Not seeing why they didn't give you some positive castor, you have plenty of adjustment on those shim packs. They have more on the front than the rear (driver's side), never seen that before. When you say they couldn't give you more pos. castor, did they give a reason?

 

Are you sure that those new upper arms are compatible with stock lower arms? Some aftermarket arms move the ball joint locations around to improve overall geometry. Point being, those aftermarket upper arms may only be intended to be used with matching aftermarket lower arms.

Also, I think those aftermarket arms have offset cross shafts so if those cross shafts are installed wrong or 180 degrees out they would jack with the caster in a bad way I'd think.

 

Are you sure that those new upper arms are compatible with stock lower arms? Some aftermarket arms move the ball joint locations around to improve overall geometry. Point being, those aftermarket upper arms may only be intended to be used with matching aftermarket lower arms.

Also, I think those aftermarket arms have offset cross shafts so if those cross shafts are installed wrong or 180 degrees out they would jack with the caster in a bad way I'd think.

According to tech at QA1, these arms are compatible with stock lowers. I thought the same thing right away, that the PO might have mounted the control arms on the wrong sides. According to QA1tech, the "QA1" sticker is on the forward side of the control arms (not a definitive identifier obviously, but mine are towards the front) and the "bent" side of the control arms should also be towards the front of the car, with the straighter arm towards the rear. Mine appears to be correct, but tomorrow I'll jack it up, pull the tires and check for sure.

 

I just went through something similar but a little different. Installed new tubular upper and lower control arms and ASSUMED they were properly matched.Turned out the lower control arms were 1" too short, but I assumed they were correct so kept trying to push the camber out. Scratched my head a bit before I figured it out.
With yours, it seems the upper control arm center isn't jiving with the lower? That's obviously a ton of caster, seems the parts aren't right.

 

Any advice or knowledge would be appreciated at this point. The car drives fine really. Maybe it steers a little too easy, but it doesn't wander and tracks straight. No bump steer either.

Frank

I bring no good advice or knowledge, other than to ask a question.....does the steering return to center? My alignment shop is not top notch (i didnt know this before hand), when they first did my alignment, they set it back to factory specs, and it really didnt return much. When i went back with numbers i got from people here, return to center improved, and is almost 100%, but they could only get +2 degrees with factory control arms.

 

Pos 2* is a very good setting for stock control arms. Be happy.

 

Frank, can you post pictures of your shim pack on both passenger and drivers sides upper control arms?

 

Here you go.


Driver's Side Front: 10mm (total)
Driver's Side Rear: 5mm


Pass Side Front: no shims
Pass Side Rear: 5mm

 

Can you post a picture of the balljoint end of the arms?

 

When I installed my UMI uppers, I made the mistake of getting them on the wrong sides. This was even after reading instructions and thinking I had them on correct. With them on the wrong side, I was getting over 10* of positive caster, so I don't think that's your issue.

jim

 

When I installed my UMI uppers, I made the mistake of getting them on the wrong sides. This was even after reading instructions and thinking I had them on correct. With them on the wrong side, I was getting over 10* of positive caster, so I don't think that's your issue.

jim

Thanks Jim, feel better knowing I was not the only one to put them on backwards.

 

Here’s some photos of the driver’s side upper control arm. Some of the guys over on the pro-touring forum say they’re mounted on the wrong side, but QA1 tech doesn’t think so. Any opinion? I’ll get the left/right arm measurements from QA1 today and verify.

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Here’s some photos of the driver’s side upper control arm. Some of the guys over on the pro-touring forum say they’re mounted on the wrong side, but QA1 tech doesn’t think so. Any opinion?

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This is UMI, but the geometry should be close.

here's both pictures in the same post to make it easier to look at one vs the other.

 

I think they are on the wrong sides also. Don't those arms have some pos. caster built in?

 

Yep, +3-4* according to QA1. I just got off the phone with them again. Sent them the photos and measurements of the arms (front and back). QA1 tech believes they are installed correctly. For visual reference, they said that the center of the ball joint (red grease zerk cap) should line up slightly forward (towards the front of the car) from the snubber bolt on the gusset. Mine does. If the arms were switched left to right, that visual reference would line up towards the rear of the car.


I'll take it to another alignment shop, but this one has been really good in the past...independent shop, good equipment, willing to set up to aftermarket specs, etc. They set up my 69 Camaro (full Global West front) and last month did my 57 Chevy (tubular uppers/stock lowers/tall ball joints) with perfect results. Still not sure what's going on here. I guess I could try swapping the a-arms left to right and see what happens.

 

This is UMI, but the geometry should be close. You have an angle above the ball joint, not parallel, and it's canted to the front, not the rear. They look backwards. Here's how mine sit.

 

This is UMI, but the geometry should be close. You have an angle above the ball joint, not parallel, and it's canted to the front, not the rear. They look backwards. Here's how mine sit.

Thanks for this. Now I’m definitely going to switch them around and see what happens. I’ll report back.


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QA1 sent me schematic diagrams of the arms, that included measurements from various reference points. Basically the front and rear arms are .5” difference in length and .3” difference in height. There are angle differences too. I measured mine and they match the diagrams. Now what, haha. I’ll get it aligned again and if that doesn’t work, this winter I’ll strip the whole front end down and start from scratch. The bushings in the LCA’s look shot anyway. That will give me a chance to do tubular lowers, drop spindles and new shocks. More $$...


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If it were me, and given the pictures and angles you posted - I would still swap em and see what happens. Doesn't take long.

 

They look to me to be backwards too.