Alignment problems?

[BudW]

I forgot to attach the factory specifications for alignment. This is also from my '77 FSM.

My '86 FSM had close but a slightly different ride height. I posted a picture of my '86 ride height in the forums here . . . somewhere.
BudW

 

[volare 1977]

My thought is if the shop needed the frame to be pulled that the car was involved in a accident sometime during its history.

 

[M_Body_Coupe]

My thought is if the shop needed the frame to be pulled that the car was involved in a accident sometime during its history.

Yeah, my thinking too. Which is why I was wondering if that is really what they meant, or did they simply call out the fact that if all is good otherwise (straight frame rails) the only other thing that can be adjusted is the K-frame being un-bolted and rotated accordingly to make up for the caster offset?

 

[Aspen500]

I honestly don't think the k-frame could be moved enough to bring caster and into spec, or at least make it even. Almost has to be the car is bent. I know when my car got shortened a foot or so (fan and radiator tried to occupy the same space at the same time) back in '89, it had to go on a frame rack to get the subframe rails back where they were supposed to be. The other cars rear bumper went over mine so I didn't suspect frame rail damage, but there was. That's assuming it was OK when I bought the car a couple years earlier. I found it had been wrecked on the right front, including the cowl side panel and door, along with the left rear corner. The entire lr corner of the car is welded in from a different car about 2 ft from the rear, through the trunk floor and tail panel. At any rate, after the frame machine session it aligned fine. Previous to that, I have no idea what it was as I never did an alignment on it. Could have been bent from the day I bought it.
Let's hope that isn't what your car needs!

 

[lowbudget]

Just a heads up the 4014352 and 4014353 are available on ebay at 10.00 each with 15.95 shipping plus 1.00 for each additional piece. I have to get my beater 5th Avenue realigned as I noticed it scuffing the outer edge of the tire. The guy who did it last time said it was temperamental but that he got it right on. Looks like I need to find a new alignment guy.

 

[Aspen500]

I haven't lined my car up yet on a rack (winter came back last Sunday) but, after putting the shims in, the toe came back to perfect (using the tape measure method) and using my modified level, the camber looks to be pretty much where it should be. Soon as the white crap (a.k.a. salt) is washed off the roads,,,,,,,,,,again,,,,,,I'm taking the car to work and do a real alignment. Even still, a couple weeks ago when the roads were clean (they got salted again a few days ago), the steering wheel was dead level and it went perfectly straight from my street to the water dept, about a 1/4 mile down the road, without touching the wheel so, it must be real darn close.

 

[MBDale]

Ya, the car was in an accident. Very minor. Pushed the hood in a small amount, the front drivers side fender headlamp bucket and the part of the fender behind the headlight was pushed in. I welded one in from another fender and got another hood. Engine bay and rad cradle is straight and no visible signs of damage.

Put a jack under k-member last night and since I have no motor in the car right now, I back off the K-Member bolts and made sure the FFI pucks were properly seating in the K-Member with the “dimple” going down. This took awhile. Good thing I had some help! The front rails needed some “guidance” so everything would line up to be bolted back in. This was my original suspicion to begin with. It’s in now. Now onto some welding in the back of the car.

 

[mikedevore]

Can you provide a typical ride height measurement?

 

[Aspen500]

Ride height is measured from the lowest point of the lower control arm pivot bushing to the floor. Stock height is spec is 10 1/4".

For reference, I have mine set at 10 1/4" and from the floor to top of fender opening with 225/60R15 tires is 26 3/8"

 

[mikedevore]

Thank you.

 

[AJ/FormS]

Just a heads up; the 10.25 height spec assumes your LBJs are at the same height as were the spec car's. So if your tires are a different overall diameter, then the spec for your car would be different.
For example; to exagerate; if your tires are an inch taller than was factory, then your BJs will be a half inch higher, and your New spec would be 10.75 ..
Is it important?
Only if your car has excessive bump-steer at the chosen ride height, due to the ever-changing camber curve.

But if you align your front-end at the wrong height, it will affect all your DYNAMIC readings and ultimately affect things like caster range, scrub radius, and Akerman, not to forget the bump-steer.

 

[Aspen500]

Way back eons ago, like late '80's, I had the bars cranked down to lower the front end of my Aspen and bump steer was horrible. Looked cool though,,,,,,,,,,,,or so I thought at the time.

 

[mikedevore]

Anyone have the torque spec for the nuts that retain the upper shafts to the frame?

 

[Sub03]

These are the torque specs I used, screenshot from dippy.org :

 

[mikedevore]

These are the torque specs I used, screenshot from dippy.org :

View attachment 47888

Thank you sir.

 

[slant six]

Good stuff here thanks for the Info!

 

[Cordoba46]

Not long ago I took my car into the alignment shop because it pulls to the right. Not crazy hard, but Enough that it must be constantly corrected for. On my way out of the shop the after the work was completed, the tech said " It's got a 2*+ degree camber but I didn't want to even get into all that." And of course it still pulls to the right, despite the wheels being aligned. After reading this, I can better understand what the alignment tech meant by "all that."

So, a big thanks to all that posted so knowledgably about this subject. I remember the time when you had to track down that one shop that had that one guy who held the specialized knowledge necessary to fix issues particular to my suspension. By getting in deep and sharing your experience and resources you fellows really make this a great forum. Bravo and much thanks.

 

[Aspen500]

It will pull towards the side with more postitive camber. Normally you want a hair less camber on the right than on the left, to compensate for road crown. It can be done with a caster split of .4-.5 degrees, also.

Is there a reason he couldn't adjust the camber to specs? I mean, are the camber adjustment slots maxed out or??? Usually with FMJ body, the problem is too much NEGATIVE camber, even at the limit of the adjustment slots.

To be fair, it's not only FMJ or Mopar. I ran into it on many cars of all makes when they were 15, 20, 25 years old or more, even ones with strut suspension. The car just sags after awhile, either at the upper control arm mounting location, or the strut towers. Here in Wisconsin, rust also plays into it. Same happens on vehicles with independent rear suspension and always results in too much negative camber.

 

[69-]

That was an alignment shop??

Go to a different shop. No matter how alignment is being done, that's their freaking job. Hope you didn't pay a dime....

 

[Cordoba46]

That was an alignment shop??

Go to a different shop. No matter how alignment is being done, that's their freaking job. Hope you didn't pay a dime....

That was the 4rth alignment shop I tried. The first one did align it but advised a new steering box and upper control arm bushings, so I just went ahead and replaced the Steering box, Upper and lower control arm bushings, shocks and tie rod ends, so I figure that first one one was on me. The next shop refused it because it's a custom build, the next shop was a week + scheduled out. I think I'll do this above mentioned upgrade and then talk to the last place about the camber issue. Maybe the 17" mag wheels put them off, idk.