[DeTomaso] machine ball joint to modify alignment

[Ken Green]

Someone also mentioned doing the camber lock kit the same time you make mods to increase caster, so you don't have to get the suspension aligned twice, and there is some overlap in doing the camber lock and modifying and shimming the ball joint.
 
Ken

--- On Sat, 5/1/10, Charles Engles <cengles at cox.net> wrote:


From: Charles Engles <cengles at cox.net>
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] machine ball joint to modify alignment
To: "'boyd casey'" <boyd411 at gmail.com>
Cc: detomaso at realbig.com
Date: Saturday, May 1, 2010, 3:09 PM


Dear Boyd,

            First: machining the upper ball joint mount will not change the
camber.   The camber is changed by moving the upper ball joint in or out
along the channel of the upper a arm where the ball joint mount sits.   OK,
so the upper ball joint mount sits in the channel of the upper a arm and
moves in and out to adjust camber.

           Second: machining the upper ball joint mount will change the
caster.  Machining it requires removal of the upper ball joint mount and
removal of the ball joint.     A machinist then removes from the rear edge
of the mount a small amount of material, say five-hundredths of an inch.
You then replace the upper ball joint mount in its normal upper a arm
channel, but you can now shift it rearwards five hundredths of an inch.
That movement is maintained by placing five-hundredths of an inch of shims
in front of the mount to provide snug fitment.  Replace the bolts and the
new rearward position of the mount by our theoretical five-hundredths of an
inch provides a rearward tilt of the vertical axis of the front wheel, which
will add, perhaps, one or two degrees of Positive caster.   Positive caster
is a good thing.

           The rearward tilt of the wheel axis can be obtained by the
modified front upper ball joint mount; by physically modifying the upper a
arm; and by modifying the front upper and lower a arm bushings----or by a
combination of techniques.  They all have advantages and disadvantages, but
all produce the desirable increase in positive caster.

          I hope this makes sense.


              The Rookie Mechanic,  Chuck Engles



-----Original Message-----
From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com] On
Behalf Of boyd casey
Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 4:49 PM
To: De Tomaso List
Subject: [DeTomaso] machine ball joint to modify alingment

Can some one out line the procedure  for machining the ball joint to improve
or increase the caster or camber available while alignment on a 73 Panteras
suspension.
Please explain the process and the principal if you know and can take the
time to explain it. Thanks,
Boyd
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