I'm building my 31 ford model a. I have a Speedway 4" dropped I beam straight axle and the standard speedway crossmember. I've read a lot on caster angle. I've decided to go with 10 degrees. My issue is. Frame level. Front crossmember level. And set back at 10 degrees. Radius rod are not connected at this time. I check kingpins. Using a socket and degree wheel to check. Setting socket on top of the flat king pin. Ok. The axle is @ 10 degrees. The p*** side king pin is at 10 degrees. But the drivers side is at 15 degrees . At this point I adjust the p*** side radius rod to go on with out any binding what so ever. No problem. But go to drivers side. Which needs 5 degrees taking back out. You have to adjust radius rod so much that when you get it to 10 degrees. Then go back and double check everything all 3 point. Axle and both king pins are within 1 degree. But by the radius rod being in such a bind it gets the front end out level by almost a 1/4 inch. I've checked triple checked and did all I know how to do here. I'm kinda at a loss now. Any suggestions ideas or help would be greatly appreciated. Is there an allowable tolerance of how much you can get away with from side to side on caster ?????? I'm chasing this 5 degrees and getting no place. Thanks. In pics you can see drivers side radius rod. How much I have to pull up to gain that 5 degrees causing the binding which causes the front end to get outta level.
Bad axle. The only folks I've heard of that use different caster settings side to side are oval track racers. Gary
Wow. That would be my luck. So if it's bad , I know I'm stuck with it now. It's been painted and installed. So is there anyone I could send it to to have it checked or even possibly repaired. I know it would have to be heated and tweaked a bit. If they can do it ???
You never know without calling. Speedway can be pretty reasonable when it comes to parts that are defective. Got receipt? Good luck. Gary
You might try your local heavy truck repair shop.. A lot of those trucks use straight axles and they should know how to bend it back in shape.. May not even have to heat it to do it, they have some pretty big presses...
Have you ever layed the hair pins on top of one another? Maybe one of them needs to flip 180 degrees? Just trying to help.
If its forged, you could heat and twist. I've had to straighten many stock ones, but never aftermarket. Id still call Speedway, their customer service is one of the best.
10 degrees sounds a bit excessive as most guys run between six and 8. That said it may be that the method you are using to check caster isn't all that accurate and you actually need to put the car together with the settings "close" and have it set up properly with a real caster/camber gauge or on a front end machine. It may be that the difference is in the tops of the axles where you are measuring rather than in the actual king pin. Also there is very little chance that you will get it set to exactly what you are wanting after the car is complete and finished and setting on it's own tires and wheels with all the weight of the total car on the suspension. You can get a lot closer than a guy building an A frame suspension car can true but you are still going to have to set it again after it is together.
Called Speedway. No Techs today and no Customer service today. I'll call tomorrow and speak to them. But I've had it for almost 2 years and painted it then installed it. So I highly doubt they'll do much. But I'll try. This is one of those things ya don't know until you get it ***embled so ......... And yes I have all receipts
Since you are going to have to take the axle out anyway, why not get it in a vise and check the axle on different locations. The more pieces you add to check from, the more it could be off. 5 degrees on a kingpin top is a small fraction of an inch.
Can this axle be turned around and hardware re-mounted? the rule is more caster on the p***enger side than the driver's side because of road crown.
5 degrees maybe a fraction of a inch. But to adjust that 5 degrees takes about 2" at opposite end of radius rod. which is causing the issues here. I'll check in vise
No they told me this particular axel can only be mount the way I have it The king pings roll slightly back towards firewall. So that's out.
My guess is it's WHERE you're checking the angle.... only way to be accurate is to measure directly off the K.P. ... if you trust the machining , then measuring off the machined surface on the axle boss would work O.K. dave
Not exactly. If your axle is put in a vise, and turns out to be correct, it could be any number of things, brackets slightly off, radius rods slightly off, anything. That is why the hiems and clevises are adjustable. IF the axles are square, the angles are correct, THEN you adjust the rods to the suspension mounts.
The correct way is to put the axle in a vise (or on your car with brakes removed), put the plain kingpins in, with nothing mounted and check off those kingpins. If they are correct, adjust the rods to size. A couple threads on DIFFERENT rods will pull it all together.
I'm not sure if this applys to your problem but if you look up a company called seals-it they make a nifty product that allows you to adjust camber and caster with off set sleeves around the kingpin.......I have used these many times on our race cars and they work slick ....I'm sure if you goggle that company and search their catalog you will find them.....if you have problems get back to me and I'll get you in touch.........Jim
Ok. I think I'm back in the game. Regrouped. Took your advice and reinstalled axle only with pins. Very very close. 1 degree or so from side to side. I'll readjust radius rod to fit without binding lock everything down and recheck at pins. If all good re***emble brakes and wheels. And move to next step. Thanks a ton.
Well it's alot closer than it was before. So at this point I'll go ahead and put it all back together. Once engine and trans is back in I'll recheck the best I can. In the final I will take it to shop and see if they can do the proper alignment . Thanks again. And yes I understand that angle finder isn't the best. But it'll work for now until I can get in for alignment.
Just found this pic. Thought it may help someone in the future. I'm going to make me up a couple of these. Great idea to whom ever came up with it. The flat on shaft really will help
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