mac Posted June 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2011 Also a lot of the shocks available state they arent suitable for 18' wheels which are on my zetec S. How about sachs? i think they are OE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac Posted June 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 Tony  In a better position now after new springs and shocks.  extract from allignment of important points.  Front camber now sits at LH -0.47 deg RH -0.64 deg Target -0.65 deg with -1.28 deg tolerance  Front caster LH + 2.7 deg RH + 3.16 deg. Target is +2.58 deg with 1.02 deg  Everything within spec and car drives better obviously with new shocks and springs.  However letting go of the steering wheel still gives a strong pull to the left.  My procedure now is as follows. Get it up on the aligner and lossen the 4 bolts on the front subframe and then move it using a pry bar until camber abd caster are more equal side to side.  There is almost half a degree difference in the cross caster which i want to fix, will i get this much from moving the subframe?  ideally i would like a little extra camber (circa 0.2 deg) and caster (circa 0.2 deg) on the passenger side to slightly force the car into the crown of the road.  Do you have any thoughts or comments?  Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 My only concern is that cross castor, hence the pull. Moving the subframe is the only way but how much adjustment it will give you depends on it's position now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac Posted June 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 Set back position provided here: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/851/alignment110622.png  car actually pulled in a straighter line prior to this adjustment (wandered a little later). doesnt really make sense as the toe was off prior but anyway.  Is it possible to have the subframe relaxed when positioning it? i.e. take the engine weight off? would this be done from above or below? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 Wheels off the ground, release the subframe bolts from below then pry-bar away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac Posted June 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 Thanks, im thinking it should it be on the alligner at the time to judge the movement of caster and camber while pry barring, am i right? What way would you be looking to move it from its current location? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 Push the top of the NSF wheel in and shunt the NSF wheel toward the front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac Posted June 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 ok think i have it, will give it a go. was i right in thinking it should be on the alligner rig when doing this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 Ideally yes because the toe will definitely move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac Posted June 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 thanks tony. Â one of the guys i talked to said the alligner lift wasnt right for that kind of work and that it would need to be on a seperate lift to move subframe. Â i dont see the sense in this as you could be going back and forth between lifts all day having moved it too much or not enough etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 A lot of places don't have a beam jack on the geo ramp, make you wonder how they adjust cars that have to have the wheels off the ground? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac Posted June 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 yeah my place have the system whereby you drive onto the ramp and its raised in the air like that but the wheels are still on the ramp obviously so i guess there only way of doing it would be to move between ramps  learn something new everyday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac Posted June 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Moving the subframe later today tony. Â Just a question, the other allignment guy i go to was saying that he thought there may be a valve in the rack gone which is causing the pull. I didnt think a worn rack could cause this? is this possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Yes it does happen but normally the steering feel light in one direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac Posted June 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Yes it does happen but normally the steering feel light in one direction. Â Â hmmm it does feel light to the left and stiffer to the right. theres no way of checking for this visually or through direct play from the rod end is there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Only way to check is to jack up the front, start engine and turn the steering side-to-side and feel the weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac Posted June 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Only way to check is to jack up the front, start engine and turn the steering side-to-side and feel the weight. Â Â the weight of hte steering? if so i have done that before myself and there is a very very slight difference in resistance side to side with the left being lighter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 That could be the pull then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac Posted June 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 That could be the pull then. Â Â hmmm now theres the quandry of whether to bother trying to move the subframe today. cant afford to be wasting mone. where would you put your guess, altering subframe position to try top equalise the 28' extra caster on passenger side or valve in rack? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Have the fluid drained/ flushed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac Posted June 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Have the fluid drained/ flushed. Â Â already done it, made the steering a little lighter but nothing dramatic. Do you think its a waste of money trying to move this subframe today? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 If when jacked up the turn left is lighter than right then yes it's a wast of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac Posted June 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 If when jacked up the turn left is lighter than right then yes it's a wast of time. Â cheers tony, your knowledge knows no bounds. It is very very very slight the difference and seemingly only noticeable to me and one other out of all the ppl that checked it (and i didnt prompt him). Car holds a straight line and the steering wheel stays level on a perfectly flat surface however anything with a little crossfall and it starts to pull and steering wheel drops of to the left straight away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 If it only feels light with the engine running then it must be a power/ valve issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac Posted June 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 If it only feels light with the engine running then it must be a power/ valve issue. Â Â damn car. yeah sounds about right. i suppose the valve could even be seized on one side (ibelieve there are 2 valves in my rack) and when the power steering is applied the force creates a moment around it and pushes more in the direction of the seized valve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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