"Settling" and alignment issue

[Donny Carlson]

This thread is being sent out to those of you out there (carfixer?) who are techs and/or knowledgeable about alignments, and those who've put on the Naake coil overs.

My car was adjuste to the same height it was with Eibachs. Since then, it's apparenly settled a bit more... It's actually too low now. Nothing is rubbing, not even when I turn the wheels sharply. But, there is less than a half inch clearance between the top of the wheel opening and the tire when the the wheels are turned sharply. I'm guessing that with more than my fat behind in the car, it could rub in a sharp turn or hard braking.

That's not the issue. The Naakes can be adjusted up a bit.

The issue is that I had my car aligned immediately after the coil over install, steering wheel straight when going straigt, no pulling. Now, to maintain a straight line, the steering wheel has to be turned to the left. Lettting go produces a sharp pull to the right. Tire pressures on the front tires are within 1 psi of each other.

I gather the springs settling has produced this misalignment problem (I didn't hit anything that would bump alignment), no? Also, is it a waste of money to get the car realigned before I have it raised? Reason I ask this is that I won't be able to get my car over to get the coil overs adjusted for a month or so, and the misalignment is bugging the crap out of me.

[mtnh]

Donny, it sounds like your camber adjustment bolts became loose. The torque on those is supposed to be at around 140 lb/ft, and if they half-a$$ tightened them, the bolts will work their way loose and that will allow the cam /eccentric bolts to yield away from the force they are supposed to be holding. It's easy enough to check with a torque wrench and a socket. When mine slipped loose, I went underneath to check and, let's put it this way, I could have found their loose condition with far less of a tool than a torque wrench, it was more like less than finger tight. They just let go and from what I can envision, the road forces just bang those cam bolts around like a swivel once that happens.

Something definitely let go on your front end, and those bolts, as well as the caster adjustment bolts, though the caster bolts are less likely IMHO to have this happen, are most likely to blame.


Mike

[Gent4157]

Donny, when you had a stock front end, did you let anyone in B'ham align it?
I'm having a hard time finding someone I can trust, and I can't take off to Atlanta.

[FordNut]

Donny,
Print off Carfixer's alignment specs and let Scott & Jason have a shot at it. Since Jeff has left Team Ford, they are going to start doing the alignments.