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Front end alignment with radials #2353105
08/13/17 09:29 AM
08/13/17 09:29 AM
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robertop Offline OP
mopar
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Some time back I saw a post that contained the specs for front end alignment in the case of having radial tires, but now I can't find it. Can anybody help with those specs? They are different for cars with bias-belted tires, of course. Thanks, guys.

Re: Front end alignment with radials [Re: robertop] #2353106
08/13/17 09:44 AM
08/13/17 09:44 AM
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IN
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ahy Offline
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Specs I like are: camber -.75 deg, caster +5 degrees, 1/8" toe in.

These specs are hard to achieve with stock parts. The way OE adjusters are set up there is trade off between camber and caster.

Try to get at least some negative camber and some positive caster.

Positive caster promotes steering stability and "feel". Negative camber improves bite of the tires on turns.

Re: Front end alignment with radials [Re: robertop] #2353134
08/13/17 11:31 AM
08/13/17 11:31 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,500
Norwich CT USA
moparts Offline
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Yes, when you alignment shop sets it to 30 year old specs and you wonder why it drives as bad as it does.

The spec above work good on all the older mopars !!


Tom ,

2011 Ram 3500 C&C Diesel
2009 Challenger R/T
1971 Challenger Conv. 511/4 speed
1970 Challenger R/T 503/727


Re: Front end alignment with radials [Re: robertop] #2353195
08/13/17 01:54 PM
08/13/17 01:54 PM
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Tulsa OK
Bad340fish Offline
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I have RMS upper arms and around +5.5 of caster. The car drives like a dream setup that way.


68 Barracuda Formula S 340
87 "Chrysler" Conquest
Re: Front end alignment with radials [Re: robertop] #2353207
08/13/17 02:12 PM
08/13/17 02:12 PM
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 4,679
Florida
BDW Offline
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Florida
Most shops need something to put in the machine, 2007 Mustang matches specs posted above.

05 Mustang GT specs are -.75* camber, +7.1* caster ( which you wont achieve with a mopar, but take as much as they can get while offsetting the camber spec) and .1* to .2* toe in , which on a 26" diamter tire, is right about 1/16" total toe in. I know there are some shops out there that will only use the specs that are in their computer and they will not tackle a customer provided number. Using Mustang specs give them a late model input and a target to shoot for.

Last edited by cnxt; 08/13/17 02:22 PM.
Re: Front end alignment with radials [Re: robertop] #2353516
08/14/17 10:48 AM
08/14/17 10:48 AM
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,645
Phila. Pa.
Mattax Offline
top fuel
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A couple of things have changed since the car was built. Yes one is the tires and the other is the roads. High crowned roads were common and aren't anymore (depending somewhat on where you lived). Because of the crowning, and maybe to somewhat account for driver weight, the right, left specs for caster and camber were different.

Radial tires have more sidewall give than bias or even cross bias tires. They tend to like a little more negative camber for cornering.
For your car, without doing further mods, you can have them:
1. use the most negative camber setting
2. Get the most positive caster setting.
- use the specs for a Power steering car even if you have manual steering unless you find the steering wheel to difficult to turn.
- They must recheck the camber and caster setting. Most guys today do not have the cheat sheets or experience in doing these dual cam adjusters to avoid changing the camber when setting caster.
3. Set toe to factory. If your tires a larger diameter than factory than use a degree setting or at least the max toe in inches.

Before starting the alignment, the ride height must be within spec.

Re: Front end alignment with radials [Re: Mattax] #2353898
08/14/17 09:55 PM
08/14/17 09:55 PM
Joined: Jun 2013
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Keizer, Oregon U.S.A.
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elmor353 Offline
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I am having alignment problems after rebuilding the front end on my 77 D-100 swb pickup. I drove it to the alignment shop and couldn't keep it on the road after they set it up. I took it back and the guy had set it for bias ply tires. They reset it for radials and it was better, but it's still back and forth on the road.

Re: Front end alignment with radials [Re: elmor353] #2353956
08/14/17 11:39 PM
08/14/17 11:39 PM
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 14,889
up yours
Supercuda Offline
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Finding a good alignment shop can be harder than getting a good alignment.

Seems you found that out.


They say there are no such thing as a stupid question.
They say there is always the exception that proves the rule.
Don't be the exception.
Re: Front end alignment with radials [Re: robertop] #2353962
08/14/17 11:46 PM
08/14/17 11:46 PM
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,336
Ball Ground, Georgia
Dixie Offline
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Good stuff, I need to get 2 old Mopars aligned.


Dixie Restoration Parts
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Re: Front end alignment with radials [Re: robertop] #2354667
08/16/17 05:26 AM
08/16/17 05:26 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,421
Balt. Md
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383man Offline
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Heck with a stock front end its tuff to get even 2 degrees of positive caster. I put as much positive caster in my 63 as I could when I aligned it and 2 degrees positive caster was about the most I could get out of it with the stock front end parts I use and setting the camber from 0 to .5 negative. I run my toe about 1/8 toe in and I run radials front and back. And it handles good as it drives so much nicer on radials. I like the radial slicks at the track also as you run more tire pressure in them then we did on the older bias slicks as I run about 18 psi in my radial slicks at the track and it goes nice and straight. With the older bias slicks most cars would wonder a little at the top end. Course we used to run them from about 6 psi to about 12 psi. Its also so nice that radials dont follow the lines in the road like bias tires. You run radials on an old muscle car and compared to having bias tires on it the car will feel like a different car since the radials drive so much nicer. Sometimes I wonder how we drove our older cars on just bias tires back in the day ? Ron

Last edited by 383man; 08/16/17 05:28 AM.
Re: Front end alignment with radials [Re: robertop] #2356533
08/19/17 01:07 PM
08/19/17 01:07 PM
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,645
Phila. Pa.
Mattax Offline
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Phila. Pa.
Keep in mind that caster and camber change as the suspension moves.
The lower the front end "ride height" (as defined by the shop manual) the more camber goes negative and caster goes positive.
A front end set at factory ride height should have enough adjustment to be brought to specs, but not a lot more.
A little bit of negative camber, and maybe up to 2 degrees positive caster is probably about typical.

A car with lower 'ride height' will seem to have a a little more adjustment to set the camber negative.

When using an ultra high performance summer, racing or autocross tires, check with the manufacturer for recommended camber. Many of these tires are camber hungry. But that's getting into another kettle of fish...

Re: Front end alignment with radials [Re: Supercuda] #2356548
08/19/17 01:33 PM
08/19/17 01:33 PM
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Posts: 36,040
Lincoln Nebraska
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RapidRobert Offline
Circle Track
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Lincoln Nebraska
Originally Posted By Supercuda
Finding a good alignment shop can be harder than getting a good alignment.
Yes you might want to consider aligning it yourself. "stringing" it on some tiles to get it level then setting the toein to 1/16 then with the cams already turned all the way for max caster, bring the rear cam on out till the camber is zero (a cheap carpenters 2 ft bubble level with 2 sockets superglued on it & the level/sockets then superglued to the rim), (your weight in barbells in the dr seat/half tank of gas/tires aired up). #1 get the ride height to where the front tire clearance looks good to you. let the caster fall wherever it may be. You might even do this then drive it several days to let everything settle then redo it but even 1 time you will be fine. there are some utube vids to help with this.


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