Uca access

I am going to use adjustable uca s on my 64 dart. I'm not by any means a alignment guy so if this idea is crazy keep that in mind. Has anyone cut access panels in the inner wheel wells to ease the adjustment process. This is where I propose. Thoughts?

I would not cut them, you might lose too much uni-body integrity/strength. They aren't that hard to access with the wheel off.

Its unanimous, no cuts. Thanks

I was an alignment guy for nearly six years. I see no advantage to the windows, on an A-body, at all.
But I got these tips for a streeter .
I see no advantage for tubular UCAs, and
If you use the OEM stuff, then use the Moog Problem Solvers, and
before you install the new eccentric cams, put some anti-sieze on the shanks, only the shanks, and make sure the cams are physically able to squeeze the whole she-bang together tight. The flats on the shanks of new bolts are not cut far enough up towards the heads and they could use a couple more threads cut on to them. I usually install hardened washers under the head to solve the short-flats issue and another under the nut to solve the lack of sufficient threads on the other end.
With Problem Solvers I can usually get about 5 to 5.5 degrees of caster at Zero camber. By the time I dial in .5 negative camber, the caster may be down to 3.5 to 4 degrees, which on a streeter is fine. Both sides are never the same, and I have to go with what I get on the shortest side. Yes, I put sandbags in the drivers seat to simulate the drivers weight; this is very important with softer OEM T-bars.
The above is true for 67 and later cars, IDK about First Gens.
As for adjustable UCAs in competition; yes you can get more caster with them.
But then you have to correct the bump-steer that all that caster causes. Plan on spending at least a half-day at the alignment shop, if you bring the custom parts that are required to make the changes. If the knuckles have to modded. it's gonna cost ya.
Even just 3.5degrees of caster is a PITA to correct for bumpsteer.
But,after correction, IMO, it is worth every hour/dollar

Dumb question then the tires aren't on while you adjust?

I am doing the disk brake conversion with 85 new Yorker (m)spindles. I thought the adjustable uca s might give you a little more adjustment. I do have a set of large ball joint OEM a body uca s I could use instead .

As for me, I worked on the alignment rack with turning plates and rolling chassis jacks. By raising the body, the wheels fall down, and steering left/right, makes the cams accessible. Then a little bouncy, bouncy on the turning plates reveals what happened.

I had one car once that the service writer brought me back three times! Finally on the third time, I said, I want to meet the driver. Well what a shocker; Here comes the couple; he has got to be 350PLUS pounds and his wife only a lil less. But lady-fat is different from man-fat so sometimes it's hard to estimate lady-tonnage, but the car is listing seriously to his side. And they are driving a K-car! no less.
WTF I said; you didn't think to mention this? Give them their money back and tell them to get a barge or a tank or a 66 Impala. But no.......
So we got some super heavy-duty strut springs, and I installed those. I sandbagged the seats to the extent of the bags I had, and one more time onto the rack. For all I know the struts were gonna come thru the towers in less than 100 miles,lol.
But no, those folks were very pleased with the results, and now, kept coming back! and little did I know;Turns out those sweet folks where his parents,lol. And they had a lotta friends.

AJ/FormS said:

As for me, I worked on the alignment rack with turning plates and rolling chassis jacks. By raising the body, the wheels fall down, and steering left/right, makes the cams accessible. Then a little bouncy, bouncy on the turning plates reveals what happened.

I had one car once that the service writer brought me back three times! Finally on the third time, I said, I want to meet the driver. Well what a shocker; Here comes the couple; he has got to be 350PLUS pounds and his wife only a lil less. But lady-fat is different from man-fat so sometimes it's hard to estimate lady-tonnage, but the car is listing seriously to his side. And they are driving a K-car! no less.
WTF I said; you didn't think to mention this? Give them their money back and tell them to get a barge or a tank or a 66 Impala. But no.......
So we got some super heavy-duty strut springs, and I installed those. I sandbagged the seats to the extent of the bags I had, and one more time onto the rack. For all I know the struts were gonna come thru the towers in less than 100 miles,lol.
But no, those folks were very pleased with the results, and now, kept coming back! and little did I know;Turns out those sweet folks where his parents,lol. And they had a lotta friends.

Click to expand...

I had same type situation 30 years ago. Guy lifted his Ford pickup. Did the work himself and actually did a good job. Installed the adjustable caster / camber shims etc.
I did the alignment and got it as close as l could.
Came back a few days later and said it didn't "feel right" Mind you ,he went from driving a stock pickup to driving the same truck that was lifted 4"-5"? With big tires etc.
Went through it again . Was still where l set it to begin with.
When he came back the third time l had to show him something.
Took just a little weight off the front tires. Tires not even off the ground.
I took a hold of that lllooooooonnngg right side tie rod and with just my hand , twisted it back and forth. You could see the front tires going from toe in to toe out.
I asked him, Now, if l can do that by hand, what do you think it is doing going down the road at 60 mph.?
Got that dumbfounded , oh sh*t, look in his eyes.
He left and l never saw him again.

I've used the adjustable tubular arms on my son's Barracuda. I started with the specified adjustment and that wasn't nearly enough. You just have to get close with the arms as there is still adjustment in the cams. I cannot remember what specs I aligned it to (over ten years ago) I will say that A-bodies are a PITA to align on the floor with big tires. Then again, my son's car is easy because he removed the inner fender wells completely when he added the front bars on the cage...

cmac64dart said:

View attachment 1715391257

Click to expand...

Buy B body

I think my satellite 73 satelite had them. It's what gave me the ideal