Still having alignment issues

Posted By: dd340

Still having alignment issues - 09/29/09 11:43 PM

I have been trying to get a good alignment on my 69 dart but I am still having problems with the passenger side. On the drivers side I am able to get about 3* positive caster with -0.5 neg camber, this is with the moog offset bushing. On the right side however we just can't get any negative camber with positive caster. If we set it for maximum positive caster I can get more that +4* but that is accompanied by over 3* of positve camber. As soon as we adjust to get camber closer to 0 the caster completely goes away. We ended up with about +0.8 caster and +0.6 positve camber which is the best we could get. Since I have already installed the moog offest bushings to get maximum caster I am wondering if I could change them around to get more negative camber i.e turn the arrow on the bushing toward the frame on both front and back? Obviously something is wrong with the suspension that makes it so different from left side to right side but I would like to get a decent alighment without changing everything. Any suggestions? My alignment guy thinks I should install the bushings according to the moog instructions which calls for both arrows pointing toward the wheel. He feels this would give him a better starting point but to me is seems like that would just make the problem worse with more positve camber, of course he has been doing alignments for 30 years and I have never done one before.

Posted By: therocks

Re: Still having alignment issues - 09/29/09 11:57 PM

To get neg camber you want the arm to go in toward the motor.I had a hard time getting my 65 in.I ended up with neg 1 degree caster and about .25 positive camber.That was with the offset bushings.It was at 6 degrees neg before I put the offsets in.That and I did the alingment 3 times my self so I know its right as it can be.It manual steering and handles good where its at.Rocky

Posted By: dd340

Re: Still having alignment issues - 09/30/09 12:03 AM

Quote:

To get neg camber you want the arm to go in toward the motor.

Right, so that is why I was thinking if I turn the arrow on the bushing toward the frame it would move the whole arm in a little, I just don't know if that would completely grenade my caster. Which direction did you install the bushings?

Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: Still having alignment issues - 09/30/09 12:03 AM

You'd want both sides to end up being the same camber, zero or a skosh neg. With that making the caster different on the one side not sure how it would handle & not sure (with the bushings) if that side can be manipulated to get the caster and the camber equal from side to side with the one side being bent.

Posted By: dd340

Re: Still having alignment issues - 09/30/09 12:05 AM

Quote:

You'd want both sides to end up being the same camber, zero or a skosh neg. With that making the caster different on the one side not sure how it would handle & not sure (with the bushings) if that side can be manipulated to get the caster and the camber equal from side to side with the one side being bent.

we brought the left side in to match the final reading on the right side, I was just not happy about the final result. The left side will let us do anything with it, I sure wish the right side was the same.

Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: Still having alignment issues - 09/30/09 12:18 AM

I'm thinking the bushings may need to come out & go back in several times to get the right combo so the caster is as close as it can be on each side & close enough for good handling but still keeping the camber dead on (zero or slightly neg) and equal side to side with the camber being by far the most critical.