Caster and Camber
CAUTION: Before checking, examine all rubber/steel bushes for deterioration or distortion. Check upper and lower wishbone ball joints for excessive play. Check shock absorbers for leaks and mountings for security.
The two operations require the vehicle to be set up in a mid-laden condition. This can be done as follows:
- Ensure that the car is standing on level ground and inflate the tires to the correct pressure; check that the standing heights are equal on both sides of the car and the front wheels are in the straight-ahead position.
Special Tool - Wheel Alignment:
- Make up two front suspension tubes to the dimensions shown.
- Compress the front suspension and insert the setting tubes under the upper wishbones, adjacent to the rebound stop rubbers and over the brackets welded to the bottom of the turrets. This locks the front suspension in the mid-laden condition
Special Tool - Wheel Alignment:
- Lock the rear suspension in the mid-laden condition using the suspension links service tool JD 25B, or equivalent.
- For each side, compress the suspension, pass the hooked end of service tool through the lower hole in the rear mounting and fit the looped end over the rear pivot nut.
CASTOR ANGLE
- Using the castor angle checking gauge, check the castor angle.
Alignment Shims:
- To adjust, loosen the two bolts on each side securing the upper wishbone members to the upper ball joints
- Transpose shims, which can now be lifted out, from front to rear or vice versa, to reduce or increase the castor angle respectively.
- Transposing one shim 1.6 mm (0.0625 in) thick will alter the castor angle by approximately 1/4°.
- After adjusting the castor angle to the correct figure, tighten the bolts to the correct torque.
- Check the front wheel alignment and adjust if necessary.
CAMBER ANGLE
- Using the camber angle checking gauge, check the camber angle.
- Rotate the road wheels through 180° and recheck.
Alignment Shims:
- To adjust, loosen the nuts and bolts securing the upper wishbone inner pivots to the cross member turrets.
- Add or remove shims between the pivot shafts and cross member turrets to reduce or increase the camber angle.
- Shims are available in 0,8 mm (1/32in), 1,6 mm (1/16in) and 3,2 mm )1/8in) thickness. A change of 1,6 mm (1/16in) in shim thickness will alter the camber angle by approximately 1/4°.
NOTE: It is necessary to partly withdraw the bolts to change the shims, so only one bolt of a pair should be shimmed at a time It is important that an equal thickness of shims should be changed on front and rear bolts, otherwise the castor angle will be affected
- Tighten all the bolts and nuts to the correct torque. and re-check the camber angle.
- Check the front wheel alignment and adjust if necessary