Enfield
Member
After replacing front control arms and upper rear control arm rear bushing, and installing new shocks, wheels, and tires, I went for a test drive. The car handled overall much better, but on turn-in about half the time it felt like the front and rear axles were fighting each other. Stringing revealed that the passenger rear is toed in about 2mm, while driver rear is toed out a similar amount. Fronts are just where I want them: toed in about 1/16". Side-to-side rear toe is 0, as one would expect. Wheelbase is about 3/8" longer on driver's side. There is also a buzzing vibration that suggests a binding driveshaft at about 35mph and again at about 70.
These symptoms suggest a problem with rear lca's. The car came with J&M nonadjustable rears; I haven't checked the condition of their bushings and don't know whether I need to, or should just replace the arms with something adjustable. Should I bother with having an alignment tech check the whole chassis for kinks or bends first? Given the rather consistent nature of my measurements, I'm leaning toward just installing the lca's and having a tech set the rear toe and pinion angle afterwards.
No drag racing or hard launches contemplated, so I guess that arms with somewhat stiffer rubber bushings would best serve.
All suggestions welcomed, tia
Enfield
These symptoms suggest a problem with rear lca's. The car came with J&M nonadjustable rears; I haven't checked the condition of their bushings and don't know whether I need to, or should just replace the arms with something adjustable. Should I bother with having an alignment tech check the whole chassis for kinks or bends first? Given the rather consistent nature of my measurements, I'm leaning toward just installing the lca's and having a tech set the rear toe and pinion angle afterwards.
No drag racing or hard launches contemplated, so I guess that arms with somewhat stiffer rubber bushings would best serve.
All suggestions welcomed, tia
Enfield