Introduce myself with a few suspension problems!
#1
Introduce myself with a few suspension problems!
Hello, I am new to the site but not new to camaros. I have a 1969 that I have modied into a pro-touring car. I am having a problem with the front suspension thats has people stumped and I am looking for help! We have a stock from frame section that was re-powdercoated, unisteer rack, heidts upper and lower control arms, hothkiss lowering springs, stock sway bar with poly bushings and endlinks.
Here is the problem. We align the car perfect. take it out for a drive, the tires squeal really bad, get out on look and the suspension is positive camber like something is not settle down correctly..... we have removed the entire suspension and checked for binding, came up empty. The car is a big block so I would thing the heavy motor would keep it planted! I am at a loss here..any thoughts?? I was thinking maybe the sway bar?
Help please!! all the suspension was changed at the same time purchased from hotrodsusa.com...I cant drive it this way!!
Thanks!!
Here is the problem. We align the car perfect. take it out for a drive, the tires squeal really bad, get out on look and the suspension is positive camber like something is not settle down correctly..... we have removed the entire suspension and checked for binding, came up empty. The car is a big block so I would thing the heavy motor would keep it planted! I am at a loss here..any thoughts?? I was thinking maybe the sway bar?
Help please!! all the suspension was changed at the same time purchased from hotrodsusa.com...I cant drive it this way!!
Thanks!!
#2
so you put rack and pinion steering in it? sure sounds like something is moving, have you marked everything to see if its moving.
Last edited by craby; 10-24-2010 at 05:55 PM.
#4
only thing i can think of is something is moving even though its tight or seems tight. you would want to mark anything that can move on the part and what it hooks to, like the a arm mounts and the frame or body next to it and mark at different spots so you can tell if it moves up down or front back or both. have you aligned it after it shifted, if so did it shift again.
#5
I have found that backing up sometimes settles it back down. We have put it back on the alignemnt rack a few times, not off. We removed the springs and shocks, sway bar, then checked for binding, the arms move up and down with ease. We swapped to a differnet spring with same result. I am thinking it may be the sway bar that is binding. If something is moving, it is moving both wheels eqaully...cause both wheels go postive camber at the same rate. That is why I am thinking the sway bar is binding. My next step is to remove it and see what happens
#6
ahh ok that makes sense. both moving the same is a odd thing. if it were air in the rack it would allow both to move both ways but i dont think it would be the same on both sides. i would think air would work itself out after a short time.
#7
??? The r&p steering wouldn't have any effect on camber.
Obviously you replaced all the front bushings? Was everything on the front suspension tightened down after the engine was in and with the weight of the car on the tires? If not, you'll just be chasing your tail.
Obviously you replaced all the front bushings? Was everything on the front suspension tightened down after the engine was in and with the weight of the car on the tires? If not, you'll just be chasing your tail.
#8
yeah we re-tighened everything a few times with the car on the alignment rack. when we drive after the alignment the car will not sit back down, negative toe, positive camber and the car sits up about 2 inches in the front..... reminds me of an old VW bug after its been on the lift. Wheels all jacked up. I will remove the sway bar when I get a chance and see what happens
#10
yeah apears they are seated correctly. They don't move. after the car starts acting strange we look at the spring seats. we have installed different springs including a set of QA1 coilovers with not change. I am sure its not related to the the springs, or control arm bushings.