Having trouble getting the alignment numbers that I asked for!

[Dino]

Okay...now what?

[Dino]

Never mind, I didn't realize I hadn't removed the actual valve yet.  My bad!   

[1974dodgecharger]

this be an expensive route, but maybe try aftermarket UPC?  That gives you more flexibility on the alignment than stockers can give.

[Kern Dog]

I was lucky with my 70 Charger. I have stock UCAs and LCAs but with the offset bushings, I got almost 5 degrees of POS caster and 1/2 degree of NEG camber.
The car in question is a 71 Road Runner owned by a retired guy in our local Mopar club. He is strange when it comes to spending money. He'd rather die of thirst than to pay $10 for a bottle of water. Aftermarket control arms? HA !! Think of all the other things he could spend that money on....

[HeavyFuel]

What the heck??? wouldn't adding some NEG camber automatically get you more caster? There is more adjustment left in the alignment cams, I could see that.

You lose positive caster when you gain negative camber.   Its a trade-off and you just have to settle on middle ground with SOME cars.  

I have the same MOOG offset bushes, installed the way you did.  An attempt at a shade tree mechanic alignment job performed in my garage got me dead on with the toe in (1/16 each side), camber was + 7/8* and +5/8*, and the caster was about +2* and +3 3/4*.    I couldn't get it to drive decent after I dicked with it, so off to the shop we went.

Best they could get was around +1/4* camber each side and +1* caster.  Toe ended up at zero and 3/32......I did better toe than that with my string job.

The numbers aren't pretty, but the car drives decent and tracks nice.


The shop guys (all old.....they like my car and won't let the younger guys work on it) let me down in the pit and explained that the right side aligns great, lots of caster available.   Not so much on the left side.   Either a bent LCA from a frontal impact, or perhaps factory sloppiness.    So in the future I'll either be looking for a better LCA or aftermarket uppers.   Or I'll drive it like it is....which really isn't that bad.

We could be just asking for too much.   The factory specs didn't call for a lot of caster, so the engineering might not be up to the task.   

[Kern Dog]

As soon as I put my mind to it, I understood that principle where the Camber and Caster are tied together. Getting a bunch of NEG camber and POS caster is not possible with stock parts.

[b5blue]

I added adjustable struts mainly to ditch the rubber mounts but I can pull a bit more castor if needed. 

[c00nhunterjoe]

As soon as I put my mind to it, I understood that principle where the Camber and Caster are tied together. Getting a bunch of NEG camber and POS caster is not possible with stock parts.

Not exactly. By gaining negative camber using the REAR pivot only, you will increase positive caster while gaining negative camber. Start with the front pivot in the full outward position before taking a caster sweep.

[HeavyFuel]

As soon as I put my mind to it, I understood that principle where the Camber and Caster are tied together. Getting a bunch of NEG camber and POS caster is not possible with stock parts.

Not exactly. By gaining negative camber using the REAR pivot only, you will increase positive caster while gaining negative camber. Start with the front pivot in the full outward position before taking a caster sweep.

As I understand it, yes, the front cam bolt will be at the furthest out position when getting started....but likewise, the rear cam is at the furthest inward.  That is the 'max' possible + caster setting.

But you'll also have a ton of + camber, so like mentioned previously, as you add - camber, you lose + caster.

I think that's right.......but hell, I had to take mine to a shop, so don't listen to me....  

[Kern Dog]

I agree.