Front End Dilemma -- Wont Align At ALL!!

Front End Dilemma -- Wont Align At ALL!! - 11/14/08 11:41 PM

Okay so here's the problem: the front end on my 70 Duster refuses to stay aligned. A few months back we had to pull the motor, so we yanked the front end like we normally do (lift the body up and over the engine). When we put everything back together and took her down to get aligned, it wouldnt work. We didnt mess with the tie rods, nothing, just disconnected at the upper control arms. The alignment shop gets the front end sitting at the height i want it to be, then aligns it just fine. But when i drive it and get on her, the front end comes out of alignment and raises anywhere from an inch to two and a half inches. Could this be weak torsion bars? They aligned it and drove it and re-aligned the front end over 7 times today and it still will not stay put! (the torsion bars are the original /6 ones by the way)

Thanks guys

Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: Front End Dilemma -- Wont Align At ALL!! - 11/15/08 12:33 AM

are they loosening the UCA bolts/nuts & LCA nuts before they crank up the tbars then tightening them up TIGHT after the ride height has been set?

Posted By: CuriousYella70

Re: Front End Dilemma -- Wont Align At ALL!! - 11/15/08 03:21 PM

Hmmm.....if i'm not mistaken, they're adjusting the height by either tightening or loosening the lower control bolts, and i cant remember seeing them mess with anything on the upper control arms.

Posted By: autoxcuda

Re: Front End Dilemma -- Wont Align At ALL!! - 11/15/08 03:53 PM

Quote:

Hmmm.....if i'm not mistaken, they're adjusting the height by either tightening or loosening the lower control bolts, and i cant remember seeing them mess with anything on the upper control arms.

There's a seperate adjuster bolt. The lower control arm bolt and upper bolt should be losened that have rubber bushings. But small height adjustments won't make that super critical.

Do you have poly uca, lca, or strut rod bushings? Have you looked at the welds around the LCA stud holes in the k-member?

Jack up the front and turn the wheels side to side from each side. Look at each suspension connection. Helps to have someone else turn the wheel.

Posted By: denfireguy

Re: Front End Dilemma -- Wont Align At ALL!! - 11/15/08 03:55 PM

Quote:

are they loosening the UCA bolts/nuts & LCA nuts before they crank up the tbars then tightening them up TIGHT after the ride height has been set?

The ride height has to be set to the factory specs by tightening or loosening the torsion bar tension. If that is not set properly, camber, toe in and caster cannot be set.
That is the quickest way to find out if your alignment guy knows Mopars is to ask him what the first step is. If he skips ride height, then skip him (or her, my alignment person was one). Most of our cars are older than the alignment people and torsion bars are a rarity.
What part of the alignment is changing so much?
Craig

Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: Front End Dilemma -- Wont Align At ALL!! - 11/15/08 04:02 PM

there was a poster way back that had a similar problem & he was at his wits end & he finally uncovered that iirc the lca was bending & that was it but yeah k.i.s.s. & a younger tech might not be doing proper(Mopar)procedure

Posted By: jbc426

Re: Front End Dilemma -- Wont Align At ALL!! - 11/15/08 04:59 PM

Quote:

The ride height has to be set to the factory specs by tightening or loosening the torsion bar tension. If that is not set properly, camber, toe in and caster cannot be set.
That is the quickest way to find out if your alignment guy knows Mopars is to ask him what the first step is. If he skips ride height, then skip him

It sounds like the ride height change is what is causing the other settings to change, similar to a bump steer situation once it raises a few inches.

The factory ride height has always been unappealing to me, resulting in the nose of the car riding higher than the tail.

I always set the ride height to my preference and then have the alignment guy/gal set the toe, camber and caster to the spec's I provide them. I insist they don't alter the ride height, and only set the remaining adjustments as close as possible to the spec's I provide them. My cars ride and drive better than they ever have they way you are having them do it now. I've been there done that.

There is a great deal of practical experience on these pages when it comes to setting the front end alignment. A quick search will get you into the meat of the discussions reguarding those settings.