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| Wheel base is 1 1/8" different side to side https://slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=63908 |
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| Author: | wjajr [ Wed Aug 07, 2019 8:26 am ] |
| Post subject: | Wheel base is 1 1/8" different side to side |
See my disk brake up grade post on Brakes ans suspension for more details. I'm sitting on the floor slicing a pie shaped sliver from lower front of right fender opening to clearance tire when turning, and wondering why this tire won't fit while the front left side has plenty of clearance. After some detective work, wheel base on driver's side is 110 1/8", and right side is 111 1/4". and measuring from like points on fire wall/wheel well on both sides showed driver's side to be 5/8" less than passenger's side to tread of tire. 5/8" is about what was chopped out when cutting the pie on passenger's side. So what is one to think? The car was tapped on its left rear corner at the bumper, and I recall seeing a bit of crumple in trunk floor between where vertical sheet metal below tail light meets trunk floor and the nearest structural member under side of floor; in other words about 2 to 2 1/2 inches of floor was deformed. Nothing major, bumper required a several washers to shim it out to make a consistent space from the hit to the right end of bumper. I don't think that hit disturbed anything forward of spring attachment point. I haven't seen any crush damage between torsion bar cross member along front frame rail. Sub-frame connectors fit in without any changing of their length. Probably at some point the car will need to be on a frame machine and its dimensions checked to get to the bottom of this dilemma. In the mean time, after an alignment the other day, car goes down the road straight, no pulling, and +3* caster. Is this a Monday or a Friday build car after a liquid lunch? |
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| Author: | GregCon [ Wed Aug 07, 2019 11:47 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Wheel base is 1 1/8" different side to side |
That seems all but impossible. Over an inch is a really big difference that should be easily identifiable as to 'why'. The factory manuals give dimensions of the unibody based on holes located throughout the framework. Try using them to verify what you are seeing. |
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| Author: | slantzilla [ Wed Aug 07, 2019 12:00 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Wheel base is 1 1/8" different side to side |
Check your strut rods. One side could be too short. |
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| Author: | kesteb [ Wed Aug 07, 2019 10:03 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Wheel base is 1 1/8" different side to side |
Alignment shop f'ed up. Time to take it back and have them fix it. If you had plenty of tire, fender clearance and now you don't, hmm. What changed? |
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| Author: | Dart270 [ Thu Aug 08, 2019 4:25 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Wheel base is 1 1/8" different side to side |
Is it possible that the company that made the UCAs goofed on one, or they shipped you two of the same side? Hard to think you wouldn't notice the latter upon assembly. Seems you got 3 deg caster on both sides, so unlikely. Still, throwing it out there... Did you see the measurements on the alignment rack while they were doing it? Sometimes they tell you they did this, but really did not. I like the strut rod idea too. LCA bolt/pivot not seated in the K? I also cannot see how it could be this far off. Lou |
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| Author: | GregCon [ Thu Aug 08, 2019 10:35 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Wheel base is 1 1/8" different side to side |
If you had a short strut rod (how would that happen?) it would pull the LCA forward but the upper would stay 'as is' and you'd never get it aligned... Since the spindle is in the center, you'd have to shorten the strut rod by 2" or more to get the spindle to move 1". I don't think there is any way that would even bolt together. |
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| Author: | drgonzo [ Thu Aug 08, 2019 10:39 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Wheel base is 1 1/8" different side to side |
I would start by measuring from the front leaf spring hanger to the rearward K Frame mounting bolt. Measure each side and diagonally. That will tell you if the unibody is bent or it is a suspension issue. Does it have the same leaf springs side to side? Do the front segment dimensions match? |
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| Author: | slantzilla [ Thu Aug 08, 2019 10:41 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Wheel base is 1 1/8" different side to side |
Since the front tire is hitting the wheel opening, the front tire has to be out of place. You can pull the wheel a long way with the strut rod. Drag racers have done it for years. Regardless if it's the strut rod or not, something is off in that side of the front end. |
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| Author: | drgonzo [ Thu Aug 08, 2019 10:46 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Wheel base is 1 1/8" different side to side |
Quote: Since the front tire is hitting the wheel opening, the front tire has to be out of place. You can pull the wheel a long way with the strut rod. Drag racers have done it for years.
Or the bodywork. Regardless if it's the strut rod or not, something is off in that side of the front end. 
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| Author: | Rick Covalt [ Thu Aug 08, 2019 2:43 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Wheel base is 1 1/8" different side to side |
Could it be that one side is forward 1/2 and the other back a half? |
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| Author: | GregCon [ Thu Aug 08, 2019 3:06 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Wheel base is 1 1/8" different side to side |
Actually..what kind of car is it? A Dart? I think that should be 111" so that tells you which side is off. |
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| Author: | ProCycle [ Thu Aug 08, 2019 4:09 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Wheel base is 1 1/8" different side to side |
Is it possible for the whole K-frame to be shifted? |
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| Author: | drgonzo [ Thu Aug 08, 2019 4:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Wheel base is 1 1/8" different side to side |
Quote: Is it possible for the whole K-frame to be shifted? That's what I am thinking as well. Plus there may be more than one contributor here to add up to that inch or so it's off.
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| Author: | emsvitil [ Thu Aug 08, 2019 6:12 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Wheel base is 1 1/8" different side to side |
Don't drag racers use front end stagger to their advantage? |
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| Author: | GregCon [ Thu Aug 08, 2019 6:32 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Wheel base is 1 1/8" different side to side |
If you shift the k frame, the upper control arm mounts don't shift with it. If he's able to get 3 degrees positive caster on both sides...which is hard to do in and of itself....it can't be too crooked. I'd recheck the measurements first. Maybe they were off by one inch. Maybe he used a metric tape measure on one side, lol. |
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