front alignment

[tufamc]

Hi all,

New charger owner here! I got my dream car a couple weekends age, 1969 charger, 383 2bbl, auto. Now for the tine being, I'm just goning to make her go down the road, for the summer, until rebuild time this winter. My question is: When she is sitting on the ground, the front tires are out of whack, meaning the tops of the tires are tilted inward, and the oppsite for the bottom of the tires, kinda like / \ that. Other than taking it to a shop and listening to then tell me everything is shot, is there and thing I can try at home, just for the summer. I've already tried "cranking up" the torison bars, and that didn't help, though I made the adjustment with the car in the air, and haven't set it back down yet, at least with it off the ground there is no visible difference, with the tires being like / \.

Thanks!!!

[ChargerST]

Post some pictures of your front suspension - could be several things. Maybe everything is shot, maybe not. First thing to check would be UCA bushings.

[elacruze]

Bite the bullet, go to a GOOD REPUTABLE OLD alignment shop and have them inspect your car. Most shops will do an inspection-only for $50 or so, and usually refundable if you buy work. That way you know for sure what is worn and what is not. Don't just let the first shop you see do it either, these old Mopars are long gone from the experience of most shops. Ask around to be sure they've seen one before. After you know what's shot or not, you can see what they'll charge to get it close enough to drive.

The negative camber you see /\ could _possibly_ be the result of the upper control arm adjusters coming loose and swinging around to their most inboard position. In that case, it's a simple adjustment to get them back where they belong.

If you don't get it at least close, you'll be driving a car that doesn't steer or stop worth a crap, and you'll spend more $$ in tires than you would have at the alignment shop anyway.

[tufamc]

Thanks for the info, these old cars are something new to me, I've been building rock buggy's/murders/4-wheelers for the past 15yrs or so, so if there ain't a solid axle up front w/coilover's, air shocks, or good ol' leaf springs, I'm out of my element (for a while anyway). I'll take the front tires off and check the upper a arms tonight. The entire front end is going to be replaced this winter, i just want to DRIVE it !!!!!!! I've been wating for 25 years for a charger, and I don't have it in me to wait any longer 

thanks!!

[Highbanked Hauler]

  Jack up the car from under the lower control arm till the tire is off the ground. Then use a long bar or a pipe and pry the wheel up and down. That will tell if the ball joints are loose or junk.  Grab the tire by the top and bottom and  push and pull the top in and out. This should give you an idea if the wheel bearings are loose or junk. As elacruze said the next thing would be the upper control bushings and adjustment or lack there of.  Invest in  a 2ft. carpenters level and a tape measure.  With the car sitting on the ground Put the level vertical at the center of the tire  and center the bubble. Take the tape measure  and  measure from tire to the edge of the level and that will give you a reading in inches. If your upper control arm bolts still work you can adjust the control arms to set the wheels vertical.  There are other things that can be done to align the front end but this will give you a place to start.

[grdprx]

Sorry to bring up an old topic, but my tires are the same way on the front.  Looking like this:  / - \

I had taken the car in for an alignment, but they showed me my upper bushing were shot.  Can visibly see it moving around.  But, the guy was trying to tell me that with the -6 or -7 degrees camber; I had bigger problems than just the bushings.  Suggested I had either the wrong LCA that was too big, pushing the wheel out or the UCA was too small, pulling the top in.  Or that something was bent with the frame.  Dude recommended Hochkins adjustable arms..    

I've replaced the lower ball joint, lower bushings, and tie rods.  The upper ball joint looked new.

[HPP]

It is possible that he is right, unlikely, but possible. The reason I say this is because A body lower arms are longer than B body arms. If someone swapped them out at some point, it can create this type of problem. That's why it is unlikely, but possible.

I'd recommend replacing the upper bushings first before digging any deeper. Assuming you have power steering, pick up a set of moog problem solver upper bushings and install them opposite of the instructions so the offset points towards the engine on the rear bushing and out towards the fender on the front bushings. Then install the eccentrics the same way. Take it to an alignment shop and ask them for -.5* negative camber and as much positive caster as possible with 1/16 toe in. That should get  you back where you need to be.

If that doesn't work, then come back and we'll dig in to it further.

[grdprx]

Ok, I can do that.  Is there a chance the upper arm is wrong?  I wanted to ask that before I press new bushings into it.  I glanced at it, but I didn't see any visible numbers on it.  I got a couple off my LCA, on the right all I could see was PD with a RF below it.  Left side had 82459 and it looked like the same type of letters, but I couldn't make them out.

The car has power steering, although I don't have the hoses for it.

[HPP]

No, the upper arm is correct. All the pre 73 B body, E body,  and late A body arms interchange. The early  A body and late B body arms won't bolt in.