Hey guy's, I posted a while back that I had finally completed my Complete Front End rebuild and that I had just to get it aligned.

Well this is my dilema.. graemlins/clonk.gif I installed Moog Offset upper control arm shafts and, upon getting it aligned found out that I now need WAY TOO MANY SHIMS to be able to get the correct amount of caster.......... graemlins/clonk.gif

And yes I did install the shafts with the embossed ( WHEEL SIDE ) towards the wheel on each side. This is to correct for the frame rails that have " rolled inward " a common problem with our frames. Well I guess my frame is pretty Dam Straight.... graemlins/thumbsup.gif Because now I need to many shims to get the proper caster ( like right to the end of the passenger bolts graemlins/clonk.gif

So my question is guy's I want to roll the offset shaft 180 degrees to increase my Caster adjustment range. Will I still be able to stay in range or will it give me too much Negative Caster and not alow for enough outward travel.

I have heard that this is done often for the B- body spindal mod, also called a poor man's Hotchkins upper A-arm.

Also what is the best way to remove or to back out the upper A-arm Splinned bolts, when I installed the new ones I centered punched all around the frame holes !!! Well I guess I really F'ed myself on this one, I know they Are going to be a real Bitch to back out graemlins/clonk.gif .I really do not have any way at all to get a hammer on e'm either, I need to be able to some how pry them out. Once the bolts are removed all I need to do then is turn the shafts 180 Deg. and I will SITTIN PRETTY........ graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Thought's and responses are all welcome on this one guy's,
Thanks in advance............. graemlins/beers.gif

ZIGGY454

You can just flip the shafts the other way. Offset shafts came with my tubular arms automatically and I didn't need them so I installed the "backwords". I still needed a lot of shims so it must not take up too much caster.

You should be able to press the bolts out with a c-clamp or the like. At least they aren't rusted in place.

Tim.

Just to clarify you are talking about caster not camber correct? Also how many shims did you have to add and how much caster are you trying to run. All these variables make a big difference. May also want to add what you expect for camber as well.

I was thinking camber. I can never keep the terms straight and just used the one ZIGGY did. smile.gif

Either way, aren't both adjusted with the shims?

Tim.

yes, both are adjusted with shims but the offset shafts are not designed to have any affect on setting caster. What they do make possible is you can stack one side of the shaft heavy with shims to gain caster without having to worry about camber.

dennis68; I am tring to run 3 to 4 deg. of Neg Camber. And as TronDD stated I too get caster and Camber mixed up as well !! But I stand corrected I mean camber.

So, I am tring to run about 3 to 4 deg. Negative Camber, as far as the shims go I have no more room on the bolts on the Pass side to make any more adjustments !!! It's at least an 1-1/8" or so worth of shims, and the drivers side has about 7/8" worth of shims. So I plan to rotate the Moog shafts 180 deg. so I can reduce significantly the amount or depth of my shim packs.

And just for the record I am trying to run about 1/2 deg. of Negative Caster and around 1/4 deg. of Toe.

dennis68, These specs sound respectable.. :confused: or do you recommend any changes. I am running 60's series BF Goodrich TA's on Factory 15" steel rallies. Any sugestions would be greatly Appreciated........... graemlins/beers.gif

Thanks Guy's....................... graemlins/thumbsup.gif

ZIGGY454

Slow down----I'm not sure if maybe you still have some of the wording confused, camber is the tilt of the tire in/out towards the centerline of the vehicle, this has a big impact on handling. Caster is the forward/rearward inclination of the spindle in relation to the upper and lower and lower ball joints(in its simplest terms), this affects slow speed steering effort and high sped stabuility. Your car should be running about -1/2* CAMBER +3-4* CASTER +1/4" TOE-IN. The caster is going to require stacking a fair amount of shims-these cars only ran about a degree stock.

dennis68; OK.......I stand corrected once again.. graemlins/clonk.gif Yes, those are the specs I ment to say, and again I am trying to go off of memory on these specs. I appologize, the problem is I cannot acheive enough Negative Camber 1/2 deg. !! My shim packs are too deep and I ran out of Bolt travel ( threads ) so this is why I want to rotate my offset shafts and gain back some threads. Right now my offset shafts are actually adding more positve camber, pushing the top ball joint farther away from the center line of the car. So if I rotate my offset moog shafts 180 deg. I will gain much more negative camber and thus reducing my shim packs greatly.......... graemlins/thumbsup.gif

I am just concerned that I that I would not be able to acheive enough positive camber.

In other words I was concerned that I would not be able to get the 1/2 deg. neg camber, I would only get too much negative and would never be able too move it enough to get to 1/2 negative camber.

I hope this is clearer, I am not a front end guru and am trying to just be able to acheive the best possible handling specs I can.

Thanks Again dennis68...... graemlins/beers.gif

ZIGGY454

No problem-you should be fine by rotating the shafts. They are actually designed to gain additional camber-we just use them backwards for better handling.

Thanks dennis68 !!!........... graemlins/beers.gif
I was just concerned that I would not be able to gain enogh Positve Camber travel, but I see now that this is not a problem....... :D


Thanks Again Dennis68.............. graemlins/thumbsup.gif


ZIGGY454