Frame measurements....

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Texasmonte

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Dec 15, 2020
6
13
3
Hi I’m a new member, I have posted to the new member section about me and my 1979 Monte Carlo. The issue I had was with my frame being welded wrong from the factory. The driver side was shorter from center of wheel to wheel by 3/4 of an inch. So the wheelbase was 108 on the passenger side but 107 on the driver side. Which made the car dogleg down the road. I have since corrected the issue with adjustable upper and lower control arms. Has anyone else ran in to that kind of issue? I’ve meet a guy(passes away a few years ago) that used to work at GM of Arlington, TX. He swears things like that never happen.
 

57 Handyman

Master Mechanic
Feb 6, 2017
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Damn, that's not good! How did that 79 MC survive all these years?? Who were the previous owners who did NOT notice.
 

melloelky

Comic Book Super Hero
Oct 22, 2017
4,135
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mass
welcome to the site.more times than not a condition like that is from an accident that wasn't fixed correctly.thats where the earlier versions of additional caster control arms started.you would flip the offset cross shaft to compensate.
also keep in mind when they're building that frame on the moving assembly line, they have so little time to complete each task.theres a chance it could happen.
glad to hear you got it squared away.
 
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Texasmonte

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Dec 15, 2020
6
13
3
Damn, that's not good! How did that 79 MC survive all these years?? Who were the previous owners who did NOT notice.
The car was owned since new but my great aunt and uncle, the car dealer used it as a demo model. They never noticed it, since the body tappers off toward the back it’s hard to tell. The way I found out was from multiple alignment shops. The frame factory welds are all intact, all measurements show up be square just the rear axle was pushed forward.
 

69hurstolds

Geezer
Supporting Member
Jan 2, 2006
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Remember it was NOT GM that boasted Quality was Job 1. :)
 
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Rt Jam

G-Body Guru
Mar 30, 2020
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Ontario Canada
I'd like to see that discrepancy before I believe an inch different from side to side. Probably was in an accident. Where was this inch difference. I know it was noticed in the wheelbase but that takes front end alignment into the equation. It should be measure from frame mounting holes.

Anyways. Let's say it is crooked. I would look into correcting that instead of running the rear control arms to correct the wheelbase.
 
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86$$

n00b
Jan 13, 2021
2
0
1
I have a similar problem with my 86ss Monte Carlo project and search for remplace the frame i read a lot of this theme but I’m not shure if a 85 cutlass have the same frame
 

lilbowtie

Comic Book Super Hero
Jan 7, 2006
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Canton Mi
malibuframepic7ga.jpg
malibuframepic14ov.jpg
 
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abbey castro

Royal Smart Person
Oct 31, 2015
1,042
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Harker Hts TX
No, it didn't leave the factory like that. Mounting points of the body to the frame wouldn't align correctly as well as other frame to body items. It was hit sometime in its life and never checked or ignored for straightness. Somewhere there is a bend unseen.
 
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