fluffoffal

Hi.
I live in Australia and own a 66 Coronet.
Front wheel started sqealing a while ago so I took it in for an alignment. After the alignment was done, I drove up the road to get fuel and noticed that the front end was sitting up high and the front wheels had a ridiculous amount of positive camber. I drove back down the road to the wheel alignment place to show them and it had returned to normal (slightly lowered with a touch of negative camber due to wound down torsions)
Does anyone know what the hell is going on? I can't drive the car as it is because it will scuff out the front tyres.
What could be causing this to happen and has it happened to anyone else?

Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated

Many thanks,

Steve, Australia.

Gorts 5th

welcome
sounds like the guy screwed up the alignment a shop set my 77 diplomat like that he said it was to spec s turned out he was an idiot
seems like these older cars they don't like im rebuilding my front end and am going in for one soon hope i can find a friendly trust worthy tec. to do my alignment

fluffoffal

Yeah. I don't know if it's that simple. I think there is an underlying issues as it goes in between + and - camber. Was thinking Of maybe putting a PST front end rebuild kit through it.

Gorts 5th

one thing they always complain about at alignment shops about old vehicles the parts are worn old bushing ,ball joints ,tie rod ends then there's the old rusted adjusters bolts and they are afraid to break something some times they are right sometimes there not
you may need new parts up front or he screwed it up
i have a 86 Chrysler 5th ave M BODY
i was debating on a poly kit which i had to search my azz off for finally got a lead from the forum but i have a long time mechanic friend here and he says we can do poly but they may crack while assembling them or after they are installed he also said that i will notice more road vibration transmitted through the car like that was a concern for me when i already got enough vibration from the motor/exhaust LOL
this all started with a worn upper suspension bushing i have the moog replacements and i have to make up my mind soon this week then hope the alignment guy does a good job i would like a custom job a little extra caster

440roadrunner

I don't have any idea, as just driving a few FEET should cause bound --up suspension to "normalize," that is, when you jack up a car, then put it on the ground, it might be bound up as you describe.

You have a shop manual? You can download a 66 manual here for free:

http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=31

the link:

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/ser...ice_Manual.zip

It's a Plymouth manual, but the front suspension is substantially the same. You just have to read it, get under there, sometimes easier with two people, and look for looseness and other problems

As old as these girls are, I cannot imagine that the rubbers aren't worn out, and it just might be a good idea to tear it down and replace everything that moves. I've done it, and it's not that big a job. You can make "pullers" for the bushings from pipe fittings and threaded rod, but some of them may require a torch, welder, air chisel, etc to get the old ones out

So far as alignment, if you are using radial tires, do NOT allow the shop to use FACTORY specs.

THIS is a great guide, and has been discussed on other boards:

(Use the "skosh" chart down the page)

http://www.allpar.com/history/mopar/...alignment.html

NOTICE that camber is now NEGATIVE, not positive. There's a misprint, though, in the "max perf street" and "auto x" those figures for camber should all be negative

You also want more caster than the original specs. Moog makes what is called "offset bushings" for the top A arm which can give more adjustment on older cars.



Don't make torsion bar adjustments on these cars with weight on the front suspension. "We" used to do that back in the day, and every once in awhile!!!! "We" would strip an adjuster!!!

rickyr

welcome to the forum

fluffoffal

Thanks for all the comprehensive information guys.
I plan on throwing on a pair of **** front rims and tyres I have lying around and driving down to put it up on my mates hoist for a proper look.
I think I will go ahead with the front end rebuild kit from PST. Anyone else had any problems with the poly-graphite bushes at all?

TVLynn

Changes like that are due to either bad ball joints or they didn't tighten the bolts. With our old Mopars You need to find an old timer that uses the mechanical equipment or even a young kid if he knows how.. I know my specialist who has retired used to add about an 1" of preload with a jack when setting the alignment
because of the cars natural stance for the front to rise upder power

fluffoffal

Yeah unfortunately in Australia, most of the old timers only know ford or Holden. The guy who did my alignment was supposed to be "the guy" but that's what you get for going to the local franchise.
I'll be over in the USA at the end of this month in Vegas for a week then 2 weeks of driving holiday (hiring a new challenger). Any must see shows or events coming up between Oct 22 and Nov 5? Would love to get to SIMA but don't see that happening.

TVLynn

Today its all about the $50K machine that tells them what to do.. But if they don't set it up correctly it will never be right I remember the first time I took my Volare in for tires an alignment many years ago, probably 1979. The mechanic was trying to adjust the control arms like the older cars. DUH !!!!

fluffoffal

Haha yeah, tell me about it. Technology doesn't work on cars that are made of metal. I have a 64 Galaxie also and after I did a front end rebuild on that, I rang around everywhere to organise a wheel alignment and nowhere could facilitate a car that size. I just ended up doing a string line alignment off the back wheels and have never had a problem. Perfect tyre wear. The guy who tried to align my coronet had a Mopar cap on but asked me what sort of car it was haha

challenger

Welcome dont no about down there but here IMO the only way to go is take it to a respected MoPaR Dealer , it cost me 1800. to get my front end completly rebuilt but the job they did was well worth it

fluffoffal

Here's a couple of pics of the car in question.
In regards to the local Mopar shop, nothing like that around here. I'm looking forwards to pulling that front end to bits myself. Probably regret saying that haha. Was also thinking about a set of tubular upper arms too.

Gorts 5th

has anyone ever try ed those caster camber tools you can get at summit or jeggs we are thinking on purchasing one but not sure .... should we use magnetic or the clip-on rim style ? any input

440roadrunner

No reason at all you cannot do you own alignments

You need a level working floor or rack

Something for turning plates for the tires. Google it, I believe some guys use tiles and salt between!!

You need a way to measure caster/ camber, IE a gauge

You can rig a floor stand/ scribe to mark the tires evenly front / rear so that you can measure toe with a tape or other scale, IE a simple stick with a scribe on one end, and a sliding one on the other to "lock" the measure

I found an old traditional Ammco caster/ camber gauge, which was filthy, and came with destructions!! alone with some turning plates and a toe gauge!!



Now so far as magnetic/ clip on, the objects you see above at top right are adapters for the magnetic gauge. The PROBLEM is that many modern wheels are not gonna allow you to attach a magnetic gage which must be stuck to the HUB opening, and of course front wheel drive cars are worse yet.

These adapters allow the gauge to be attached to the wheels, BUT you must screw around and get them "plumb" to the wheel!!! That is, they have a tilting platform in the middle

fluffoffal

Wow. That would be a great tool to have indeed! Where did you find it? Is it quite old? I bet as soon as your mates found out that you had that you'd have a waiting list to do their cars. I will look in to doing an alignment myself. Like I said, I have done my own alignment on my Galaxie but that was only toe in adjustment.

78D200

Welcome!

Nice Coronet!

Gorts 5th

first off that car is bad azz


nice find that looks like it attaches to the edge of the rim ive never seen a magnetic gauge up close or how it find its plumb surface is it the rim the studs or the hub cover im assuming it contacts the edge of the rotor hub over the bearing cap seems to be the only plumb area of the rotor
of course the rim style is the most common the restoration body shop i used to work for had a Cheif' frame machine which had alignment tools had my vehicles on that machine
the clip on type is the most familiar it appears the kits only include one gauge do u need jst one
as far as the tiles with salt i suppose if u used a hard enough tile lowered your vehicle on too them [ive installed tile] being a remodeling contractor
we have sheets of metal would probably do the sme trick
i have old style steal rims that gauge would clip on the rim as far as new rims i understand your point
... so how much you selling that for

440roadrunner

You pop off the dust cap and the gauge has a hollow area on the end. It smacks up to the machined flat on the very outside of the hub/ rotor. No!!! LOL Not for sale!!! LOL

If you Google around "diy" or "home front end alignment" there is TONS if info, even some U tube stuff. Of course some/ most of it is for "struts"

I would think any caster/ camber gauge sold by Summit or Jegs would be fine. There are articles on making your own, so it CAN be done. The REAL difference between something you'd make and something like this Ammco (or any other commercial one) is the caster calibration, which is found indirectly. You cannot directly measure caster. You turn the wheels (I forget 20 degrees) and there's a procedure by which you re-level the bubble, and a built in scale then computes the caster.

Unless you have money to burn, you only need one tool, just switch sides.

fluffoffal

Thanks! I love it and would never part with it. I've only had it just over a year and took the risk of importing it to Australia which payed off. I've owned heaps of Valiants before but this is my first Dodge.

Gorts 5th

i can imagine the risks
from where did you import her from

Coronet 500

If the lower control arm nut was lossened then retightened with the suspension hanging down the bushing can be torn when the car is lowered. When a significant ride height change is made the large nut should be loosened hit reward to loosen the shaft in the K frame while sitting on the tires. After ride height is finalized the nut should be tightened to 140-150 ft/lbs to assure the bushing is relaxed and not under strain.

If a camber or caster change was made at upper bushing eccentrics the lower is not affected.

I dig the big balonies on the back.

440roadrunner

Nope. Sorry. Don't buy that at all.

What happens when you jack the car up, put it on a rack? The front suspension drops to it's limits!!!!

What happens when you hit a hard enough bump the suspension bottoms?

The suspension in these cars ROUTINELY cycles to it's upper and lower limits, coming and going from parking lots with poorly designed ramps, big bumps, dips in the road, whatever.

There is absolutely no mention of this "problem" in any shop manual I have ever seen, nor have I ever had a front end guy tell me such a thing. IN FACT the lower bushings are probably the hardiest bushing in the front end.

That's not to say the ones in the OP's car are not worn out.

Nadir Point

That's why it needs to be centered before it's tightened.

fluffoffal

She's always been a Cali car but the guy I bought her from had just moved from Cali to North Carolina so getting her back to L.A. on an enclosed truck added an extra $1400 onto the grand total haha. The guy I bought her from was a dead set legend. So helpful and accommodating. Going to meet up with him when I'm over there in 3 weeks time.

fluffoffal

Here's another question. I'm running 68 belvedere front disks. Will a standard front end rebuild kit for a 66 coronet still have everything I need in it or will I have to get different tie rods etc?

TVLynn

Should be the same !

fluffoffal

Yeah. I think it will be. Can't wait to get under there and get that front end sorted.
Went to the Queensland Chrysler expo today in Brisbane, Australia. Many beautiful Aussie and American chryslers there. If anyone wants me to put some photos of some Aussie chryslers up on here, let me know.

Coronet 500

You said the magic words. Yes, please post pictures.

fluffoffal

No worries. Will put some up tomorrow for you guys!
Might start a new thread for them though so I'll post the link in here when I've put them up.