Please eyeball my rear suspension (IRS)

[cv2065]

Ok, got the spindles and hubs installed this afternoon. As I assemble, all is somewhat straight until I add the toe arm, then things start to get a little "off". I realize that there are a few adjustments that can be made here, but so far, I've only been dealing with the toe arm and need a little guidance.

Here's what the left side looks like with second picture of the toe arm adjustment.

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Here's the right side....same deal.

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I tried to get the hub as parallel/centered to the body, and have a little more latitude, but a couple of questions:

1. Does this look jacked up with respect to alignment on all arms?
2. Is my toe arm adjustment too far out?
3. If the toe arm is too far out, are there any other adjustments that I can make to center up the hub?

Thanks FFR team!!

[edwardb]

Your assembly looks OK. First I wouldn't get too excited at this point about alignment. Until you have it sitting on the wheels/tires at ride height and start taking actual measurements (or have it done) you can only do rough estimates of where things need to be. But I understand you want it to look roughly right and not all crazy angles. The main thing you're missing is the adjustment on the upper control arm (UCA). You have that adjustment all the way in. When aligned, it will be quite different than that. My experience is about 1/2-inch of threads showing on each side. The final position of the tow arm adjusters will be somewhat in from what you're showing now. What's important in both cases, and IMO it's not pointed out well in the instructions, is both of those adjusters need to be installed during assembly with equal threads on both sides. In both cases, to adjust there are jam nuts that are loosened, the center adjuster is turned (which has RH and LH threads like a turnbuckle) in or out as needed. Then the jam nuts are tightened. Those nuts BTW Factory Five does recommend red Loctite which I've done. For reference, these pictures from my Roadster build show the approximate initial adjustment, and also how they have to be centered during assembly. Ignore that the large washer now used on the UCA bolt isn't in this picture. That was a later technical upgrade from Factory Five that was applied to this build after the picture was taken.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/edwardb123/Factory%20Five%2020th%20Anniversary%20Mark%204%20R oadster/Independent%20Rear%20Suspension/IMG_0152_zpsixzfry84.jpg (http://s867.photobucket.com/user/edwardb123/media/Factory%20Five%2020th%20Anniversary%20Mark%204%20R oadster/Independent%20Rear%20Suspension/IMG_0152_zpsixzfry84.jpg.html)

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/edwardb123/Factory%20Five%2020th%20Anniversary%20Mark%204%20R oadster/Independent%20Rear%20Suspension/IMG_0153_zpsshxrqbwz.jpg (http://s867.photobucket.com/user/edwardb123/media/Factory%20Five%2020th%20Anniversary%20Mark%204%20R oadster/Independent%20Rear%20Suspension/IMG_0153_zpsshxrqbwz.jpg.html)

[cv2065]

Thanks Paul. How many threads would you say you have showing on the tow arm? I moved the UCA out to about 1/2" as you suggested, and that gave me the ability to move the toe arm in a bit, keeping it even on both sides of the jam nut. My toe arm is now showing about 3/4" of threads on both sides of the jam nut and the hub is visually parallel to the frame. I didn't check the eye before I installed it, so not sure how many threads you can have showing before there is an issue?

As you stated, this will be done once the wheels are on, but wanted to make sure that I wasn't exceeding my thread adjustment on my toe arm with my setup and that its somewhat in the ball park.

Thanks again.

[edwardb]

I honestly don't know how many threads are showing on my finished Roadster that's aligned. But there isn't an issue with not having enough threads. This is a well established design and really no way to mess it up. Yours appears to be assembled properly and when the time comes I'm confident will align just fine. Eyeball it for now. That's plenty good enough.

[cv2065]

Roger that. Thanks again Paul.

[CraigS]

You are missing the jam nuts on the rodends for the toe adjusters on both sides. Other than that everything looks fine to me.

[cv2065]

You are missing the jam nuts on the rodends for the toe adjusters on both sides. Other than that everything looks fine to me.

Good catch Craig! Always bad when you have parts left in a bag and you've come to the last page of instruction....:rolleyes: Thanks!