Camber/Caster adjustment, first gen.

[Guest Lasse]

Just did a pretty comprehensive front end rebuild, and now the camber/caster adjustments are pretty much messed up, naturally. So I´m going to take her to a professional to get it done, but I´m interested in the theory how it´s done.

I gather the shims in the upper control arms are one part, but what else has impact? The upper control arm shaft, it moves when turned? But then you would have to disconnet it from the frame?

Enlighten me, please.

Lasse

[CTX-SLPR]

The shims behind the upper control arm cross shaft push the pivot point of the upper control arm farther out. Since the control arm is a fixed length this pushes the top of the knuckle outwards causing less camber. The caster is done by putting shims unequally between the front and rear bolts of the cross shaft causing ball joint to move front to back. Of course these adjustments are linked so you have to play the game with the shims to get the right difference in the stack height of the shims for caster and the position of the ball joint in distance from the frame right for the camber.

There is also toe but it's just the degrees off of "straight" and is adjusted via the tierod ends.

I can't recommend specs though I know radial tires like a different set of specs than the originally published bias ply specs.

Hope this helps