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Hi All, tearing down a '76 for a track day car. Looking at this front end and the shims in the A Arm, what do you think? Bent Frame? Bent A Arm? I can't spot any damage. Can this simple be because all the bushings are completely rotted out? Thanks.
interesting thread, as I have this issue on my drivers side. My passenger side has an equal amount of shims on both sides and on the drivers side a small stack of shims on the rear and nothing on the front? whats an average shim set up look like on any other car?
Last edited by Lyndwood; Nov 25, 2016 at 10:52 AM.
Each car is different..and expecting the shims to be the same from one side to another is only going to happen if the frame is put on a bench and checked and straightened.
The only way of knowing why the left side has so many shims was to put it on an alignment rack and see what it read.
And there can be problem in the lower control arm mounting and the relation of the lower ball joint to where it is 'supposed ' to be.
This is what you want to see, after I installed the coilover suspension I took it to a speed shop to have the alignment done. The shims nice and square with the A arm mount and marked to make sure it was torqued correctly. I have an equal shim stack on both sides.
Last edited by midigike; Nov 26, 2016 at 06:20 PM.
Having equal shim packs is NOT imperative...or a MUST....or means anything is wrong. That is why shims are used. I am writing this so people do not think something is wrong because they are not the same.
'midigike',
For what this may be worth (maybe nothing at all)..and I am not picking...but if my memory serves me correctly....when a shock abosrber is installed...and the top shaft nut is being tightened...the rubber bushing on the top you can see should not be protruding out that far from the outer edge of the cupped washer. Yours look like they were over tightened.
I had the same problem. I took the car to a frame expert who tweaked the frame and aligned the car, but did not correct the shim stack problem. A friend recommended the SPC arms. They worked great. Made realigning the car much easier.
Having equal shim packs is NOT imperative...or a MUST....or means anything is wrong. That is why shims are used. I am writing this so people do not think something is wrong because they are not the same.
'midigike',
For what this may be worth (maybe nothing at all)..and I am not picking...but if my memory serves me correctly....when a shock abosrber is installed...and the top shaft nut is being tightened...the rubber bushing on the top you can see should not be protruding out that far from the outer edge of the cupped washer. Yours look like they were over tightened.
But too each his/her own.
DUB
Thanks DUB
I know it does not matter if the sides are the same, but an old timer told me that is what you want to see, helps to know frame is pretty straight.
I once saw an 69 roadster with nothing on the drivers side and about an 8 stack in the passenger side
I will double check the bushing above the A Arm, but I believe they are larger in the Speed Direct Coilover kit. Good Eye
I know it does not matter if the sides are the same, but an old timer told me that is what you want to see, helps to know frame is pretty straight.
I once saw an 69 roadster with nothing on the drivers side and about an 8 stack in the passenger side
I will double check the bushing above the A Arm, but I believe they are larger in the Speed Direct Coilover kit. Good Eye
You are correct....having them be similar is a good thing. I am not disputing that. But they do not have to be the same......and what you commented on with the 69 roadster...you are correct in that also.
When things are that obvious...it raises concerns.....but that also is assuming that the person who did the alignment and caused it to look that way knew what they were doing.
Who knows...it could have been a DIY'er ...attempting to do his own alignment with a string and so on and got tired of messing with it and seeing how it 'seemed' to drive fine...left it alone.
Because nowadays...with the internet and YouTUbe....who knows why things look the way they do.
Front end damage
