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posted on October 13th, 2002 at 09:27 AM
| The Alignment Solution |
Yesterday I was out Geocaching (See chat) when somehow I got a bit sideways on this dirt road, might have been the camera. Anyhow with the avid
photographer on board we got a little to carried away and dropped the front left wheel hard onto the crest of a table drain.
No visable dammage was done as the speed was pretty well washed off when we made contact but an extra passenger didn't help.
Driving off from the scene the steering seemed quite vague so I stopped and had another look finding the wheels to be slightly more apart at the front
by ~1/2 an inch to an inch I guess. Considering it to be a slightly bent Tierod arm I made it home after a few howling corners, jacked the front and
inspected the arms. Both seem straight.
What else could be bent or knocked out of alignment?
[size=4]Bronze.[/size]
Rathmines, Lake Macquarie, NSW.
KruizinKombi
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posted on October 13th, 2002 at 10:51 AM
Front trailing arms?
Kruizin Kol
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posted on October 14th, 2002 at 12:52 AM
Pitman arm, trailing arms, damaged ball joint. Try setting the alignment back according to the workshop manual - if it's OK, you should be OK.
If you're looking at the right figures, it will give toe-in at the straight-ahead position and toe-out for lock. You've probably knocked
something out that you won't see by eye and an alignment may well make the problem disappear (toe-in adjustment and measurement can be performed
by most reasonably competent driveway mechanics - but you may want your camber checked: also possbible in the dirveway to a fair degree of accuracy,
but a tad more difficult.)
The_Bronze.
A.k.a.: Bronze
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posted on October 14th, 2002 at 07:53 PM
Ok these give me something to follow up. I got up a 5.30 this morning and put everthing back together. Adjusted the alignment to visually make the
front wheels parallel again and threw the wheels on. There is a slight steering wobble at about 30-40mph.
I do some reading and measuring this weekend and have somthing definite done befor eht estockton weekend. Caught the train to Blacktown today instead
of driving as I don't wnat to stuff a tyre or two by ignoring the problem.
Seem to track alright now with no howling around the corners but all the same I will check it out or get it checked out more throughly. Start full
time (Casual) work in a couple of weeks so should be able to afford some long needed mechanical work. Carbie kit, wheel bearings, master cylinder,
paint job, door bonnet rubbers, headlight rear boots etc etc does the list ever end!
