82 720 control arm shims?

[720Shaun]

I just recently got my first Datsun. I took it in to get it aligned and they fixed the toe which was way off, but they said the camber was like .6 degrees off on one side and they couldnt tell why because everything was tight. And they couldn't fix it because i have to buy certain shims for it. Can anyone tell me what shims to use and a good place to find them?

 

Thanks!

[720Shaun]

I read that when you lower them you have to take the shims out, but they were already out when i bought the truck.

[datzenmike]

.6 of a degree? I wouldn't even worry about it. All they need is a washer and an angle grinder to make a shim.. If they can't figure that out they are idiots and don't ever go back there.

[wayno]

Is it positive or negative camber?

[jesusno2]

WHAT ALIGNMENT PLACE DID YOU TAKE IT TO????????? GOOD LAWD! MORONS camber setting when you take it to alignment shop will set it to whatever setting they see in the book. 1/2 degree positive camber and im pretty sure 1/8 toe in 1/2 degree positive castor angle, thats what the les schwab specs say anyways. All terrible settings but will make the truck drive straight and easy to turn.

[720Shaun]

Yeah i took it too Les Schwab, and all they fixed is the toe. So i suppose ill pull it apart and just put a washer in there. I didnt think .6 was much either but it pulls really hard to the right. Thanks for the info.

[datzenmike]

I simplified it by saying a washer. Don't just throw a washer in there. I'm saying that all they had to do and then check it.

 

I've set camber with a magnetic torpedo level on the tire rim. Car has to be level side to side and the same tire pressure or use spare rims on blocks to simulate correct tire height. If it's vertical or so close you can't tell any different it's going to be close. A little figuring shows that on a 14" rim a 1 degree camber difference is only 0.061" of space.

 

Factory may have set a shim in there for setting the camber so you can remove it to adjust it by only that amount to gain some positive direction and then you're bottomed out. You can add all the shims you want if needing to go negative.

[720Shaun]

Ahhh ok, well I'll have to get shims to even it out. Because I can figure out any other reason it would pull so hard to the right. The guys at Les Schwab said nothing needs to be replaced, everything in the suspension and steering was good and tight. Except the camber is off a little on the right side

[datzenmike]

Camber doesn't really cause a pull to one side. It does cause the weight to roll on the inside or outside of the tread. Incorrect toe has way more effect of steering than camber.

 

Pull to the right side...

 

Right caliper seized and pads dragging against rotor.

Right rear drum brake dragging.

Incorrect tire pressure in one or more tires.

Torsion bars incorrectly adjusted on one or more sides.

Mismatched tire sizes.

Mismatched brands of tires.

Damaged tire.

Worn tire

Toe incorrect. They couldn't find a shim maybe they couldn't set the toe properly either. Take it back and complain, let them check it and do it right this time.

Incorrect wheel bearing pre set.

Loose lug nuts.

[wayno]

Negative camber cannot be fixed traditionally unless you have a bunch of washers behind the upper control arm mount to start with, no washers behind the upper control arm mount, you have a problem, they can fix it if it has positive camber with washers, so since they said they could not do it, either your truck has been lowered significantly, or something is bent.

Caster is also an issue if you have negative camber, as to adjust caster, you have to give it a little negative camber sort of.

 

I ask again, positive or negative camber issue?

 

You can fix just about anything given time and resources.

[jesusno2]

Negative camber cannot be fixed traditionally unless you have a bunch of washers behind the upper control arm mount to start with, no washers behind the upper control arm mount, you have a problem, they can fix it if it has positive camber with washers, so since they said they could not do it, either your truck has been lowered significantly, or something is bent.

Caster is also an issue if you have negative camber, as to adjust caster, you have to give it a little negative camber sort of.

 

I ask again, positive or negative camber issue?

 

You can fix just about anything given time and resources.

 

 

???????????????? Adding shims increases negative camber on a 2wd wayno LOL. You can increase caster by shimming more on one side to pitch the upper arm back, and or, tighten on the tension control arm. I have done both on my 720 trying to gain caster. I personally prefer upwards of 4 degrees castor with a powersteering truck.

[wayno]

???????????????? Adding shims increases negative camber on a 2wd wayno LOL. You can increase caster by shimming more on one side to pitch the upper arm back, and or, tighten on the tension control arm. I have done both on my 720 trying to gain caster. I personally prefer upwards of 4 degrees castor with a powersteering truck.

 

If he has negative camber and doesn't have any washers between the UCA mount surface and the spindle, how would one get that upper ball joint out any farther, the shock tower and UCA mount are in the way, now if you have positive camber, one just adds washers/shims between the mount and the UCA mount shaft, and anyone could fix that issue.

I have asked twice if his issue is a positive or negative camber issue, but have received no answer, so I just posted that reply above.

Tell me this, if he has a negative camber issue, meaning the top of the tire is tilted towards the engine, and there are no washers between the UCA mount surface and the UCA spindle, then how are you going to get the top of the tire away from the engine?

Fact is that is the only reason that I can think of that the shop would say that they could not align it if everything else was good.

The spindle is the top shaft in the photo below, for description purposes so that I know we are talking about the same part.

[ggzilla]

if camber is unequal from side to side with a difference greater than 1/2°, the vehicle will pull to the side with the most positive camber. After adjusting camber , the toe-in should be rechecked.

[720Shaun]

Oh sorry man i thought i answered that, its negative camber. And datzenmike i think the torsion bar idea would make a lot of sense because thats how they lowered it. im eventually putting drop spindles on but im gonna check out the torsion bars for now. i never thought of that

[datzenmike]

I'm assuming the truck may not be level or one side supporting more weight than the other.

 

 

Does it pull to one side when driving or when braking, or both?

[720Shaun]

It does it all the time, braking doesnt change it at all.

[wayno]

Oh sorry man i thought i answered that, its negative camber. And datzenmike i think the torsion bar idea would make a lot of sense because thats how they lowered it. im eventually putting drop spindles on but im gonna check out the torsion bars for now. i never thought of that

 

So the truck has been lowered, you cannot fix the negative camber with it lowered without modifying things, or you can raise it back up and use drop spindles instead.

Make sure you have the same rotors/calipers on both sides, lift the front end off the ground, can you spin both wheels by hand without any drag?

[datzenmike]

This  :thumbup:

[jesusno2]

So if the truck is lowered their will be a static negative camber issue. Which isnt a bad thing. Personally i love a degree to degree 1/2 negative camber just for the fact that through chassis roll the trucks suffer from alot of camber change into positive camber hell, but that besides the point, cause most could care less. The only way to gain more positive caster if the shims already removed is to mill the cross rod, or slot the ball joint holes.

[720Shaun]

im good with a little camber, i just need to fix that pull to the right. Its so bad that if i let go of the wheel while i'm cruising at 35 it'll pull me right off the road. But i think with the info that you guys have givin me i should be able to straighten everything out.