VIRGIN MIKE
11-11-2021, 04:46 PM
I was way out of specs - duh! Several factors led to this but are irrelevant to the facts.
Bottom line is (was) ride height about 3" too high and too much caster causing the tie rod angle to rack to be more than the system could handle. Pulled the shocks and screwed the adjust collar to about ½" from the bottom (I had it up about halfway to keep the springs in place at full droop), lowering the height - measured at the firewall! - to be 4 ¾"; this put the tie-rod dead level with the steering rack.
Next went to a highly recommended front-end guy, who fussed and eyeballed with it for about half an hour and proclaimed it all set.
When I mentioned he never asked what the specs should be, he replied: camber 0, toe in 1/16th and a bit of caster; take it for a ride see how it feels. I did and it feels perfect. I rechecked the CA measurements when I got home and they are about 17 ¾ and 14 ⅛. I will be getting a second opinion from a more conventional alignment shop first chance I get.
Bottom line is (was) ride height about 3" too high and too much caster causing the tie rod angle to rack to be more than the system could handle. Pulled the shocks and screwed the adjust collar to about ½" from the bottom (I had it up about halfway to keep the springs in place at full droop), lowering the height - measured at the firewall! - to be 4 ¾"; this put the tie-rod dead level with the steering rack.
Next went to a highly recommended front-end guy, who fussed and eyeballed with it for about half an hour and proclaimed it all set.
When I mentioned he never asked what the specs should be, he replied: camber 0, toe in 1/16th and a bit of caster; take it for a ride see how it feels. I did and it feels perfect. I rechecked the CA measurements when I got home and they are about 17 ¾ and 14 ⅛. I will be getting a second opinion from a more conventional alignment shop first chance I get.