Why is my car leaning to one side...

[Hallen]

If you measure from the bottom of the wheel rim instead of the floor, you will get a better idea of the differences. That removes the tire pressure from the equations.

If you have shorter springs than stock, make sure the springs haven't twisted off of their mount points when the car was lifted. I know my car with the H&R race springs will do that when I lift the car. The spring pads will have an effect on this type of thing too. If yours are old and worn, then maybe getting new ones, or removing them all together would help.

Also, make sure you bounce the car pretty hard on all 4 corners and roll it back and forth a few feet to make sure the shocks and struts haven't taken a set and that everything is leveled out right.

[SamE30e]

My car leans to the driver side too. But that's because it is a piece of shit.

[audiquattrot]

my car leans to one side when you pull the e-brake up.

[emi325i]

Did you set your parking brake? put the lever down and see if it evens out. if it only grabs one wheel it'll do that.

[Jand3rson]

mine leans, its b/c the car is 20yrs old and had mostly only a driver in it the whole time. shit, i know my lean is b.c of my 240lbs of manlyness.

We weigh the same. lawl.

The front is still leaning down on the driver side slightly, but the rear appears to be fine.

[golde30]

mine leans, its b/c the car is 20yrs old and had mostly only a driver in it the whole time. shit, i know my lean is b.c of my 240lbs of manlyness.

[Jand3rson]

It must have been something related to tire pressure, because I just had my car in to get a slow leak in my left front tire fixed, and now that I have it back, the lean is gone. But I could have sworn I put air in the tires before, and it was still leaning. Who knows.

[Jand3rson]

Stop driving fat people...

Has the car ever been in an accident? Maybe the body got tweaked and your mounting points are higher on one side versus the other. That or tire pressure...

It was not doing it a few weeks ago. I think my tire pressures on the driver side might both be low, I'll check them out.

[speedhop]

Stop driving fat people...

Has the car ever been in an accident? Maybe the body got tweaked and your mounting points are higher on one side versus the other. That or tire pressure...

[Jand3rson]

No system at all. All stock.

[Quadrajet]

What are you running for a sound system? Is the weight distributed? Just a thought.

[TDE30]

Have you checked the tire pressures?

[Danny]

E36s lean to the side because when the driver gets in it evens out the weight balance.

BMW designed them that way, or so I've read.

[Hodge]

Weird...

I find this funny because my E36 tends to lean on the passenger side slightly... It might just be my eye though.


I would definitely check the pads, run for a few days after checking and if that doesn't work, just swap the springs.

[Jand3rson]

Is it constant? Occasionally a car parked on an uneven surface can get a slight lean that will go away with driving.

Other than that, could one or more of your spring pads (assuming you're running any) could have given up or jumped ship.

If it really bothers you and nothing easy fixes it, you could try putting the springs from the drivers side on the passenger side. If its mainly you in the car, I could see a drivers side spring set wearing more quickly (extra 200lbs or whatever you weigh on that side)

It's noticeable on any surface, and most in my garage, which is flat and level. I'll check the spring pads tomorrow, I hadn't thought of that. Also, I'm pretty much always the only one in my car, so I could see that as a possiblity, also. Maybe I'll swap them out.

I just took some measurements, they are as follows, from flat ground in my garage:

Passenger side:
Front wheel well - 24 3/8"
Rear wheel well - 24 1/4"
Side molding - 18 1/8"
Rear bumper - 20"
Splitter - 4 1/2"

Driver side:
Front wheel well - 23 3/4"
Rear wheel well - 23 3/4"
Side molding - 17 3/4"
Rear bumper - 19 1/4"
Splitter - 3 3/4"

Looks like it's between 1/2" and 3/4" difference all around.