On Mon, 13 Jan 1997 08:09:47 -0600 Rodney McDonald <rmcd@marspec.com>
writes:
> ...... I noticed that the inside of the front tires are worn more than
>the outside. According to all that I can get my hands on to read is
>that the only adjustment possible is toe-in. Could this be the
>problem? There isn't any looseness in the wheels when the
>front is jacked up so I don't think wear in the suspension
>components is a problem.
Check one more time. Put a floor jack under the front suspension spring
pan, directly under the coil spring, and raise the tire off of the floor.
This removes the load from the suspension parts. Then shake the wheel
vigorously in and out at the top and bottom, there should be no play in
anything.
Pay particular attention to the horizontal bolts at the outer ends of the
upper and lower suspension arms, and to the inner ends of the lower
suspension arms. The rubber bushings at the inner ends of the lower arms
deteriorate quickly, the original rubber bits may only last a couple of
years.
Then move the wheel(s) left to right at the sides, looking for any play
in the tie rod ends or the inner end joints of the tie rods. There
should be little or no clearance in these parts as well. When all of
this is tight, about all that is left is a toe in adjustment.
If your suspension was ever subject to a side impact such as sliding into
a curb on a slick street., some suspension bits may be slightly bent.
This type of damage is not always visible, but can cause the car to pull
to one side when driving on a level road. If the damage is only slight,
the alignment can sometimes be corrected by shimming the lower a-arm
mount at the frame attachment point. This could only be determined by a
trained technician using an alignment jig, but may save you the cost of
some new parts.
Barney Gaylord
1958 MGA
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