side.

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

Thanks for your help, i'll check for the spring mounts tommorow.
The thing is : i have the 5 "original" wheels (at least the wheels the last owner used for the past 15years) and they're all in perfect shape so...
I'll try to take pictures tommorow as well.
Just one thing : i'm worried about disassembling my rear axle and leaf springs cause' i don't have the tools to do the u-joint angle thing...
Does the shims (?) are bolted into place or do you tighten the u-things (re-?) on them? I guess in one case i can disassemble and reassemble without a problem but in the other...
Thanks again for your help

Marc

Last question : can i detach the e brake cable anywhere else than in the brake drum?

If I had to guess I would say your frame rail is gone and the springs have slid sideways against the trunk floor. The trunk can support a leaf for awhile but not forever. You can detach the e brake cable at the bracket on the floor pan if you are lucky. They are usually rusted in place.

Hi there, some news...
This afternoon i did some work. One leaf spring is totally unbolted but... It won't come off the shackles, can anyone tell me what to do?
Other thing... I discovered my car has some pneumatics shock absorbers.
Could my problem come from those things?

EDIT : my rear end is also mounted without wedges (to adjust the pinion angle right?), is that normal?

I haven't found any wedges in several of the mopar cars I've worked on. I've never put any in when installing either. I'm not an expert, but my cars ran fine for years without any angle adjustment. The axle perches just set flat on the leaf springs and tighten down the ubolts for "factory perfect" alignment.

I'd suggest you cut the ubolts (if they are rusty and won't turn easily) New ubolts should be under $10 each and well worth the time savings/struggle.

I'd ditch the pneumatics shock absorbers in favor of factory shocks and fresher leaf springs. Inflatable shocks can put too much pressure on the trunk floor which was not designed for a load.

Good Luck

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1980 Aspen 225 super six