Offset control arm shaft orientation?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 265
Likes: 0
From: Bowie MD
Offset control arm shaft orientation?
I have read this thread but I am still unsure of what to do.
My situation: looking at the alignment shims that came off of my car, each side is the same. The rear stack is massive, with three large shims, a medium, and a thin. However the front is only a large shim and a thin one. And from what I can tell, the offset shaft removes the need for one large (I think 1/8") shim. I doubt the car had been aligned in many, many years and I only drove it about 50 miles before the engine exploded and I tore it apart.
My dilemma is that if I use the offset to remove shims, I will basically have zero shims in the front and a few in the back, which means I am in trouble if I want more positive camber. If I use the offset to move the control arm outboard, then I have 1/2" inch of shims on the rear. All of this is assuming that what was in there is anywhere close to what the car needs for alignment. I don't really care if I need a monstrous stack of shims as long as it is safe.
Any advice? Thanks
My situation: looking at the alignment shims that came off of my car, each side is the same. The rear stack is massive, with three large shims, a medium, and a thin. However the front is only a large shim and a thin one. And from what I can tell, the offset shaft removes the need for one large (I think 1/8") shim. I doubt the car had been aligned in many, many years and I only drove it about 50 miles before the engine exploded and I tore it apart.
My dilemma is that if I use the offset to remove shims, I will basically have zero shims in the front and a few in the back, which means I am in trouble if I want more positive camber. If I use the offset to move the control arm outboard, then I have 1/2" inch of shims on the rear. All of this is assuming that what was in there is anywhere close to what the car needs for alignment. I don't really care if I need a monstrous stack of shims as long as it is safe.
Any advice? Thanks
Racer
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 491
Likes: 12
From: Los Altos Hills, CA
nihil:
I'm not sure why you are going to offset cross shafts. Offset cross shafts are used for one of two reasons.
The first would be performance applications where large amounts of negative camber and lots of caster are required. In this case, the offset cross shafts are oriented to move the upper A-arm inward.
The second reason to use the offset shafts is if the frame towers have collapsed inward from old age. For this case, the offset cross shafts are oriented to move the A-arms outward, compensating for the frame settling.
From the sounds of your alignment shims, the regular cross shafts seem like the right choice.
I'm not sure why you are going to offset cross shafts. Offset cross shafts are used for one of two reasons.
The first would be performance applications where large amounts of negative camber and lots of caster are required. In this case, the offset cross shafts are oriented to move the upper A-arm inward.
The second reason to use the offset shafts is if the frame towers have collapsed inward from old age. For this case, the offset cross shafts are oriented to move the A-arms outward, compensating for the frame settling.
From the sounds of your alignment shims, the regular cross shafts seem like the right choice.
