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Front end alignment specs

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Action Girl, Oct 3, 2005.

  1. Here's the specs from the recent front end alignment we had on Faye. The steering is tight (won't return), and from what we can tell, the caster is wrong.

    This is a mustang 2 front end. Can anyone tell me what this SHOULD be? The alignment shop seems to have it wrong.

    I'd like to take the correct specs in with me when I take it to have it fixed.

    Stacey


    [​IMG]
     
  2. Kruzer63
    Joined: Dec 6, 2004
    Posts: 638

    Kruzer63
    Member

    I just went thru gettin a good alignment on my 53 pontiac which also runs a mustang 2 front set up. The alignment that the shop did on mine is excellent. I agree the caster appears to be wrong. I will send ya my specs when i get home from work today as i have the print out there and will dig it out for you.
     
  3. DrJ
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 9,419

    DrJ
    Member

    It doesn't look out of range to me, except I don't know what degrees relate to fractions of inches, which is the "old" way to measure toe in.

    I also don't understand the toe in or camber being anything but 0º unless it's an independent rear end, or the rear axle is bent, or the measuring equipment is out of wack.

    "thrust angle" to me just tells whether the wrench drove the car on the alignment rack straight or not... looks like he go it real close. :rolleyes:

    Those Fords calld for near 0º caster on most cars so you having 2.5º already may be an issue but I'd look at it being a sticky gear box first and sticking idler arms kingpins/balljoints whatever the linkage is second.If it's a R&P steering, maybe the pinion needs adjusting (or shimming, as the case may be) away from the rack a bit.
     
  4. tommy
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 14,757

    tommy
    Member Emeritus

    You want the castor to be a positive number for the steering wheel to return to center after a turn.
    read about it here
     

  5. RacerRick
    Joined: May 16, 2005
    Posts: 2,756

    RacerRick
    Member

    Castor is way off.

    You should have positive castor - usually on late model cars, up to 5 degrees. Helps with stabilty at speed. I usually just try to get as much castor as I can. Anything over about 2 degrees is great for a cruiser. Your camber is a little excessive for a cruiser also. I would go no more than a half degree. I would also set the toe to about 1/8" or less.

    My camaro road racer has a pretty aggressive street alignment - 1.5 degrees camber, 5 degrees castor, 1/8" toe in.

    The race alignment is real aggressive - 5 degrees camber, 5 degrees castor, 1/8" toe out. Basically my castor is maxed out on my car all the time.

    You need some positive castor for the from wheels to return to center. The more you have the greater the tendancy. A nice basic alignment specs that work for most cars is about 2-3 degrees castor, half a degree camber and real close to zero toe - usually just a smidge of toe in. This is assuming you are running radials - bias like different specs.
     
  6. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,934

    squirrel
    Member

    just as a point of reference, the specs for the MII and pinto cars were roughly

    caster 1/2 to 2 degrees positive
    camber 3/4 degree positive
    toe 0 to 3/8"

    I'd probably try for 1 to 2 degrees postive caster, leave the camber alone (set it back to where it is now after adjusting the caster), and set the toe between 1/8" to 3/16" (whatever that works out to in degrees?)
     
  7. Thanks!

    Yeah, I knew the caster was off, but wasn't sure how much. Thanks for all the help guys, i'll be taking this to the shop to get it straightened out.

    The odd thing is that they drove the car after the alignment and you think they would have noticed that the wheel wasn't returning AT ALL. Oh well, now they get to fix it. :D

    Stacey


     
  8. tommy
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 14,757

    tommy
    Member Emeritus

    You may want to ask them to check the specs in the computer and has it been calibrated lately. That looks like a Hunter computerized print out. If so the computer stores all the specs. The tech. moves things around until the bar graphs turn from red (out of spec) to green (within spec). It would not be unusual for him not to pay any attention to the numbers or whether it is positive or negative. After you do a couple of hundred alignments all you want to do is to get everything in the green. If it's all in the green...it's aligned. unless of course the specs are inaccurate or the heads have been dropped. They come to trust the machine.

    For it to be that far off the indicator light wouldn't even be on the bar graph scale.
     
  9. mikes51
    Joined: Oct 4, 2001
    Posts: 2,195

    mikes51
    Member

    Here is what autocad shows me. For tires with a diameter of 26", if each tire is angled .09 degrees, the centerlines of the front side of the tires are about 3/32" closer than the centerlines of the rear side of the tires.
     
  10. muffman58
    Joined: Oct 24, 2003
    Posts: 999

    muffman58
    Member

    Tommy, Most of the CUSTOM alignment I do have to be entered into the computer manually becuase you cannot align a car with mustang II front end by spec, unless its a mustang II! I do Cobras,Hotrods, etc.. Most people bring the specs that they want to go with, or that the manufacter supplied with the kit. It looks like -2.0 degrees negitive caster to me in the pics, That will not work. The others suggest 2 degrees positive which is better, but It depends on the car, and how it is to be driven. The more caster the better as far as making the car go straight down the road. Mercedes want as much as 10-12 degrees caster! This was designed into them for Autoban speeds. These cars will almost pull the wheel out of your hand after cornering. More caster equals more return!
     
  11. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,934

    squirrel
    Member

    yeah, they ought to change the caster and go for a drive with AG driving and see if she likes it! if not maybe add some more.

    When I got my 55 aligned the guy put in some car models that would be close, I think he punched in an early Camaro, because his computer only went back to the mid 60s. But then he also knew what he was doing, unlike some techs.
     
  12. RacerRick
    Joined: May 16, 2005
    Posts: 2,756

    RacerRick
    Member

    My road race car only will go to 5 degrees castor unless I change the upper A-arms. I would love more for high speed stability. I would have to use shorter arms (about 1/2" ) with the ball joint moved towards the rear of the car.

    Most of those old cars are hard to get more than 2 degrees of castor on.
     
  13. Kruzer63
    Joined: Dec 6, 2004
    Posts: 638

    Kruzer63
    Member

    I PM'd you with my specs directly off my sheet.
     
  14. enjenjo
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 2,689

    enjenjo
    Member
    from swanton oh

    I just had one done with a Mustang front end. I had it aligned to the specs that generally work best for me. camber .5 to 1.0 degrees positive, caster 5 degrees positive, more if needed. Total toe in .060 inch.
     
  15. DrJ
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 9,419

    DrJ
    Member


    WHAT?

    Are they too "secret" for the rest of us to see? :confused:
     
  16. tommy
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 14,757

    tommy
    Member Emeritus

    Yeah the G-111 that I had has a custom setting that we put in it for mid-60 Chevelles when I was into them. The machine needs to know what it's looking for before it can tell you what to do to get there. it shouldn't be looking for neg. 2.5 deg. caster.
     

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