Chris suggestst a toe adjust only. This is normally what you need,
however in this case you are trying to find out if your car is straight!
I would find a shop that has a high quality modern alignment machine and
have a at least the front end checked completely, toe, camber, caster. I
don't know how much additional info a 4 wheel alignment would provide in
determining if the car is staright, but it might - you should ask.
Don't worry if the numbers aren't exactly the same from side to side, they
aren't on my car, and they probably weren't when new.
On the chirp, could your brake backing plate be touching the rotor?
Ulix
On Thu, 16 Jul 1998, Chris Kotting wrote:
> Philip -
>
> I don't know about your "chirp", but if you had eccentric bushings fitted
> to your A-arms on only one side, your suspension geometry is going to be
> all messed up. If I understand your post correctly, when you redid your
> front end, you found eccentric bushings on the driver's side, regular
> bushings on the passenger side, and you replaced them all with regular
> bushings. (Do I have this right?)
>
> Assuming that I do, your PO did some very strange things. POssibly to get
> around a "tweaked" frame (though I hope it was just typical PO wierdness,
> rather than getting around a bent frame). Anyway, the only normally
> adjustable thing on the Midget is toe-in, and doing just about anything on
> the front end will mean readjusting the toe-in. (Particularly replacing
> eccentric A-arm bushings with the stock type concentric ones). Eccentric
> bushings like what you found on the driver's side are used by racers and
> other folks who want to adjust the camber of the front end, though they are
> used on BOTH sides normally.
>
> Short answer, get the toe-in adjusted so you don't scrub your front tires
> to death. If the shop tries to sell you a "4 wheel" or "thrust" alignment,
> kindly repeat for them that you want the toe-in adjusted ONLY. If they
> give you a hard time, go elsewhere.
>
> Chris Kotting
> ckotting@iwaynet.net
>
> On Wednesday, July 15, 1998 11:14 PM, Philip Hubbard
> [SMTP:phubbard@carroll.com] wrote:
> > Once again, I want to thank the list for all the fantastic advice on my
> > front suspension and brake refurbishment. I've driven 50 miles on the
> > rebuild so far and am almost ready to admit success. :) However, there
> > are a couple of things.
> >
> > I hear an intermittant "chirp" from the front end. Only while in motion,
> > but both while braking and not braking. It's not loud, it's not
> constant.
> > In fact, I usually can only hear it at speeds of about 25 mph and below.
> > Otherwise road and wind noise drown it out.
> >
> > Three thoughts:
> > 1) Wheel bearings - what do those sound like when they are not right? I
> > did replace them at the same time as the bushings and brake job and there
> > doesn't seem to be that much you can do wrong in installing them.
> > 2) Brake pad squeal - to get a better fit, I had to file down the
> backing
> > on one pad on each side. There is now no anti-squeal coating on the back
> > of these pads nor are there any shims. I'm betting on this one and may
> get
> > the shims or new pads from a better source so I don't have to file them
> > down so much.
> > 3) Some totally unrelated metal rubbing against metal up in the front
> > somewhere.
> >
> > Any thoughts list?
> >
> > Second issue. Now the car pulls to the left as one goes down the road.
> > It's not a matter of pulling left while braking. Seems like I need my
> > front end aligned. With a Midget, how much adjustment can one do? I'm
> > almost afraid that I've brought this upon myself as the driver's side is
> > the one that had the funky bushings in it - the holes for the fulcrum
> pins
> > on the inner A-arm being off center on the bushings. If I take it to a
> > decent shop - not necessarily an MG specialist, will they be able to
> > correct my alignment problem?
> >
> > Thanks for any further advice on these issues.
> >
> > BTW, I =really= need to get those rear bushings changed up - the car
> > literally jumps from lane to lane on hitting bumps and I can see the
> rubber
> > almost completely deteriorated. Maybe this weekend.
> >
> > Philip
> > Burgundy 1974 Midget
>
Ulix __/__,__
.......................................................... (_o____o_)....
'67 Sprite
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