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Re: Who has installed Moog offset upper cont. arm bushings?
[Re: rarefish]
#137077
10/18/08 11:43 AM
10/18/08 11:43 AM
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 267
Arizona
jsully
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 267
Arizona
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Quote:
Well I installed the offset bushings in the arms today, but I only replaced the front bushings with a offset ones and left the rear ones along. The reason was that I received a PM from another member hear telling me that if you install the rear ones with the arrow pointing inward the outer edge of the control arm will hit the inner fender. I took one of the offset bushing and slipped over the eccentric adjuster bolt installed in it's rear position and when I turned the arrow inward the outer edge of the bushing was almost hitting the inner fender. So it sure looks like if you press the rear offset bushing in with the arrow pointing inward you will have an interference problem. If that is true, then I don't see any valve in using them the the rear position.
Please let me know if you get the alignment numbers you were after. This was concern was mentioned on an earlier thread.
If you do, this is good info!
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Re: Who has installed Moog offset upper cont. arm bushings?
[Re: rarefish]
#137080
10/22/08 11:49 PM
10/22/08 11:49 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,468
So Cal
autoxcuda
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,468
So Cal
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Quote:
Last update:
I pressed in the other two offset bushings in the rear and reinstalled the upper control arms. For a test, I adjusted the cams so the the rear of the arms were all the way in and the front of the arms were all the way out. There was no interference between the rear of the arm and the inner fender when I moved the arm through it's travel. Since the car is put away for the winter, I won't be able to get the front end alignment done until spring of next year. It looks like I should be able to get plenty of positive caster now.
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Re: Who has installed Moog offset upper cont. arm bushings?
[Re: rarefish]
#137082
10/23/08 12:44 AM
10/23/08 12:44 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,468
So Cal
autoxcuda
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,468
So Cal
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Quote:
autoxcuda, how much positive caster are you running and what was the driving results? Is the steering effort much harder that before?
I have power steering. It's a mopar part remanufactured box I bought in 1993.
Not hard to turn at all. I even have a smaller 15" LaCarra steering wheel (stock IIRC is 17"). Steering wheel diameter is part of the leverage in the system.
I rebuilt the suspension not much after I got the car in '93 with most all the handling goodies I have now including the offset bushings. I've always had over 3 degrees of positive caster.
Current alignment is....
4.4 postive caster
1.5 negative camber
1/16" toe in
I really upped the camber this time. I've done, .5, .75, and 1 deg neg since 1993. I've always worn the outsides edges  . So I gave 1.5 neg camber a try. I think the increase this time, really made for a crisp "turn in" at speed. Like very quickly changing lanes on the freeway at 70 mph getting the tire to squeak a little 
All that with stock upper control arms BTW.
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Re: Who has installed Moog offset upper cont. arm bushings?
[Re: rarefish]
#137084
10/23/08 01:28 AM
10/23/08 01:28 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,468
So Cal
autoxcuda
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,468
So Cal
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Quote:
autoxcuda, thanks for the input. I'm shooting for:
+2.5 degs. caster
-1/2 deg. camber
1/16" to 1/8" toe in.
I got these specs. from Rick Ehrenberg.
Do you have manual or power steering?
What size front tires do you have on it?
I'd go another degree of positve caster to 3.5 degrees postive. Gives you some camber gain when cornering too. Is it your daily driver? What's your realistic milage per year?
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Re: Who has installed Moog offset upper cont. arm bushings?
[Re: rarefish]
#137086
10/23/08 02:20 AM
10/23/08 02:20 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,468
So Cal
autoxcuda
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,468
So Cal
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Quote:
It's a 68 Charger with power steering. The tires are 225-70-15" red wall radials on all 4 corners. I'm was just looking to improve the straight line stability. Right now I think the car has like 1/2 deg positive caster and it wanders some when you are driving in a straight line on the highway also the steering wheel is slow to return to center coming out of a turn.
Caster it up! The camber will help too. Being in New York and looking at the car, I'm wild guessing you put under 5K miles on it a year (I could be wrong though). But with under 5K miles a year, I'd go a little more aggressive with the alignment.
In the scheme of things, you're going to wear the tires out in 8 year instead of 10 years. Why not enjoy those 8 years of driving a little more?
BTW 5K/year is averaging 96 miles each one of the 52 weeks a year.
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