Date: Sat, 2 Jan 2010 18:15:07 -0800
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Adjusting Rear Camber
In-Reply-To: <032f01ca8c12$5879aeb0$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
On Sat, Jan 2, 2010 at 5:16 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
> it's easy.
> see my post just posted.
>
> you can check camber, toe, and get a good idea if front castor is correct,
> with a flat level floor, and simple measuring tools and a level.
> Been doin' it for 30 years at least. And I get 'em to track true, and run
> with nice even tire wear, believe it or not.
>
> scott
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dave Mcneely" <mcneely4@COX.NET>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Saturday, January 02, 2010 3:42 PM
> Subject: Re: Adjusting Rear Camber
>
>
> Well, without alignment equipment, I wouldn't attempt it. How would you
>> measure the angle? David Mc
>>
>>
>>
You can use what is called a "Smart Level" that may be a brand name for a
digital level that are available online or at Home Despot or Lowes... I like
to put a couple of spacer blocks onto one to measure the angle of the wheel
rim.rather than trying to use the tire's sidewall..
Excellent accruacy to the tenth of a degree. With a little thought, you
can do a good job with your suspension alignments. I did all my own
alignments on my P-car racer and won races and set lap records..it is not
rocket science..Regular tools(strings, levels, tape measures, etc) can do
the job at least as well as a 'normal' alignment shop and all their fancy
lazers and computers run by an ..."uninspired?" wage worker.
That being said, your best indicator of how your alignment really IS is
your tire wear. If they are wearing evenly without any 'weirdness' in the
wear pattern your alignment is pretty close to right..
not sure about the Vanagon, but many vehicles need to be 'settled' between
changes to the alignment settings. If you jack the thing up and change
something, you should drive it around a little to get the suspension back to
'relaxed' before you re-measure your alignment..
Don Hanson
> On Sat, Jan 2, 2010 at 5:31 PM, Geo & Kathleen Hahn wrote:
>>
>> It appears to my eye that the rear camber on my '84 Westy needs
>>> adjustment.
>>>
>>> The Bentley procedure seems simple, perhaps too simple? Just pull off
>>> that plastic cap from the big nut, loosen the nut, pry the trailing
>>> arm by inserting a big screwdriver in the slot, tighten the nut and
>>> go.
>>>
>>> Assume here that I am crafty enough to measure camber both before and
>>> after.
>>>
>>> I couldn't find any reference to this in the archives... suggesting
>>> that it is either very easy or seldom done. Any gotchas I should know
>>> about? Thanks for any help.
>>>
>>> Geo
>>>
>>
|