Alignment specs, your take

[gdizzle]

So another thread about my front end. 66 dart slanted.
Finally got everything reinstalled. all the cotter pins in place and bent. grease pumped into the zerks. Got the height adjusted to about where it was before, tried to even it out. 26in from ground to outer edged of wheel fender.

So my first stop was to get to an alignment shop ASAP. Called MIDAS, took it in, 3 hours later they call and say they can't get their gauges onto the rear wheels. wow. ok.
called around, found a mom/pop shop who took it and got it dialed in. Says they used the 1981 Diplomat settings in the computer to get it to match the SKOSH paper I had given them.
had to keep it overnight.

I picked it up ($60 for alignment) and he gave me the print out before/after. Not sure how the print out relates to my request of: Camber -.5deg, Caster +2.5deg, Toe in 1/16" to 1/8".

Anyone want to enlighten me?
It feels tighter, still a little play but I guess that is to be expected? I have replaced everything except the steering column. I may still mess with the steering gear adjuster.

 

[67Dart273]

Ok, just for reference:

and you asked for...........

Camber -.5deg, Caster +2.5deg, Toe in 1/16" to 1/8".

Looks like what you got from them is....

1.1 and .8 camber, -2.6 and -3.6 caster, and .40 toe. I don't know how to convert toe to inches

I have NO idea, offhand, what an 81 diplomat calls for

You CERTAINLY don't want the positive camber which is "bias ply" area

Did you ASK them about this before you left? This is exactly the kind of thing "why" I started doing my own. As an old guy who is getting more and more crippled, it takes me a LONG time to "get in there" and move things around. But it's better than arguing with a computerized front end shop

 

[cdavis]

The negative caster is why it still feels loose. Caster has a huge affect on steering feel. I would take it back and tell them to do it right. They set the caster 5 degrees the wrong direction. The first time I aligned my 70 dart /6 it was at -2.5 caster, I set it to +2.5. It literally felt as if I had put a sway bar on it. Steering feel went from that loose over assisted feeling to a much more firm feel.

 

[67Dart273]

Are you running the offset upper bushings? Some on here have suggested that you START with the upper adjustments tweaked to give maximum caster, that is, to tilt the spindle all the way to rear at the top. This means the cam for the rear of the upper arm all the way IN towards the car, and the front of the A arm all the way OUT towards the outboard side. This tilts the spindle BACK as far as it will go.

Now see what you have for CAMBER. Depending on which way the camber needs to move, move one or the other cams to get the camber you want.

It takes actual time to set caster/ camber as they interact. I don't have "trick tools" for this (to reach in around the tire with my tired old arms) it took me all Sat. morning to get mine done.

 

[kiss]

Your problem is the caster as others have said. Negative caster is horrible. Positive caster will make a huge difference.

It's hard to tell what your car is capable of with stock UCAs. It varied so much from the factory. I would take it back and tell them to give you as much positive caster as possible while maintaining somewhere between -.25deg and -.5deg camber.

DO NOT let them lead you down the rabbit hole of "what their computers say" --- it's most likely referring to stock specs for bias ply tires. Explain clearly to them. Unfortunately good alignment people are hard to find. They should also drive it and re-check the car after aligned and most places don't do that.

With stock UCAs you might not get much positive caster at all, maybe 1deg or so. Offset bushings should be a priority for anyone that's redone their front end, or better yet, tubular adjustable UCAs.

 

[AJ/FormS]

Yeah that is terrible.....................Worse than terrible
It was better when you brought it in, except for the toe