Folks:
I recently went through the hassle of trying to figure out why my
car was leaning to the left. There was a 1" difference between the left and
right sides of the car.
Since the lean was most obvious from the rear, my first thought was
that a rear spring was bad, but when I got under the car to take a look, I
could see that the DPO had already replaced the springs (very clean and shiny,
while the rest of the rear suspension was caked with dirt.
Hmm, well perhaps then a front spring was bad? Well, $50 and two days
later, new front springs (and shocks, while I was at it) but the car still
leaned to the left. Drat.
I had read on the Buckeye Triumph site about adjusting the camber on
the rear suspension by juggling the trailing arm brackets. After studying that,
and noting that the rear bushings lose their shape after a while (30 years *IS*
after a while, isn't it?) I decided to replace the bushings and adjust the
camber.
The bushings are cake to replace (but you will need a gear puller to
press them in and out), and the results are *wonderful*. The car sits level,
and the rear camber is spot on compared to what Nelson Reidel's wonderful notes
claim. I now have 0 to barely positive camber (I am figuring about +0.5
degrees) and the car looks like it should have all along.
If your car is sagging or leaning, I recommend you consider your rear
bushings. They are cheap ($12) and if you rent a gear puller you can have them
replaced in an afternoon.
Cheers,
Vance
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