How much are some of you guys pulling your lower control arm forward after installing poly or nylon bushings in the LCA?I only pulled mine forward about 1/32" with the adjustable strut rod, because I didn't want to put the bushing in a bind. But now I'm wondering if I should pull the t bars out ( to check for binding) and pull the lower arm forward more (it's pulled all the way to the K at the other end)for more caster before I get it aligned.Track only car.Just curious how much some have pulled forward without binding.1/8"?1/4"?

That control arm should swing perpendicular to the center line of the car. Pulling it forward with the strut rod to increase positive caster would be an incorrect method, bind or not.

Jeff! Did you call Marcus? How about Steve Caldwell? He's got Lisa's front pretty dialed???

I modified my strut rods 3/8" shorter to gain caster. Car has been campaigned 5 years at 145+. 1.240 on footbrake. Front suspension has no issue.
Doug

Yeah that was my way of thinking,but when you add the poly LCA bushing, it moves the LCA back a fair amount,so I lose all the caster that I'm gaining from the tubular upper arms I'm putting on.I hear both sides and I'm wanting some real world experience where guys pull it forward and don't have a problem.

[quote=Dave Hall]Jeff! Did you call Marcus? How about Steve Caldwell? He's got Lisa's front pretty dialed???

Have not Dave. Lots of different opinions on this,I'm finding,and I'd like to hear 'em. I was excited about getting extra Caster with my new tubular uppers, but didn't know I would be running into this situation with the new lca bushings.

I still have a lot of work to do on this thing to be ready for that first Sears race.

[quote=dvw]I modified my strut rods 3/8" shorter to gain caster. Car has been campaigned 5 years at 145+. 1.240 on footbrake. Front suspension has no issue.
Doug

3/8" wow...thank you. I assume that's with a poly LCA bushing?

At 3/8", got any idea how much caster you gained from that?

It has offset Moog offset uppers in the forward position only, poly strut rod and poly lower bushings. 2.5 positive measured caster angle. This was with 3 degrees of forward rake measured at the rocker sill. So with a level chassis 5.5 degrees.

Doug

Jeff,

I did exactly what you're asking about when I switched to tubular uppers and adjustable strut rods. I can't recall how far we went, but it's been that way untouched for the last 5 years.

-Dustin

i was going to just run factory strut rods but my k-member was bent a little and the moog improved bushings i think might've been a little thick and one side not seated well, alignment numbers were bad.
i decided when i pulled it back apart to fix the kmember, i was just going to put some adjustable rods in so i could get both front wheels in the exact same spot.

i used the rear of the torsion bar sockets in the crossmember as a line and measured to a point i dropped from the front lower ball joint to spindle bolt. this was at ride height.

to set the length on the strut rods initially, i had the torsion bars out, i held the LCA in the approximate ride height position, pulled the arms forward and then set the strut rod to that length plus another turn out to give the arm a little preload/push back since the strut rod will move on a slight arc.

The method I used was to cut the ends off off the stock rods. Turned them down a touch on the lathe. This allowed the ends to slip fit into 3/4 x.090 moly tubing. Welded it all back up 3/8" shorter than the originals.
Doug