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Re: Front end alignment

To: James Carpenter <jc_carpenter@softhome.net>,
Subject: Re: Front end alignment
From: John Weber <weberjm@teleport.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 17:10:07 -0800
James,

What I meant when I said that I had "new rubber" was that I have all the
parts to redo all four corners with anything vaguely rubber.  What I
don't have is new tires :)
I have your message filed in the Triumph folder, and will give it to the
printer when I get to that stage.
Thanks for the delineated help!  I'm sure it will be of value.

John

James Carpenter wrote:
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Weber <weberjm@teleport.com>
> To: James Carpenter <jc_carpenter@softhome.net>
> Cc: Vic Whitmore <vicwhit@home.com>; spit list <spitfires@autox.team.net>
> Date: 11 February 1999 04:24
> Subject: Re: Front end alignment
> 
> >James,
> >My front end has the top of the front tires at least 1 inch further out
> >from the bottom of the tire.  I see no shims anywhere in the front setup
> >(but then, I've worn glasses since age 8...)
> >It looks bilateral.  You mention 2 degrees positive which matches my
> >book...my current setup has to be at least 5...the entire outside tread
> >bar is gonzo, the inside tread bar barely looks worn.
> >Because it's bilateral, and because the previous owner had spring
> >compressors on the front coils, I worried about unseen damage.
> >I'll get all the bushes and such changed on the entire car before I
> >worry about the actual steering geometry...as I doubt that I want the
> >twitch that I discovered when I drove  it back from the purchase
> >site...I got into the freeway ruts south of Olympia (I-5) made by
> >studded snow tires and dang near stuffed it into the median.  Not a fun
> >experience.
> >
> >John
> 
> I get you, from what you said about the handeling it sounded as if the tops
> o f the tires were in by an inch.  But if you have no shims then are more
> than likly to be out by an inch.  Heres the problem...
> 
> Your car is set up at the moment to understeer like anything, (scairs the
> driver, passanger dosent notice), but you say it oversteers (scairs the
> passanger, driver having fun (or not if you happen to have lost the back))!
> Therefore I think somthing is wrong somewhere on the car to make it
> overstear, so the DPO instead of curing the problem has removed shims to
> lessen the simptoms.  First things first is to forget the front, and look at
> the back.  There is something wrong there.  Replace the trailing arm bushes
> on the rear suspension and make shure that none of the bolt wholes have
> rounded, check the mount points for rust etc.  Then look at things like the
> front and rear shock adsorbers, replace them if in doubt.  As whell as the
> front and rear trunion bushings.  Look at the rear spring and check it
> hasent got a weak or snapped leaf.  Then do the front bushes.
> 
> I think that is the order that you should do the work, at one stage you will
> cure the oversteer/twitchyness and then you should reshim the front
> suspension to the correct angle.

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