You might check the car for serious accident damage before you
go too far.
You can check relative dimension with string and a measuring tape.
First check front to back diagonals (inner wishbone mount to rear
spring hanger).
Next, check diagonal distances to see if a front corner has been pushed
back in an accident. Next, look for any evidence of kinking in the rails,
top of the triangular brace, and the top of the footwell.
You can also check diagonal distances between inner wishbone pickups
Mike
-----Original Message-----
From: Philip Hubbard <phubbard@carroll.com>
To: spridgets@autox.team.net <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Cc: mgs@autox.team.net <mgs@autox.team.net>
Date: Sunday, August 30, 1998 8:13 PM
Subject: 1974 Midget Alignment
>At 10:06 AM 8/30/98 -0600, you wrote:
>>It is true that the toe-out should not cause it to pull one way or the
>other but it will create some steering anomalies.
>>The first place I would check are the A arms if this car has hit a curb or
>such then it is likely an A arm got bent.
>>Hope this helps
>>Dave Formstone
>>1960 Bugeye
>
>
>I've been getting some very helpful advice on this alignment problem and I
>very much appreciate it - thanks everyone!
>
>Dave in his post above may have hit on something major. It's pulling to
>the left. The left front (driver's) bushings were the odd ones I found
>when replacing both sides (had an offset hole for the fulcrum pins
>correcting for my current problem it seems.) And it is on this side that
>the a-arm looks redone. It seems it has been rewelded with a very
>noticeable amount of weld on the small piece that the wishbone pan bolts
>to. There also seems to be extra welding done out at the outer fulcrum
>pin. Both the passenger's side a-arm and a spare I picked up a while back
>are neat and clean at all the joints. They don't have the remanufactured
>look.
>
>Before I decide this is it and it needs replacing, I am going to take it to
>an alignment shop for a second opinion and to see if the rest of the car is
>straight. Need to know the extent of the problem first - especially with
>the front end rebuild parts so expensive.
>
>If I need to replace the a-arm, can I just do one side or is that unsafe
>and I need to do both sides at once? If I was independently wealthy I'd
>just do a full front end rebuild on the basis of "it's probably a good
>idea", but if I don't need to for safety's sake I need to consider other
>alternatives kinder on the wallet. :)
>
>Thanks for all hints, opinions, advice.
>
>Philip
>1974 Damask Midget - Arioch, Lord of Chaos
>
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