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Author
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Topic: Front end alignment
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68 Coop
Gearhead Posts: 5847
From: Mesquite, NV. 89027
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 08-17-2005 04:03 PM
 
How hard is it to adjust the front end on these cars??? My pass side is totally off from the drivers side. If I have a passenger in the car, I cant go thru drive-thru's that turn to the left, without having to back up a little, and going on thru. The fender, again pass side only, rubs a groove in the tread of the tire. These tires are 245 60's, but I rolled the fender till it's starting to look like crap. I will go back to 225's when time comes, but for now it all I can afford. I would just like to pull the angle of the tire back from the fender maybe a 1/2". Would that be wise of me, and how hard would it be. Worse comes to worse, I could always limp it to Big O if I have to. Thanks for any time and info on this.------------------
William 68 Coupe
289
Edelbrock 600
Performer Intake
Headers/X-pipe/Flowmaster 30's
C4
8"rear/2:79gears
"Restomod in Progress" Good friends are hard to find, even harder to leave, and impossible to forget.
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ddenton749
unregistered
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posted 08-17-2005 04:12 PM
It's not too hard to adjust them.Camber is adjusted by an eccentric bolt on the lower control arm. Caster is adjusted by the strut rod at the bushing. Toe is adjusted at the threaded sleeves on the outer tie rod ends. It sounds like your 60's are just too wide for the front. I think 1/2" is a lot of adjustment in your alignment. You could make it just plane undriveable that way. Have you tried shimming the fender instead? ------------------
'73 Convertible, 351C 2V
'91 LX Convertible 5.0
Member: Valley Forge Mustang Club
"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be."
My Site
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68 Coop
Gearhead Posts: 5847
From: Mesquite, NV. 89027
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 08-17-2005 04:16 PM
No, but I did try to get it off once. I think I have to take the headlight and housing out to get the last bolt(s)???, but still not familiar with all of this car yet! What would be be the way to do that if you got the time??? Thanks for the time and info.------------------
William 68 Coupe
289
Edelbrock 600
Performer Intake
Headers/X-pipe/Flowmaster 30's
C4
8"rear/2:79gears
"Restomod in Progress" Good friends are hard to find, even harder to leave, and impossible to forget.
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ddenton749
unregistered
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posted 08-17-2005 04:46 PM
I depends on where the tire is rubbing. You may be able to loosen some (or all) of the bolts and adjust the fender out so that it clears the tire. You may have to put shims behind the bolts you loosen to hold the fender in place.If you're going to be putting smaller tires on soon, I think I'd rather have a temporarily poorly adjusted fender than over-rolling it or tearing up the tires. ------------------
'73 Convertible, 351C 2V
'91 LX Convertible 5.0
Member: Valley Forge Mustang Club
"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be."
My Site
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68 Coop
Gearhead Posts: 5847
From: Mesquite, NV. 89027
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 08-17-2005 04:54 PM
Thanks, I've already rolled the fender till it's ca-ca. I'm thinking it might be the fender, and not the alignment now, I got it aligned less than 1000 miles ago, so it should still be good. That is if the place did it right. Thanks for the replies, I still have my 14" wheels and tire, I'm thinking of running them on front, and putting the front on back. Then I can fix my fender back, and not worry about it no more. I'll be tire wise this time, because I already know what WON'T work now. Thanks for the time and info. ------------------
William 68 Coupe
289
Edelbrock 600
Performer Intake
Headers/X-pipe/Flowmaster 30's
C4
8"rear/2:79gears
"Restomod in Progress" Good friends are hard to find, even harder to leave, and impossible to forget.
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grego37
Gearhead Posts: 411
From: los angeles,CA,USA
Registered: May 2004
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posted 08-17-2005 06:22 PM
It may be worth it to re-visit an alignment shop and ask if both sides are adjusted the same. You can even have the add a little Neg. Camber (bringing the top of the tire in)
It may cure your problem.If it still exists after that, your front end may be front out of whack, or something. A shorter profile tire may also cure your problem , maybe droping from a 60 to a 50 or 45 profile will solve it.
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68 Coop
Gearhead Posts: 5847
From: Mesquite, NV. 89027
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 08-17-2005 11:08 PM
Thanks Greg. Let's see if this works.
 I don't know how to resize, or how big to make them, but the top is laid in quite a bit already. I'm thinking it need to come towards the rear a couple threads or so, and it should be OK. Thanks for the replies, and if someone can explain how to resize these, and to how big, it would help on some of my threads to post a pic. Thanks again. [This message has been edited by 68 Coop (edited 08-17-2005).]
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grego37
Gearhead Posts: 411
From: los angeles,CA,USA
Registered: May 2004
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posted 08-18-2005 10:35 AM
Do you know what specs they used when you had it aligned last?You're right, it does seem like you allready have some decent Neg. camber. I think on a street/perf. car about 1/2* Neg. camber is pretty good. Maybe adding some more Pos. Caster would solve your problem. Im assuming your ball joints etc. are good.
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ddenton749
unregistered
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posted 08-18-2005 10:46 AM
Maybe it's just the pic, but that seems to be A LOT of negative camber. Are the tires wearing on the inside? I could be wrong, but I think the drivers side should have slightly less camber than the passenger side to compensate for the crown in the roads. I think the toe is adjusted similarily for the same reason. How about your castor? Does the wheel come back to straight by itself after a turn and the car starts going straight again? ------------------
'73 Convertible, 351C 2V
'91 LX Convertible 5.0
Member: Valley Forge Mustang Club
"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be."
My Site
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steve'66
Gearhead Posts: 9835
From: Sonoma,CA,USA
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 08-18-2005 11:30 AM
http://www.familycar.com/alignment.htm#CasHope this helps, SteveW
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68 Coop
Gearhead Posts: 5847
From: Mesquite, NV. 89027
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 08-18-2005 03:23 PM
Thanks for the link Steve, and NO, the front end is in need of bushings. Ball joints seem to be good, and it will stay in a straight line if I let go of the wheel, EVEN when I hit a bump. It will pull on overlap of the highway, but I think all cars do that to a certain entent. The car was aligned by a place here, but I don't like their service. I want to find a place that does older cars, the right way. I haven't read the article Steve posted yet, matbe I can put it to use. I wanna do the bushings myself, if a novice can. Thanks guys, this time and info is greatly appreciated.------------------
William 68 Coupe
289
Edelbrock 600
Performer Intake
Headers/X-pipe/Flowmaster 30's
C4
8"rear/2:79gears
"Restomod in Progress" Good friends are hard to find, even harder to leave, and impossible to forget.
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68 Coop
Gearhead Posts: 5847
From: Mesquite, NV. 89027
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 08-18-2005 03:36 PM
Thanks Steve, that site is awesome. Now I can find a place that deals with these, and will tune it for radials. I had a 79 TA that had Radial Tuned Suspension, so I see what they meant now. Thanks guys, you are a wealth of knowledge.   ------------------
William 68 Coupe
289
Edelbrock 600
Performer Intake
Headers/X-pipe/Flowmaster 30's
C4
8"rear/2:79gears
"Restomod in Progress" Good friends are hard to find, even harder to leave, and impossible to forget.
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steve'66
Gearhead Posts: 9835
From: Sonoma,CA,USA
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 08-18-2005 06:28 PM
Yes,More positive caster helps.  SteveW
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