TeamCapri
Tech, Repairs, Upgrades => Brakes/Suspension/Tires/Wheels => Topic started by: mitch1204 on February 16, 2015, 07:34:20 PM
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I might of goofed when I installed my front struts. I noticed they favor one side and that has to do with the camber adjustment. Is the short gap on the mount sitting in the hole suppose to be on the engine side or the fender side. I didn't pay close attention when breaking it down. I have a 50/50 chance. :)
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Can someone please tell me the orientation of their front strut mounts. I'd hate to have to shell out extra money during the wheel alignment because I have them on backwards.
All you have to do is open your hood and you'll see your mounts offset in the hole. Either they favor the engine side or the fender side of the tower hole. Thanks!
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Mine are closer to the inside .Hope that helps
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This is what my driver side looks like
(http://i1382.photobucket.com/albums/ah279/chrispoe_/Driversidemount_zpsc1c4c72e.jpg) (http://s1382.photobucket.com/user/chrispoe_/media/Driversidemount_zpsc1c4c72e.jpg.html)
My passenger side looks like this
(http://i1382.photobucket.com/albums/ah279/chrispoe_/passengermount_zps3bbe00ef.jpg) (http://s1382.photobucket.com/user/chrispoe_/media/passengermount_zps3bbe00ef.jpg.html)
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Thanks very much Chris. That's what I was looking for. I have them right after all. I was second guessing myself. When you swap the strut mounts out you have to remember which way they went. I'm sure any future Capri will be easy but this was my first one. They can go back in the bolt holes 180° out but not 90°. It messes with your camber adjustment.
The manual tells you to mark them when you take them off which like a dummy I did, lol. That doesn't help when you replace them, only when you take them off and put the same ones back on. Somewhere in a landfill is some scribed old mounts.
All stock Capris should be like your photos. It must be my toe in causing my old tires to wear on the outside. I changed all the other suspension parts. Next week I get my new front tires and alignment. This winter project will be over with. The only thing I wish I done is replaced the spring insulators. I still might do that.
Now we know, strut mounts favor the engine side. :)
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There should be a little bump on the rubber cast into the mount. I believe that is supposed to face inward toward the engine.
If you're having camber issues, they can be flipped 180° for a coarse adjustment
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There should be a little bump on the rubber cast into the mount. I believe that is supposed to face inward toward the engine.
If you're having camber issues, they can be flipped 180° for a coarse adjustment
I was trying to avoid camber issues. Hopefully the shop will set my toes and I'll be good.
While we are on the topic I noticed the parts stores sell a special camber bolt. I guess it takes two in the lower strut mount? Will the shop supply them if needed or do I need to order them and take them with me?
I think this alignment is going to be expensive on this car. I hope not.
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Has it been in an accident? Camber is really only an issue when things like control arms or knuckles are bent.
Usually they will install a single camber bolt per side. It's an undersized bolt with a cam-like lobe that permits some movement. It uses the other bolt as a pivot
Generally they'll get the go-ahead from you first before getting a camber bolt and installing it
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I haven't been to the shop yet. Just trying to get all my ducks in a row before I go. The couple road trips to Florida I noticed outside wear on my front tires. The back tires are new, I haven't put the front ones on yet. It can very easily be the tierods as I replaced them. I want to change the control arm bushings but a visual inspection I don't see anything wrong with them. Before I started replacing things the alignment and tire wear was great on the front. It was the rear tires that caused me all the problems. I since replaced the badly wore out wheel bearings after I bought the struts. The bearings were my whole problem but with everything new I know what I got.
I ran a carfax before I bought the car. I'm the third owner, no wrecks. The car tracked from Australia to FL to GA and now TN. If I ever decide to sell it will have to be someone in KY, lol
I'm just scared when I get this four wheel alignment done they'll say I missed something and it will be $500. :)
The first time I put the strut mounts on I had one favoring the inside and one favoring the outside. I since went back and fixed it. That's what started all this doubting Thomas stuff, lol.
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If you've replaced a bunch of stuff (especially tie rod ends) without getting an alignment right away, you're almost definitely going to burn through tires. Even if you put them back in the same place as the ones you removed
Try using the string method to set your front toe, I've had really good luck with it on my red XR2. If you get your toe closer to stock it'll reduce tire wear until you get your alignment
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I counted the turns but the tierods might be different dimensions.
How's the string method work? Like dragging a tape measurer? I've done that before but didn't have an assistant this time. Plus the car sits kind of low where you can't measure 3 and 9 o'clock.
I read somewhere but don't remember they said take a level and mark the concrete, then measure. I guess that could work if there is not enough horizontal room.
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Yeah counting turns is not a reliable method. There are so much variation in tie rod ends. The length of the shank even varies quite a bit between brands
The string method, you wrap a string around the whole car, around all 4 wheels. Then adjust the TRE's so that the string contacts the front & back of the wheel equally, so your front wheel is parallel to the string.
(http://www.c-speedr.com/howto/alignment/pics/DSC01986.JPG)
link http://www.c-speedr.com/howto/alignment/alignment.php
Here's a variation on the method
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sguZ-gRF9I
Again this is just for adjusting toe, not camber/caster. But toe is what will kill tires in the short term, so this'll help with that
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That's pretty cool. I'll give it a try ttomorrow. Thanks.
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When I replace TREs, I just use my digital caliper and take the measurement between the start of the threads on the inner tie rod to the center of the bearing on the TRE.
Then I remove the old ends and thread the new ones on and adjust them until I get the exact same measurement from the same points as the original.
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That'll work Chris, if you have the tool. :)
I just finished the string method and it worked great. I goofed when I changed the driver's side, I counted threads, done some driving and adjusting until the steering wheel was straight. Then I proceeded to the passenger side changing the tierod and adjusting.
That was a new wild scheme of mine and it didn't work, lol. The driver's side was off about a half turn to begin with. No wonder I couldn't get the passenger side right which was a half turn off. I was driving around pigeon toed. I feel stupid I was out smarted by a string, lol. It only took me 39 years to learn this simple trick, doh!
Thanks for the help.