I don't know anything, ---yet---, about alignment, but I'm about to learn to
"DIY it" before taking my beloved TR6 to the alignment shop after doing a
complete reconstruction.
Here is a reference to Calvin Sanders' contribution to DIY alignment.
Use it in good health for the data contained therein.
http://www.vtr.org/maintain/diy-alignment.shtml
Let me know if the measurements you take confirm Calvin's recommendations.
Jerry
Date: Sun, 8 Oct 2006 15:14:32 EDT
From: SamuelsMA@aol.com
Subject: Alignment
Listers:
My '76 has a lot of suspension modifications performed by the previous
owner. The car is lowered, has Koni's all around (rear tube shock
conversion),
and has swaybars front and rear. The springs are higher-rate than standard,
with 1 coil removed.
I noticed recently that the rubber boots on my outer tie-rod ends had
disintegrated. I purchased new outer tie rod ends with grease fittings from
TRF.
Although I considered replacing the tie rod ends myself, I knew that the car
would have to be re-aligned afterward, so I brought the car to a local tire
store to do the installation and alignment. They have worked on my '76
before, and on my '70 before that.
I got the car back and it drives fine. However, I asked them to give me a
copy of the alignment sheet. That is the sheet that includes the alignment
specs in their database and compares what the tech achieved with my car to
the
specs. It shows some actual measured values from my car as compared to the
"specified range."
In the front, the spec for camber is -0.8 to +1.3 degrees. They got -1.8 on
the left front and -1.5 on the right front. Toe was even and within spec,
so that was not an issue. There is no spec for caster, so it may not be
adjustable.
In the rear, the spec for camber is -0.5 to +1.5 degrees. They got -2.4 on
the left and -1.7 on the right. They got 0.38 degrees for toe on the left
(spec is 0.0 to 0.12) and 0.17 on the right.
Questions:
1. What are appropriate specs for camber and toe front and rear for my
car, considering its modifications? I only have my race car to go by, and it
benefits from a lot of front and rear negative camber (2.0 degrees front, 2.5
degrees rear). That car actually is set with a little bit of toe out in
front to help it to turn in more readily. I don't think those specs mean
much
for my current situation, given the fact that I use the TR6 for gentle street
driving, not track driving.
2. My Haynes manual lists only the following specs (unmodified car):
Front toe in 0 to 1/16 in, front caster 2.75 degrees +/- 0.5 degrees, front
camber -0.25 degrees +/- 0.5 degrees. There are no settings listed for the
rear.
3 Is it likely that we can achieve the desired settings (whatever they
are) given where I am starting here? The readings look like a mess to me.
The
shop manager wants the car back on Monday so that he can try to improve on
the settings with some sort of shimming procedure.
Thanks!
Michael
'76 Tahiti blue
CF 57044U
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