Alignment ? w/Mustang A arms

Topic: Alignment ? w/Mustang A arms (Read 1408 times) previous topic - next topic

Alignment ? w/Mustang A arms

June 05, 2007, 03:13:52 PM

Would Mustang A arms pull the lower strut in far enough to cause alignment issues? The reason I ask is that I was aligning the 86 today and the least amount of camber I can get is 1/4 deg positive with the plates pulled all the way inboard. That is with my plates in the negative orientation. I have MM plates btw. I'm gonna try drilling and slotting the strut tower because I'd like to see 1 deg negative. At least it's within stock spec so my tires will be fine.

Anyway, I was wracking my brain trying to figure out why I can get 2 1/2 neg on my 87 with the same plates and the only thing I can think of is the shorter arms on the 86 might be limiting me as opposed to my 87 having the long TC arms. Anyone else using the shorter Mustang A arms have this problem?

Any input would be apreciated.

And my strut towers aren't bent so nobody has to suggest that...

Alignment ? w/Mustang A arms

Reply #1 – June 05, 2007, 06:58:20 PM

what kmember is in there again? MM im thinkin.

im tryin to think of the kmember/control arm discussions.....i think 86 was one of the transition years. so it may be possible that a mustang kmember w/fox arms may cause issues for you.

Alignment ? w/Mustang A arms

Reply #2 – June 06, 2007, 12:29:53 AM

yeah, 87/88 k-members mount the controls arms more inward than the 86 and earlier ones.

Alignment ? w/Mustang A arms

Reply #3 – June 06, 2007, 07:42:15 AM

I'm using a MM 87-93 Mustang tubular K-member. I might buy some SN length arms and see if it fits OK with the 9" wide wheels. The more I look at it the more I think it'll be ok. I can always sell the Fox stang tubular arms on the Corral. Anyway, here's a pic of how it all fits now....

Alignment ? w/Mustang A arms

Reply #4 – June 06, 2007, 05:47:46 PM

i noticed your post over there after i asked.
it looks like w/some decent neg. camber settings and sn95 length arms you will probly be ok.

Alignment ? w/Mustang A arms

Reply #5 – June 07, 2007, 07:05:55 AM

Yep, time to sell some more parts to raise some cash. In the mean time while I'm saving up for the longer arms I think I'm gonna lengthen the strut mount rear slots on the strut tower and drill a hole more inboard for the front bolt and see if that will get me to zero or maybe a little negative if I'm lucky. I'm gonna try and work on it Saturday afternoon/evening... night, heheh...

I'll post up some pics and the final results when I'm done. With the amount of A-arm shuffling that goes on around here someone else is bound to have this issue at some point in the future.

Alignment ? w/Mustang A arms

Reply #6 – June 07, 2007, 11:16:16 AM

I am probably going to go through the same thing, so I am very curious to what you end up with.
I really want to put a set of 10th Anniversary SVT Cobra wheels on my car but when I test fitted them they stuck out too far for my tastes. I’m going to try a later model K-member which will bring it in closer to where you are at. But if I can’t get a usable alignment I may have to choose a different wheel.

Brent

Alignment ? w/Mustang A arms

Reply #7 – June 08, 2007, 03:46:24 PM

Hey BCA:

I too am ready to change my front wheel track on my 87 TC 460.

I have some 17 x 9 Cobra R's ( with 5 & 7/8 B.S. ) and I need to move the wheel in 3/4 inch so I'll use 89-93 Fox Stang arms.

Hope the camber resets o.k. (within spec I hope. I would think it would.)

Alignment ? w/Mustang A arms

Reply #8 – June 08, 2007, 04:59:15 PM

Quote from: 83-88T-Bird Guy;152703

Hope the camber resets o.k. (within spec I hope. I would think it would.)

It wont... not without camber plates. And even then the least amount of camber you'll be able to get will be 1/4 to 1/2 degree positive. At +1/2 you'll wear the outsides of your tires. +1/4 is factory spec so that should be ok but I struggled to get that on the drivers side with the camber plates full negative. You may have better luck (or worse) because what I've found at least on my 2 birds is that every strut tower is a little different. Some will allow more adjustment and some less.

That's why I'm modifying my strut tower cc plate mount holes this weekend. Results should be posted by Monday.