Caster issue - only 3.5 on left, but 5 on right: what is problem
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Los Gatos, California
Posts: 70
Total Cats: -4
Caster issue - only 3.5 on left, but 5 on right: what is problem
Went to get car aligned.
Its 1993 LE with FCM coilovers.
Goal was most camber on front, most caster, and some intelligent amount of toe.
To my total pleasure, -3 degrees was achieved very quickly at max camber setting, both front sides.
All stock bushings (57K miles, clean Northern California occasional driver).
When adjusting toe, problem: Caster dropped on driver (left side) to 3.5 degrees.
Right side was able to achieve 5 degrees.
He tried to figure out why, adjusting, but no go.
No accident history, nothing is "obvious".
What is your first impulse?
Lower control arm?
I find it strange that such beefy front arm would bend at all?
And I wonder if the bushings on left can degrade to cause this? They are little more stressed in cornering as we always go right (leaning on the left side) on on ramps, off ramps.
Rear camber is 0.3 degrees less. He dialed both sides to 3.5 caster..but I want to fix it to get 5 both sides.
Thank you for suggestions.
Its 1993 LE with FCM coilovers.
Goal was most camber on front, most caster, and some intelligent amount of toe.
To my total pleasure, -3 degrees was achieved very quickly at max camber setting, both front sides.
All stock bushings (57K miles, clean Northern California occasional driver).
When adjusting toe, problem: Caster dropped on driver (left side) to 3.5 degrees.
Right side was able to achieve 5 degrees.
He tried to figure out why, adjusting, but no go.
No accident history, nothing is "obvious".
What is your first impulse?
Lower control arm?
I find it strange that such beefy front arm would bend at all?
And I wonder if the bushings on left can degrade to cause this? They are little more stressed in cornering as we always go right (leaning on the left side) on on ramps, off ramps.
Rear camber is 0.3 degrees less. He dialed both sides to 3.5 caster..but I want to fix it to get 5 both sides.
Thank you for suggestions.
#2
Boost Pope
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chicago. (The less-murder part.)
Posts: 33,339
Total Cats: 6,793
Have you ever removed a control arm from a Miata and held it in your hands? "Beefy" is not the adjective which most immediately springs to mind.
They bend. I tweaked one of mine (right lower) on the '90 just by hitting an abnormally deep pothole at low speed.
They bend. I tweaked one of mine (right lower) on the '90 just by hitting an abnormally deep pothole at low speed.
#5
Junior Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Los Gatos, California
Posts: 70
Total Cats: -4
Hey, thank you.
I did everything to Miata (ok...no dirty thoughts here..please..not that kind of everything),
and arms seem pretty beefy, however I have not exactly thought about them in terms of stiffness as it was not a concern when working on suspension, I assumed if it was great for all racers it was good for me.
As you can tell from my question: my own first thought was bent from arm.
I did not replace any bushings on this Mata (although I have poly-bushed another).
So new (to me) front lower arm it is...I'll do that with new Extended Ball Joints so Andrew's suggestion is respected and valued by following it, while bringing even more happiness with more camber.
Thank you.
I did everything to Miata (ok...no dirty thoughts here..please..not that kind of everything),
and arms seem pretty beefy, however I have not exactly thought about them in terms of stiffness as it was not a concern when working on suspension, I assumed if it was great for all racers it was good for me.
As you can tell from my question: my own first thought was bent from arm.
I did not replace any bushings on this Mata (although I have poly-bushed another).
So new (to me) front lower arm it is...I'll do that with new Extended Ball Joints so Andrew's suggestion is respected and valued by following it, while bringing even more happiness with more camber.
Thank you.
#8
Junior Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Los Gatos, California
Posts: 70
Total Cats: -4
Andrew,
Thanks. I agree, but wanted to track this one. Although frankly at -3degrees of camber, I am good.
Any reason to replace LE Ball Joints at 57K miles?
It was not tracked or driven hard..not even by me yet.
Or just get new-er lower control arm?
If there is good reason to replace them, than I'll get extended joints to have more flexibility.
Thanks. I agree, but wanted to track this one. Although frankly at -3degrees of camber, I am good.
Any reason to replace LE Ball Joints at 57K miles?
It was not tracked or driven hard..not even by me yet.
Or just get new-er lower control arm?
If there is good reason to replace them, than I'll get extended joints to have more flexibility.
#9
Would it be reasonable to wonder what the eccentric bolt settings are to find the 1.5* caster difference left and right? I was able to even out the caster on mine but the eccentrics are not as symmetrical to each other.
On my old NA, the eccentrics were very similar (+/- a few notches on the eccentrics) to get the same camber and caster numbers.
Are the RLCAs as fragile as the fronts?
On my old NA, the eccentrics were very similar (+/- a few notches on the eccentrics) to get the same camber and caster numbers.
Are the RLCAs as fragile as the fronts?
#10
Boost Pope
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chicago. (The less-murder part.)
Posts: 33,339
Total Cats: 6,793
All eight of the control arms are built pretty much the same way; a couple pieces of thin sheet metal formed into clamshells and spot-welded together. In theory, the front lowers are probably the weakest due to their odd, non-boxed shape, but I wouldn't call any of them "sturdy."
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
psyber_0ptix
Engine Performance
34
12-10-2016 08:51 PM
OGRacing
OG Racing
27
08-30-2016 02:35 PM
2manyhobyz
DIY Turbo Discussion
2
11-09-2015 09:10 PM