-----Original Message-----
From: John Weber <weberjm@teleport.com>
To: James Carpenter <jc_carpenter@softhome.net>
Cc: Vic Whitmore <vicwhit@home.com>; spit list <spitfires@autox.team.net>
Date: 11 February 1999 04:24
Subject: Re: Front end alignment
>James,
>My front end has the top of the front tires at least 1 inch further out
>from the bottom of the tire. I see no shims anywhere in the front setup
>(but then, I've worn glasses since age 8...)
>It looks bilateral. You mention 2 degrees positive which matches my
>book...my current setup has to be at least 5...the entire outside tread
>bar is gonzo, the inside tread bar barely looks worn.
>Because it's bilateral, and because the previous owner had spring
>compressors on the front coils, I worried about unseen damage.
>I'll get all the bushes and such changed on the entire car before I
>worry about the actual steering geometry...as I doubt that I want the
>twitch that I discovered when I drove it back from the purchase
>site...I got into the freeway ruts south of Olympia (I-5) made by
>studded snow tires and dang near stuffed it into the median. Not a fun
>experience.
>
>John
I get you, from what you said about the handeling it sounded as if the tops
o f the tires were in by an inch. But if you have no shims then are more
than likly to be out by an inch. Heres the problem...
Your car is set up at the moment to understeer like anything, (scairs the
driver, passanger dosent notice), but you say it oversteers (scairs the
passanger, driver having fun (or not if you happen to have lost the back))!
Therefore I think somthing is wrong somewhere on the car to make it
overstear, so the DPO instead of curing the problem has removed shims to
lessen the simptoms. First things first is to forget the front, and look at
the back. There is something wrong there. Replace the trailing arm bushes
on the rear suspension and make shure that none of the bolt wholes have
rounded, check the mount points for rust etc. Then look at things like the
front and rear shock adsorbers, replace them if in doubt. As whell as the
front and rear trunion bushings. Look at the rear spring and check it
hasent got a weak or snapped leaf. Then do the front bushes.
I think that is the order that you should do the work, at one stage you will
cure the oversteer/twitchyness and then you should reshim the front
suspension to the correct angle.
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