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Passenger wheel trouble!
https://slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45076		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Nongan [ Mon May 23, 2011 2:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Passenger wheel trouble!
So my wheel on my passenger side has slowly been getting worse from nearly no negative camber to hideous negative camber (nearly a 45 with wheels straight) My upper bushings are worn out and I know that, I have the camber adjusters all the way out and its still getting worse, the tire is completely bald on the inside 2 inches or so. I ordered new upper and lower control arm bushings today from napa, was this the right thing to do? Its also making a horrible squeaking noise from that side with any type of travel. I checked the ball joints by trying to move the tire up and down and side to side on a lift but it was solid. My parents say I either get it fixed or I have to park it :(
Author:  wjajr [ Mon May 23, 2011 4:26 pm ]
Post subject: 
Smart parents you have Nongan, and after about 26 trips around the sun, you will agree with my assessment… LOL Just razz’in yeah.

For now, car guy to car guy; yes new bushings are needed, as well as a good inspection of all front end parts, including upper control arms and front frame rails for rot.

Rot generally works from inside rail to out side and won’t be apparent at first look. What happens is the rails become very thin, so some kind of a puncture test needs to be performed at the lower side of dogleg between fire wall and shock. Than start replacing any part that is worn, repair rot, and replace bushings on driver’s side as well.

If you can’t get proper camber setting of close to zero degrees, there are off-set or eccentric or correction bushings available such as Moog # K7103 to enable one to dial in more castor & camber. I recall getting some from Napa.

Once all is good and solid under the old girl, get a front end alignment by someone that knows old Mopar’s have torsion bar suspension, and are experienced working on them. You may have to look around for a knowledgeable shop.

Just so you know, it is not unusual that these cars tend to look like they are running in a Conga Line after some age.
Author:  Nongan [ Mon May 23, 2011 5:18 pm ]
Post subject: 
Well I do agree with them or anybody about safety first, my older brother was killed Thanksgiving day 2007 when he hit black ice in his '94 civic hatch and wrapped the driver side around a tree, hence why I chose a mopar, good decision :D But I'm trying to make this car last as a daily driver until I go off to college in August. Moving from Oregon to Pennsylvania for 2 years to go to Wyotech for heavy duty diesel and I cant afford to take my car and let it rust out :cry: I will follow your advice and check the frame rails for rot along with control arms, I cant get pictures up right now but the piece of the torsion bar that comes close to the lower control arm has been rubbing on the passenger side, I don't know what this means but I hope someone else can tell me.

Thanks for the help,
Seth
Author:  Nongan [ Mon May 23, 2011 8:15 pm ]
Post subject: 
Still looking for opinions from people
Author:  wjajr [ Tue May 24, 2011 5:50 am ]
Post subject: 
Rubbing on the passenger’s side?

Ooooh, that sounds rather weird. Rubbing where, and on what? Dose location of passenger side suspension parts look to be in same relative position as opposite side of your car that has a vertical wheel?

From the fire wall to lower control arm there is at least two inches clearance between torsion bar and frame rail on my car. Frame rail sides should be real close to vertical or plumb in that area, and not canted.
Author:  Nongan [ Tue May 24, 2011 7:14 am ]
Post subject: 
I'm pulling the upper control arm off today and pressing in new bushings during my autoshop classes so I'll snap some pictures of it when its up in the air.
Author:  ESP47 [ Tue May 24, 2011 9:05 am ]
Post subject: 
Remember, don't tighten the control arms down until you let the car off the jack and all the way on the ground. Tightening the bolts while the car is jacked up will break the rubber in the bushings and cause an annoying squeak that will never go away.
Author:  wjajr [ Sun May 29, 2011 2:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
Nongan,

How is the slanting wheel correction project coming along? Got an up-date for us?

Bill
Author:  slantzilla [ Sun May 29, 2011 3:01 pm ]
Post subject: 
Make sure to check the lower A=arm mount in the K-frame while the torsion bar is out. They are notorious for breaking the tube out of the K-frame. :shock:
Author:  Nongan [ Sun May 29, 2011 6:48 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hey, sorry I am busy with my girlfriend at the coast for the weekend, I'm hoping to get it on the high schools lift on monday
Author:  wjajr [ Mon May 30, 2011 5:56 am ]
Post subject: 
Can’t imagine a young buck wanting to hang out with a pretty girl all weekend, a long weekend to boot, and not be wrenching on his slant…

Go figure. LOL

We’ll be check’en back on Tuesday, enjoy.
Author:  Nongan [ Mon May 30, 2011 4:44 pm ]
Post subject: 
just got back from the coast, I figured I would post some pictures of the car from the front and the tire so you can see what I'm up against.

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Also when I got the car it had a different color passenger fender, hood and the body piece in front of the hood, the previous owner said he rear ended someone but could that screw up the wheel?
Author:  WagonsRcool [ Mon May 30, 2011 9:32 pm ]
Post subject: 
Definitely take a close look for cracked/broken lower control arm mount in the K-frame (it happened to me & my wheel looked like that).

Also, I hope you realize that you have to load the lower control arm in order to check the ball joints for looseness? Up on a lift, the upper control arm is resting on its bumper, so ball joints are loaded. you have to (carefully) raise the end of the LCA with a post or screw jack until the UCA is off its bumper- then check the BJ. If the bushings are really bad, I'd be amazed that nothing else is worn out.

On one car I worked on, the LCA bushings were so bad that the torsion bar pivots in the arm were rubbing & pushing against the frame rails - which cracked from the work stress. :shock:
Author:  Nongan [ Tue May 31, 2011 9:59 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks everyone for the insight. I've yet to start on my own car, finishing rebuilding my friends '88 Integra motor so I can have cash to work on my car! Hopefully I get that project finished up tomorrow, and then I will start on my own stuff.

Thanks,
Seth
Author:  Nongan [ Sun Jun 12, 2011 10:07 pm ]
Post subject: 
Ok so here is the reveal, with pictures! It is my Lower control arm bushing, it had eaten through the inside part of the rubber (inside being the center of the car) so when weight was put on it, it kicked the bottom of the tire out, also that bushing has A LOT of slop in it. So tomorrow I'm going to the machine shop to have everything done right.

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