alignment

[ShadowBolt]

I need to get my car aligned and get the bump steer kit installed. I wanted to have the alignment done at a good shop then check the numbers with my gauge and keep that info for future alignments I will do myself (thanks Mitch, good idea). I have read about doing a correct bumpsteer and you need to know what your doing to do this correctly. I called AJ yesterday thinking I could get the car in the Friday prior to our race at Cresson but they are loaded! Something is wrong with the car since it will not turn right worth a damn. Even during warm-up turning the wheel left and right trying to get heat in the tires showed something was wrong. When you pull the wheel left it snaps your head to the right. When you make the same turn to the right it just mushes over. At MSRH my fastest lap was the first lap even when starting from a standing start (I think one race or qual it was the second lap) after that turning right was an adventure. Anyone know a shop in the Austin area that can do an alignment and adjust bumpsteer correctly? I do have a tie rod that is out but I am going to replace it prior to taking it to a shop. I have talked to DD and WM and I have several things to check like wheelbase side to side and I need to check the panhard bar since Tony G had the rear end set off to one side to make it turn left better since CAl. Speedway (he says) does not have any important right handers. I centered the rear end as well as I could but just using the fenders as reference I guess that could still be off. It's also possible the cross weights are off since I weigh 100 lbs more than Tony. The only reason I don't think that is it is because Jay only weighs about 30 lbs. more than Tony and he had the same problem. Just for the record Tony says he never had any problem with the car not turning right. He won a lot of races with this car, of course he was not racing against the fastest guys in the country like we do in Texas!

Looking for ideas and a shop to do the alignment that can also do the bumpsteer?


JJ

[Wirtz]

Jerry,

Check Automotive Specialist in Round Rock. Call them and ask to speak to Dan Pedroza. Tell him I sent you over and let them know what you have and what your after. Dan has been moving around between their two shops so you might need to track him down or leave a message, just depends on where he is any given day.

I've aligned my car on their rack several times and they did do the bumpsteer when I first built it. In my car it is a PITA to remove the springs to do a full range of motion, but we pulled the car down by the cross member as far as we could, and also lifted it up to simulate droop.

Anyway - no promises but they are a great shop and they are run by a bunch of autocrosses so they "get it" when your talking about speciality alignments.

Jeff

[ShadowBolt]

Jerry,

Check Automotive Specialist in Round Rock. Call them and ask to speak to Dan Pedroza. Tell him I sent you over and let them know what you have and what your after. Dan has been moving around between their two shops so you might need to track him down or leave a message, just depends on where he is any given day.

I've aligned my car on their rack several times and they did do the bumpsteer when I first built it. In my car it is a PITA to remove the springs to do a full range of motion, but we pulled the car down by the cross member as far as we could, and also lifted it up to simulate droop.

Anyway - no promises but they are a great shop and they are run by a bunch of autocrosses so they "get it" when your talking about speciality alignments.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff. I will give them a call. I am also sending my shocks and struts off to PST to have them dynoed just to make sure they are all working correctly. If I remember it correctly this is not all that expensive......I hope.

JJ

[GlennCMC70]

Corner weights and bumpsteer are not your issue. If Tony set the rear axel to one side so it would turn better one way over the other, he likely set the front up that way too.

Whatever you do, have them check the set-up before they change anything. Have them write those numbers down.

Take Jeff's advice and pay whatever it takes to resolve this.

[kbrewmr2]

Check Automotive Specialist in Round Rock. Call them and ask to speak to Dan Pedroza.

Is he originally a Miata guy? If this is the guy I think it is I've met him before and he knows suspensions inside and out. Tell him what the car is doing and he'll get it right

[ShadowBolt]

Corner weights and bumpsteer are not your issue. If Tony set the rear axel to one side so it would turn better one way over the other, he likely set the front up that way too.

Whatever you do, have them check the set-up before they change anything. Have them write those numbers down.

Take Jeff's advice and pay whatever it takes to resolve this.

Glenn,

I know it's not the bump causing the issue but Tony sent me a bumpsteer kit he was going to put on the car and never did so I was going to have it installed at the same time as the alignment. I'm not that smart about car set-up but I do know that bump will not make it turn well one way and push like hell the other.

JJ

[Wirtz]

Yeah, Miata guys, but don't hold that against him

Actually Dans Miata has an LS1 in it now, so he must be cool.

[Hood]

Jerry,
From what you describe, it sounds like the front spring rate goes to infinite (possibly just on the left front) on right hand corners. Make sure that when the car rolls over on the left front suspension that you are not on the bump stops or that the sway bar isn't bottoming out on the frame. Look for telltale signs (squashed bumpers, sway bar end link bushings mashed or links that are bent) before you start setting up the bump steer. You might have to raise the ride height a bit to eliminate this problem. Having said that, it also could be a frozen front left strut or blown out right front strut. Either way, a drastic handling problem like you describe will not be cured by just an alignment/bumpsteer adjustment.

[ShadowBolt]

Jerry,
From what you describe, it sounds like the front spring rate goes to infinite (possibly just on the left front) on right hand corners. Make sure that when the car rolls over on the left front suspension that you are not on the bump stops or that the sway bar isn't bottoming out on the frame. Look for telltale signs (squashed bumpers, sway bar end link bushings mashed or links that are bent) before you start setting up the bump steer. You might have to raise the ride height a bit to eliminate this problem. Having said that, it also could be a frozen front left strut or blown out right front strut. Either way, a drastic handling problem like you describe will not be cured by just an alignment/bumpsteer adjustment.

Thanks Gary,

I will look at those things. I know it's not the alignment or bumpsteer causing this issue but these things need to be done anyway and since I have a tie rod that has 1/4" of play in it I may as well replace all of them and do a new alignment. I hope it's just a shock/strut but if they come back as good I will be looking everywhere else. I will be checking the wheelbase and the rear axle to make sure everything is centered. One thing I just remembered. AT TWS on rookie day I replaced a rear upper control arm and had a bit or trouble getting the bolt in. I wonder if the one I had (I bought it for the Fox) was a different length than the one I removed (running the poor mans three link). If nothing else I will install a new arm for the one with the Air bushing and see if that helps. I know one very fast Mustang driver is NOT running the three link.

JJ

[Chuck]

Jerry,

Check Automotive Specialist in Round Rock. Call them and ask to speak to Dan Pedroza.

I agree with Jeff, Automotive Specialist.

Also, if you are doing this much work, do not forget the Mustangs have inner tie rods as well. The inner rods are VERY easy to bend, basically a ball with about a 12" lever arm. Here is a picture.
http://www.mustangsunlimited.com/ite...sp?T1=TR94B+01

Chuck
CMC#14