Alignment 18" wheels

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71_dart_swinger

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Just got my front end aligned after rebuilding front end. Is it possible to get a 71 dart 440 with 18"s to drive straight. ??? Lol. Anyone else with 18s
 
Just got my front end aligned after rebuilding front end. Is it possible to get a 71 dart 440 with 18"s to drive straight. ??? Lol. Anyone else with 18s

Having 18" wheels shouldn't have anything to do with getting the alignment right. Shouldn't make a lick a difference compared to a 15" wheel.

Now, radial tires vs. bias ply's changes the specifications you should set the alignment to. But even that shouldn't effect actually getting the car to drive straight.

For radials you should be using alignment specs for radial tires, not the factory settings (which are for bias ply tires). You should base your alignment specs off of this chart
attachment-jpg-jpg.jpg


If you haven't replaced your suspension bushings, consider using the Moog K7103 offset UCA bushings to increase the amount of caster you can get because it's hard to get more than a couple degrees with the stock parts.

And yes, I have 18's and had no issues getting my car to drive straight.
img_4756-jpg-jpg.jpg
 
Having 18" wheels shouldn't have anything to do with getting the alignment right. Shouldn't make a lick a difference compared to a 15" wheel.

Now, radial tires vs. bias ply's changes the specifications you should set the alignment to. But even that shouldn't effect actually getting the car to drive straight.

For radials you should be using alignment specs for radial tires, not the factory settings (which are for bias ply tires). You should base your alignment specs off of this chart
View attachment 1715250007

If you haven't replaced your suspension bushings, consider using the Moog K7103 offset UCA bushings to increase the amount of caster you can get because it's hard to get more than a couple degrees with the stock parts.

And yes, I have 18's and had no issues getting my car to drive straight.
View attachment 1715250008
I've had the 18s for a while. Ya. Just leterrally did all bushing inner outer tie rods ball joints strut rod and so on. Literally everything. I'll take your chart to them and have them do it again to these specs. I know it should drive fine. But figured it d ask. Since I had them alighn it right before I rebuilt front end and after it's only a little better and still pulled hard right

IMG_4411.PNG
 
Having 18" wheels shouldn't have anything to do with getting the alignment right. Shouldn't make a lick a difference compared to a 15" wheel.

Now, radial tires vs. bias ply's changes the specifications you should set the alignment to. But even that shouldn't effect actually getting the car to drive straight.

For radials you should be using alignment specs for radial tires, not the factory settings (which are for bias ply tires). You should base your alignment specs off of this chart
View attachment 1715250007

If you haven't replaced your suspension bushings, consider using the Moog K7103 offset UCA bushings to increase the amount of caster you can get because it's hard to get more than a couple degrees with the stock parts.

And yes, I have 18's and had no issues getting my car to drive straight.
View attachment 1715250008
I read your thread about fitting your wheels. I did the same thing with the rods for fenders and barely had to trim the inner lip. So thank you
 
Also remember that if it has power steering, the box has to be adjusted properly so it doesn’t push more to one side than the other.
 
I've had the 18s for a while. Ya. Just leterrally did all bushing inner outer tie rods ball joints strut rod and so on. Literally everything. I'll take your chart to them and have them do it again to these specs. I know it should drive fine. But figured it d ask. Since I had them alighn it right before I rebuilt front end and after it's only a little better and still pulled hard right

View attachment 1715250016

If it pulls hard right after it left the alignment shop, you need a new alignment shop. Especially if they didn't tell you why the couldn't get it aligned. Because if it pulls hard they didn't get it anywhere near aligned. Not even if they were using the factory specs. Even a car with radials aligned to the factory specs will drive straight. It might not handle the best and it won't feel right, but it will go straight.
 
I got alignment knowing it needed front end done. Wanted to race my boss. But even after the first time I said nah. I'll just rebuild it first before I try doin anything dum in it. So I did. Now after everything new. It will drive straight somewhat. It pulls to the right pretty good when I let go of wheel. They did set it to factory spec. I do not have the specs they set it to. I'll have them do it to the specs above. I'd again it's wonky I'll have to take it elsewhere. Does have a big block so I know it's not best handling
 
You can throw the wheels in the ditch and get the alignment right.
 
I got alignment knowing it needed front end done. Wanted to race my boss. But even after the first time I said nah. I'll just rebuild it first before I try doin anything dum in it. So I did. Now after everything new. It will drive straight somewhat. It pulls to the right pretty good when I let go of wheel. They did set it to factory spec. I do not have the specs they set it to. I'll have them do it to the specs above. I'd again it's wonky I'll have to take it elsewhere. Does have a big block so I know it's not best handling

They probably screwed up the cross camber or cross caster. If the wheels look pretty much the same side to side as far as being straight up and down it's probably the cross caster. Depending on the roads you drive, it is possible they actually set the cross caster to 0, and the pull is coming from the crown in the road. But based on the description I would bet they got it wrong, because the pull from the road crown is usually pretty subtle.

I run my car with no cross camber or caster. It goes straight on the freeway, but on small roads with a crown it pulls slightly to the right with the crown of the road. But like I said, it's pretty subtle. Easy to check too, if the car still pulls right on the freeway (almost no road crown there) then it's the alignment.

As for the big block, it doesn't have anything to do with what you're talking about. Yes, the car will be more nose heavy and that will effect performance handling. But it shouldn't have any problems going straight down the road, that's something else.
 
Having 18" wheels shouldn't have anything to do with getting the alignment right. Shouldn't make a lick a difference compared to a 15" wheel.

Now, radial tires vs. bias ply's changes the specifications you should set the alignment to. But even that shouldn't effect actually getting the car to drive straight.

For radials you should be using alignment specs for radial tires, not the factory settings (which are for bias ply tires). You should base your alignment specs off of this chart
View attachment 1715250007

If you haven't replaced your suspension bushings, consider using the Moog K7103 offset UCA bushings to increase the amount of caster you can get because it's hard to get more than a couple degrees with the stock parts.

And yes, I have 18's and had no issues getting my car to drive straight.
View attachment 1715250008

It will drive better with more caster since it will tend to stay going straighter. I have the Hotchkis UCAs, and I aligned the car myself in the garage, it has approx 3/4 degree camber, +7 caster, and 1/8 total toe (1/16"/side) and drives like a dream with 275-35-18s.

Also another tip is to put spherical rod end strut rods on your car. It will take some serious slop out of the front end.
 
Sometimes the crown of the road can really affect the cars willingness to go straight. As mentioned earlier, power steering can induce what feels like a pull but is actually induced steering effort one way or another but is not technically adjustable. Does the car have power steering? If it does, check to see if the steering wheel kicks to the right when starting the engine while the steering wheel is centered in the middle of the box. Tires can also cause a pull. Cross rotate the tires.
 
Everything to zero. That could be the problem. Some deviation from zero needs to be addressed to counter the effects of the road crown. Couple that with tire pull and you can have some serious pull even though everything is in spec.
 
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