[DeTomaso] Real-world alignment caster info

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

Hi guys,

Since I had to have my Pantera re-aligned because I installed Koni shocks 
in place of my Carrera shocks, I took the opportunity to have .100" milled 
off the back side of the upper front ball joints, in an effort to increase 
caster.   (Thanks Chris Difani!)

The factory alignment specs in the 1971 owner's manal call for 6 degrees of 
caster.   This is a complete joke, because the stock setup on the early 
cars won't enable you to get anywhere NEAR that amount--you're lucky if you're 
able to achieve 1 3/4 degrees on a '71.   The '72-'74 manual calls for 2 
degrees 40 minutes (that is, 2 2/3 degrees) of caster, but even that is an 
impossibility.   Although the '72 and later cars used completely different upper 
front A-arms which were designed to allow more caster, they didn't change 
them nearly enough, and it's rare to find a Pantera that's able to deliver 
more than about 2 1/4 degrees, tops.

There are various extreme measures you can take to correct this situation; 
having the back leg of the upper A-arms straightened can give you 6-7 
degrees, which may be too much.   You can also buy offset poly bushings, which 
push the upper arm to the rear and the lower arm to the front.   I like the 
stock rubber bushings though, so I elected to go with the ball joint milling, 
just to see what would happen.

When all was said and done, by milling .100" off the back side of the ball 
joints, I was able to get 2.7 degrees of caster on the left side and 2.5 
degrees on the right, a measureable improvement over what went before (I had 
just over 2 degrees on each side, although I can't remember the exact value).

The car drives beautifully now, and self-centers without having unduly high 
steering effort.   If I was going to be going to Bonneville I might be 
inclined to try to get more caster with A-arm modifications etc. but for now, I 
think I'll leave it alone and see how the car drives in varying conditions, 
i.e. bumpy, rutted roads, smooth roads, twisty roads, racetracks....

Mike