Questions on recent alignment

[72bluNblu]

I also just noticed on rock auto they have eccentric bolts and washers and some say plus or minus 2.25 degrees. Is this just a stock replacement or do they add more adjustment then factory eccentric? If it's a stock replacement why do I have a full degree less available to play with.

1965 PLYMOUTH VALIANT 3.7L 225cid L6 Caster / Camber Cam Bolt Kit | RockAuto

Summit lists the same part # as plus or minus 1.13 degrees, for a total of 2.25 degrees. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/mog-k8243a/overview/year/1971/make/dodge/model/dart

Meanwhile, QA1 lists theirs as +/- 2.5 degrees. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/qa1-52361/overview/

Again, the total adjustment is limited by the length of the slot in the UCA mount, the bolt and eccentric just allows the adjustment by turning the bolt. The offset of the bolt in the eccentric would change the amount of adjustment, but you can't add more adjustment than what the slot in the mount allows. The stock bolts don't leave much room in the eccentrics either, you couldn't offset the bolt much if any more. I think this is all just misinterpretation of the specs of the bolts, the QA1 bolts don't look any different than the stock ones and the eccentric washer and bolt have to be the same size.

 

[Frnknsteen]

Don't know if this would help anyone, but I just got my '67 Barracuda aligned yesterday. I had been reading about the Moog Offset Bushings, so I installed them in mine when rebuilding the front suspension. When the install was complete, I eyeballed the camber and set toe-in to what I thought looked like 1/16th to 1/8" using a tape measure. Car wandered around quite a bit.

I knew that alignment shops set toe in by degrees, not fractional inch measurements, so being a little anal (and an engineer) I modeled up my tires in Solidworks CAD software and determined that 1/16th" of toe in (per side or 1/8" total) came out to .15 degrees of toe (per side).

Well,.... When the alignment guys got my car up on the rack, I told them what I wanted per the Skoche chart earlier in the thread. Turns out one of their techs had saved a custom spec he made for a '67 Belvedere. Toe-in he had saved in that spec was .13 - .15 degrees.

My initial readings on Driver/Passenger sides were:
Camber .89/1.14
Caster 4.89/4.92 (Remember,.. Moog offset bushings in stock UCA's)
Toe .13/-.02
All front suspension parts were brand new from Firm Feel rebuild kit. Car wandered around on the road.

Tech set to:
Camber .89/.89
Caster 4.89/4.89
Toe .14/.14

Car drives 20 times better. Still doesn't auto center completely, probably due to all new Moog components (I've heard they are known for being tight at first), but is MUCH better than it was. It's actually a breeze to drive now.

From what everyone above was saying,.... I have to agree that more toe-in would probably help a bunch, and offset bushings CAN get you even more than +3 degrees of caster. I'm going to drive mine a while and see how it does, but I am pretty happy with it right now!

 

[cookietruck]

Tech set to:
Camber .89/.89
Caster 4.89/4.89
Toe .14/.14

you are running .89* of positive camber?

just wondering, that might be why it has so much positive caster.
I put Firmfeel arms on a 67 b-body and I was only able to get 2.75* caster while running modest negative camber. Could've dialed in much more caster if I was willing to run slight positive camber...

 

[Frnknsteen]

No,... Negative camber.

I originally set it by standing a right angle square just forward of the bulge of the tire. Adjusted camber so when square was against tire on bottom, top of tire was half a finger thickness off the square (leaning inward).

I was surprised how much caster I got too. Only thin I can think of is addition to Moog offset bushings, I also put in Moog Eccentric bolts. Maybe they add a bit more caster.