Front end, alignment Guru's (1979)
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Joined: Jun 2011
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From: Detroit
Front end, alignment Guru's (1979)
looking for a little advice.
just ordered 550 lbs front springs and the 8" hard bolts for the rear and the deluxe front suspension rebuild kit (rubber) for my 1979 with the L48. doing a alignment in my driveway sounds fun and a cool learning experince. I have done alignments on the $15k rack but no more.
my question is if i set up my car flat and take measurments as a base line will adding the 8" bolts and the springs change the geometry of the suspension? will i need to change any of my caster/camber, toe settings?
The car is a driver, and about 80% of my time is on the freeway. 65-85mph.
I am doing all this.... well because i like working on my car, but i digress. I hit a bump and the wheel jerks and the car changes lanes. not fun at 70 mph
just ordered 550 lbs front springs and the 8" hard bolts for the rear and the deluxe front suspension rebuild kit (rubber) for my 1979 with the L48. doing a alignment in my driveway sounds fun and a cool learning experince. I have done alignments on the $15k rack but no more.
my question is if i set up my car flat and take measurments as a base line will adding the 8" bolts and the springs change the geometry of the suspension? will i need to change any of my caster/camber, toe settings?
The car is a driver, and about 80% of my time is on the freeway. 65-85mph.
I am doing all this.... well because i like working on my car, but i digress. I hit a bump and the wheel jerks and the car changes lanes. not fun at 70 mph
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2011
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Likes: 9
If you use the longer bolts to lower the car much you may have to reset the alignment, to account for any camber change and any bump steer.
If the car frightens you now, often, when you check it, you'll find 1) loose parts (could be bearings or bushings or ball joints), or 2) bad alignment in general, or 3) rear toe out in particular.
WhenI bought my car years ago, it very squirrelly. Finally I figured that the steering arm was bent on the one side. The PO had hit a curb or something and bent it. Rather than replace it, the alignment guy just reset the toe. So while the static toe was in spec, the bump steer was really excessive. Replacing that arm improved the handling feel of the car more than any other mods I had tried up until that point.
If the car frightens you now, often, when you check it, you'll find 1) loose parts (could be bearings or bushings or ball joints), or 2) bad alignment in general, or 3) rear toe out in particular.
WhenI bought my car years ago, it very squirrelly. Finally I figured that the steering arm was bent on the one side. The PO had hit a curb or something and bent it. Rather than replace it, the alignment guy just reset the toe. So while the static toe was in spec, the bump steer was really excessive. Replacing that arm improved the handling feel of the car more than any other mods I had tried up until that point.
Last edited by gcusmano74; Mar 14, 2013 at 09:09 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,839
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From: nassau co. new york
i agree with gcusmano 74 and will add that i could not feel the play in my trailing arm bushings till i removed them from the halfshafts.ay carumba! what play when disconnected.car is on rails now with the replaced rubber trailing arm bushings.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,116
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looking for a little advice.
just ordered 550 lbs front springs and the 8" hard bolts for the rear and the deluxe front suspension rebuild kit (rubber) for my 1979 with the L48. doing a alignment in my driveway sounds fun and a cool learning experince. I have done alignments on the $15k rack but no more.
my question is if i set up my car flat and take measurments as a base line will adding the 8" bolts and the springs change the geometry of the suspension? will i need to change any of my caster/camber, toe settings?
The car is a driver, and about 80% of my time is on the freeway. 65-85mph.
I am doing all this.... well because i like working on my car, but i digress. I hit a bump and the wheel jerks and the car changes lanes. not fun at 70 mph
just ordered 550 lbs front springs and the 8" hard bolts for the rear and the deluxe front suspension rebuild kit (rubber) for my 1979 with the L48. doing a alignment in my driveway sounds fun and a cool learning experince. I have done alignments on the $15k rack but no more.
my question is if i set up my car flat and take measurments as a base line will adding the 8" bolts and the springs change the geometry of the suspension? will i need to change any of my caster/camber, toe settings?
The car is a driver, and about 80% of my time is on the freeway. 65-85mph.
I am doing all this.... well because i like working on my car, but i digress. I hit a bump and the wheel jerks and the car changes lanes. not fun at 70 mph
http://www.longacreracing.com/instru...asp?INSTID=107
The rear I had to adjust everything because the strut rods and trailing arms were also replaced.
I used the string method to adjust toe and double checked using measuring tapes. After many attempts I have been able to reproduce good measurements and settings. My car has never driven so straight.
I found its worth learning to do your own allignment. Also remember to measure your tire depth to make sure you are getting a good wear rate. I found some settings makes the car drive and handle well, but wears the tires out quickly.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,548
Likes: 379
From: Woodinville WA
looking for a little advice.
just ordered 550 lbs front springs and the 8" hard bolts for the rear and the deluxe front suspension rebuild kit (rubber) for my 1979 with the L48. doing a alignment in my driveway sounds fun and a cool learning experince. I have done alignments on the $15k rack but no more.
my question is if i set up my car flat and take measurments as a base line will adding the 8" bolts and the springs change the geometry of the suspension? will i need to change any of my caster/camber, toe settings?
The car is a driver, and about 80% of my time is on the freeway. 65-85mph.
I am doing all this.... well because i like working on my car, but i digress. I hit a bump and the wheel jerks and the car changes lanes. not fun at 70 mph
just ordered 550 lbs front springs and the 8" hard bolts for the rear and the deluxe front suspension rebuild kit (rubber) for my 1979 with the L48. doing a alignment in my driveway sounds fun and a cool learning experince. I have done alignments on the $15k rack but no more.
my question is if i set up my car flat and take measurments as a base line will adding the 8" bolts and the springs change the geometry of the suspension? will i need to change any of my caster/camber, toe settings?
The car is a driver, and about 80% of my time is on the freeway. 65-85mph.
I am doing all this.... well because i like working on my car, but i digress. I hit a bump and the wheel jerks and the car changes lanes. not fun at 70 mph
2) lane changes - your rear trailing arm bushings are probably toast as well
why 550# springs? I autocross and have 400 lb springs on the front and 420# composite on the rear. Putting a stiffer front spring than rear will make it ride strangely - it'll feel like your tush is traveling up and down farther and faster than your feet. Not to mention, if you don't cut a coil or two, your feet will be above your tail - once you do that, your spring rate will be in the 650# range.
with that stiff of front spring, when you corner, the front will tend to wash out if there's any kind of undulation on the road.
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Joined: Jun 2011
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From: Detroit
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sp...FY4WMgodIGAAoA
same gauge as the one you use just a bubble set up, and a little less expensive.
@superBuick everything i read on the 550 springs is it will lower the front end about 1"
all the posts and articles i read did not talk about front end wash out or making the car unstable.
humm... looks like ill probably be doing the trailing arm bushings as well.
same gauge as the one you use just a bubble set up, and a little less expensive.
@superBuick everything i read on the 550 springs is it will lower the front end about 1"
all the posts and articles i read did not talk about front end wash out or making the car unstable.
humm... looks like ill probably be doing the trailing arm bushings as well.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,548
Likes: 379
From: Woodinville WA
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sp...FY4WMgodIGAAoA
same gauge as the one you use just a bubble set up, and a little less expensive.
@superBuick everything i read on the 550 springs is it will lower the front end about 1"
all the posts and articles i read did not talk about front end wash out or making the car unstable.
humm... looks like ill probably be doing the trailing arm bushings as well.
same gauge as the one you use just a bubble set up, and a little less expensive.
@superBuick everything i read on the 550 springs is it will lower the front end about 1"
all the posts and articles i read did not talk about front end wash out or making the car unstable.
humm... looks like ill probably be doing the trailing arm bushings as well.
I don't know what you read
I'm a big fan of a compliant suspension and using the shocks to control the rate of deflection. Stiff springs, high rate shocks plus large by huge sway bar tends to make the car flex (the next weak point) - when that happens the suspension loses control of what the tires are doing.... so you get chatter, rattling t-tops, doors popping open (all of this is worse-case-scenario), squeeks, pops, bangs ..
