Front End Alignment?????

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: Front End Alignment?????
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sam "POPS" Humphries on Friday, September 28, 2012 - 10:46 am:

I am confused and that is nothing new for me. Everything I have read on this forum, in the Ford Service Manual, The MTFCA Model T Front and Rear Axle book, Tinkering Tips I & II show the measurement for camber, C & D in illustrations to be 3”. My 1916 measured just 1 1/2” before changing the left side spindle to the correct one. It now measures just under 2”.

Yesterday I received the Service Bulletins on CD and page 377 show an illustration with the C & D measurements for “the Improved Car” at 1 15/16”.

How can I be sure that the measurements for my 1916 are correct? What determines if I have “an Improved Car”?

All other measurements appear to be within limits. Measured with my home brew device.
alignment stick


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Friday, September 28, 2012 - 11:10 am:

The Improved Car is 1926-27, so it doesn't apply to your flivver. As they say in the books, if your camber doesn't measure about 3" something is bent.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sam "POPS" Humphries on Friday, September 28, 2012 - 11:17 am:

Thanks Steve, I'm learning. This forum has been a great tool for me.

Sam


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Todd on Friday, September 28, 2012 - 11:26 am:

An "Improved car" is the '26-'27.
Among other "improvements" the spindle is offset above centre of the spindle body to lower the front of the car.
The change in camber on these cars was done by changing the angle between the verticle centre line of the spindle body and the spindle part of the spindle body.
The angle is aproximately 3º on the earlier cars and aprox 2º on the improved cars.
There are some of the earlier spindles that were made with the ~ 2º angle but these don't show up in the parts book, so one has to be careful when swapping parts.
If your car is sitting on a level floor you can measure each wheel individually with a level and a coupla blocks of wood to space the level out past the end of the hub.
I'm not sure if it matters much whether you have 2" total camber or 3", as long as both wheels have the same camber, IE 1" or 1 1/2".
Hope this makes sense.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Allan Richard Bennett on Friday, September 28, 2012 - 09:08 pm:

Sam, once you have fitted the combination of spindles you intend to use, then measure as Ken says. Correcting any anomalies is done by bending the axle in-situ. You need to be able to tie the front axle down, some thing easily done on a frame rack in a panel shop. More camber is achieved by wrapping a chain around the axle outboard of the spring perch and jacking the axle inboard of the perch. A little at a time is best.

Less camber has the jack and chains swapped in position.

Hope this helps.

Allan from down under.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Neil Kaminar on Saturday, September 29, 2012 - 04:52 pm:

Sam,

This was a surprise to me, but shouldn't have been. After changing my caster, the tow-in was out of adjustment. I only mention this because after changing your camber, check the caster and tow-in. Seems like an obvious thing, but somehow I missed it, and I know one other person who missed it too.

Make sure the camber is equal on both sides or the car will not steer straight. Use a framing square when the car is sitting on level concrete. Measure at several rotary positions of the wheels.

Neil


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