Amazon: Amazon Estate Rolling Project

[Volvo Canadian]

Speaking of shocks Mitch, are you lowered? If-so, can you order Bilsteins to fit?

[Burdekin]

Originally Posted by Volvo Canadian

Speaking of shocks Mitch, are you lowered? If-so, can you order Bilsteins to fit?

Yes a little and yes.

[swedishandgerman]

I was just wondering if you had been brave enough to have taken the whole beam off the car to do this.

I'm sure there's an easy way to do this, but I don't see how you can set up the castor angle properly unless you put the same beam back on with the same shims in exactly the same positions.

I have a good camber gauge and a good tracking set - you're welcome to borrow both - that work well in combination with each other. But I would be wary of the geometry staying correct as soon as any lock is applied after the beam's been off.

Let me know if you want the kit. An Amazon with the steering set up proper is a wonder compared to one on the wonk. Rob at Amazoncars insists that lowered and harder suspension benefits from a tad more negative camber at the front.

[Burdekin]

Originally Posted by swedishandgerman

I was just wondering if you had been brave enough to have taken the whole beam off the car to do this.

I'm sure there's an easy way to do this, but I don't see how you can set up the castor angle properly unless you put the same beam back on with the same shims in exactly the same positions.

I have a good camber gauge and a good tracking set - you're welcome to borrow both - that work well in combination with each other. But I would be wary of the geometry staying correct as soon as any lock is applied after the beam's been off.

Let me know if you want the kit. An Amazon with the steering set up proper is a wonder compared to one on the wonk. Rob at Amazoncars insists that lowered and harder suspension benefits from a tad more negative camber at the front.

Tell me about it Adam, I contemplated not doing the bushes as they looked to have PU bushes already, then I thought I'd try and change the bushes in-situ but in the end I decided to take the mount off. I did have a cup of tea to contemplate on the weekend. I have taped the shims back on the bolts and know which mount goes where but I always planned to check the whole setup after doing it anyhow, I just haven't got to the stage of working out how I was going to do that. I don't know if anyone in Aberdeen would do an old style setup like the Amazon.

What do you mean about staying correct after any lock is applied?

The gauges would be great, never used them before so will be a learning experience but would be keen to give it a go.

I've seen that on the Amazon Car's website so probably good to go with what Rob recommends.

[swedishandgerman]

Brave!

In theory, if you put all the shims back in the same positions, you'll have no problems there mate.

Setting up castor is a real headache as to get it right you need to take readings on both wheels throughout the whole turning circle

If castor appears to be right in the straight ahead, it can be wrong when the wheels are turned. This throws the camber and toe out as soon as you apply any lock. In other words, when toe and camber appear to be right in the straight ahead, they also go out as soon as the steering wheel is turned

You're welcome to borrow the kit so that you can play yourself, but you can get it done with modern equipment. You want to find somewhere that has Hunter's wheel alignment such as your local Protyre. My local centre offered to take the readings for camber so that I could work out what shims I needed and to fit them myself. Afterwards, go back and check the new camber settings and adjust the toe. However, they can do a castor reading in the straight ahead

You have to do both camber and toe in that order. If your camber is wrong, the toe goes wrong as soon as you turn the steering wheel

I have done my Amazon with a tiny bit of negative camber and a tiny bit of toe in and it's nice. When I get around to it in my estate with standard wheels and standard suspension I'll try both settings

[Burdekin]

Thanks. I'll see if there is somewhere local but if not I'm up for sorting it myself.

[swedishandgerman]

I just reread your post and I think I understand that you've not taken off the whole frame from the body instead of just the arms. If it's just the latter, it's a doddle

There are shims between the frame and the body to adjust the castor. Leave well alone!!!

The shims between the body and the upper arms are just for the camber. All you have to be careful to do is to put the equal number of shims in the front bolt as the back one otherwise you'll completely **** up the castor

Whatever you do, don't try adjusting the castor by altering the number of shims in the front bolt compared to the back otherwise you will definitely get that thing going on where all the geometry goes on the wonk as soon as you turn the steering wheel

[Burdekin]

Originally Posted by swedishandgerman

I just reread your post and I think I understand that you've not taken off the whole frame from the body instead of just the arms. If it's just the latter, it's a doddle

There are shims between the frame and the body to adjust the castor. Leave well alone!!!

The shims between the body and the upper arms are just for the camber. All you have to be careful to do is to put the equal number of shims in the front bolt as the back one otherwise you'll completely **** up the castor

Whatever you do, don't try adjusting the castor by altering the number of shims in the front bolt compared to the back otherwise you will definitely get that thing going on where all the geometry goes on the wonk as soon as you turn the steering wheel

Hi Adam, no I've not taken the crossmember out. I knew the castor should be okay as long as it was correct before and made sure I know where the upper wishbone shims go, so the same as before. But I still plan on checking everything once done.

At this stage the plan is to clean, prep, weld and paint the crossmember in-situ. I'll probably pull the engine in winter so will touch anything I've missed on the crossmember then.

[222s]

Originally Posted by swedishandgerman

The shims between the body and the upper arms are just for the camber. All you have to be careful to do is to put the equal number of shims in the front bolt as the back one otherwise you'll completely **** up the castor

Whatever you do, don't try adjusting the castor by altering the number of shims in the front bolt compared to the back otherwise you will definitely get that thing going on where all the geometry goes on the wonk as soon as you turn the steering wheel

I always thought that this was so that the loads on the bolts are correct, rather than putting them in sheer if the shimming is unequal. Makes sense that it would also not do the geometry any good.

Interesting about the castor needing to be checked throughout the range - first time I've read that about it. Any further info on, or links about that would be much appreciated, as I may need it for the eventual repair of my car, dependant on how deep the damage turns out to be.

[swedishandgerman]

What I'm referring to is the fact that the castor reading can be spot on in the straight ahead position even if an arm (wishbone) is bent. If you know the arms are as good as new, you can be pretty confident castor throughout the lock will remain the same

If something is bent, including the whole body, you're never going to achieve the proper castor, camber or toe throughout the range

If you look on the instructions on the Gunson Trakrite web page there's some good information