'67 Chevelle, all new steering and suspension components, all stock (except JGC gearbox, reman from Autozone). Just finished the JGC upgrade and can't get the alignment quite right, not a strong pull, but it shouldn't be there. Car always favored the left even with the stock box, but the JGC box amplified the issue. Also, the frame is 1/2" higher on the RF than the LR and somewhere in-between everywhere else. We just re-aligned it for the second time making sure max castor and no split and tried to get neg camber - couldn't get there. Is it the gear box, frame or what? UMI uppers are possibly in the future, but not now. Hit me with your ideas fellas.
Car pulls to the left/alignment
1967convert
1 - 20 of 23 Posts
Joined
·
370 Posts
'67 Chevelle, all new steering and suspension components, all stock (except JGC gearbox, reman from Autozone). Just finished the JGC upgrade and can't get the alignment quite right, not a strong pull, but it shouldn't be there. Car always favored the left even with the stock box, but the JGC box amplified the issue. Also, the frame is 1/2" higher on the RF than the LR and somewhere in-between everywhere else. We just re-aligned it for the second time making sure max castor and no split and tried to get neg camber - couldn't get there. Is it the gear box, frame or what? UMI uppers are possibly in the future, but not now. Hit me with your ideas fellas.
Attachments
Assuming the front end is all tight and in good shape. Swap front tires side to side to eliminate that as a possibility. If it's not tires, take 1/2 degree caster out of the right and try it. If it still pulls take another 1/2 out. If you can't fix it with 1 degree of cross caster you may have a frame issue. You would need to measure it out. You could start with wheel base side to side and be sure it's even. Then you need to find the factory frame measurements and cross measure everything.
Joined
·
961 Posts
My power steering box would make my car pull to the right, easy way to check if it is the gear box, when going down a straight flat road kill the engine and see if the pull goes away. Oh, you could also put the front of the car on jack stands, start the car, and see if the tires steer them selves to the left automatically for a safer option.
Joined
·
370 Posts
Thanks for the responses. I will not be able to put on a rack for at least a week. But I maybe able to try some blind adjustments this weekend just to see if I'm heading in the right direction. I am a bit confused as to why many specs call for +camber. Seems to me that +camber and +castor will cause the tire to lean out(away from the center of the car), whereas -camber and positive castor would cause the tire to lean in, which seems to be more desirable? The OEM specs for a "67 calls for +camber and 0 to -castor which would cause a lean in, so that's what doesn't add up.
Joined
·
370 Posts
Rame, did you swap out the box to correct the problem, or were you able to tune around it with alignment?
Forget the specs. They are 50 years old and for bias ply tires.
Set your toe 1/16 in to zero. Camber 0 to -.5 degree. Caster as much positive as you can get.
Joined
·
14,494 Posts
Try this, it is quick and easy. Poor sealing of the teflon rings on the spool valve can cause this. The issue can be from either a worn casting, bad spool valve or improper assembly. If the steering moves even slightly the steering gear assembly is the issue. The one I experienced would turn the steering slowly to the lock position with no weight on the car.
Joined
·
370 Posts
I will definitely try this...thanks everyone.:thumbsup:
Joined
·
21 Posts
This and swapping the front tires side to side were my first thoughts. Turning forces affect bias ply tires differently and the angles are much different. I would use the alignment specs for a g body or caprice. I would start with swapping tires just because that's something you can do at home. Another thought besides steering components is a bad rear shock throwing everything off.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Joined
·
961 Posts
Yes I had to swap the box to correct, another indication of it being a steering box problem, go in a parking lot and turn the wheel all the way to the pulling side let go of the wheel and hit the gas the wheels should straighten out and want to go forward, then try the other direction, on mine the wheel would stay turned too the left I'd have to turn the wheels back straight myself. On another note do you have the pulling problem all the time or just under acceleration? If only when under acceleration that could be the back bushing are worn out, I had this issue as well when I first purchased the vehicle.
OP said the pulling to the left problem was there with the old steering box AND the new box. I think it is unlikely that both steering boxes would pull to the left...
I would be looking at why the frame is lower by 1/2" on one side. Collision damage? Maybe get somebody to follow you on the road & check to see if the car is crabbing. Check the datum points.
I would be looking at why the frame is lower by 1/2" on one side. Collision damage? Maybe get somebody to follow you on the road & check to see if the car is crabbing. Check the datum points.
Joined
·
2,229 Posts
Sure, there is no real difference. But I would suggest trying to find a guy that knows how to set up old cars to handle well and would already know what to set it at. You want a guy who knows that more caster will make the car go straighter at speed for example vs. a guy who just turns things until it is green on a computer screen.
Joined
·
2,229 Posts
Thanks for that tip, Tom. I plan on bolting everything together and then trailering the car to the alignment shop, as I'd rather have a pro start from scratch than spend time correcting my mistakes. Any Seattle-area TC guys out there with alignment shops they would recommend? It would be nice to find one on the Kitsap side of the water, if possible.
Joined
·
1,129 Posts
For reference on my 67 Malibu I was able to get 3° caster using offset upper a arm cross shafts. It steered better but installing UMA upper arms we were able to get 6° caster, it handled much better. I also had the PS box rebuilt with 12:1 ratio & .202 T bar. Now works great.
Joined
·
370 Posts
UPDATE - Thanks again for all the good suggestions and experiences. Jacked the car up and sure enough the gear pulled the wheels left. Yanked the box, returned it to Autozone, got a replacement, installed and the car drives amazing. The reason the car favored the right before was due to the camber and castor splits both favored a left lean. We corrected this while trying to tune around the bad box. Now with a good box the car drives better than it ever did. I knew going in that these reman'd boxes are a crap shoot, good news is I am really quick at swapping them now! BTW both of these boxes were built in Mexico by BBB Industries....50/50.
Your right, except the OP showed the alignment print out and it shows .09* thrust angle. That is about as good as these cars will ever achieve and is not the cause of a pull.
Glad the new box fixed the issue!
:smile2:
Joined
·
4,769 Posts
When you max the positive caster out with stock uppers, they don't swing in a straight arc like they were designed to do at negative caster.. It makes the steering feel erratic.. At least that's my take.
There is not enough room to slot the cross shafts in the stock uppers without the bushing hitting.. I took stock uppers to there limits grinding the cross shafts and even switching from side to side.. IT DONT WORK PERIOD!
I'm installing the SC&C Stage 3 with .9 and .5 tall ball joints along with Spohn rear spherical control arms.. That UMI set up is a sweet heart too!!
No sense racking your brains out when company's like SC&C and UMI did all the hard work plotting camber curves and such..
There is not enough room to slot the cross shafts in the stock uppers without the bushing hitting.. I took stock uppers to there limits grinding the cross shafts and even switching from side to side.. IT DONT WORK PERIOD!
I'm installing the SC&C Stage 3 with .9 and .5 tall ball joints along with Spohn rear spherical control arms.. That UMI set up is a sweet heart too!!
No sense racking your brains out when company's like SC&C and UMI did all the hard work plotting camber curves and such..
1 - 20 of 23 Posts
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
