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Re: Spitfire camber/caster

To: WATSON@wmich.edu
Subject: Re: Spitfire camber/caster
From: Greg Meboe <meboe@wsuaix.csc.wsu.edu>
Date: Tue, 4 Oct 1994 15:14:43 -31702 (PDT)
On Tue, 4 Oct 1994 WATSON@wmich.edu wrote:

> OK. My first serious question. I had a wheel alignment done on the Spit and
> there is still a problem with the camber and the caster. Front right caster
> is supposed to be +4.00 and it's +2.31. The back wheel camber is supposed to
> be -1.00 and the left is -1.17 and the right is -0.47. Any suggestions?

        Margret, 
        You'll find a great many shops don't have the shims necessary to 
adjust caster and camber on Herald-based cars such as yours.  What they 
do is either only do toe, bodge some shim that'll get the car out the 
door, or sometimes they'll tell you that they can't do the caster/camber 
adjustment.  I had an instance where the shop used a shim of smaller 
cross-sectional area, and it put a nice dimple in the side of my frame.  
        What I do now is use just one shop, and tell them that if they 
need shims to do the adjustment, to only use factory ones, which I will 
provide to them.  You may be able to order factory shims from a mail 
order outfit, or scrounge boneyards as I did.
        As far as rear alignment, only toe is really adjustable, and 
shouldn't go awry, as long as the rear spring is in order.  Bad camber in 
the rear is only caused by a sagging rear leaf spring.  As far as the 
L.H. side being lower, that's cause the car is LHD, and there's not much 
that can be done, except drive around with two people in the car.
        I hope this helps.
                Greg Meboe
 



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