Wheel alignment after lift?

[syncropatrick]

Hi All,

Just had a 30mm lift kit installed to my van using upper ball joint spacers from Silverbullet plus spacers and front and rear shock extensions from Futbus.

What do I need to give my local wheel alignment guys so they get the job done properly? I've had a look in the wiki and there seems to be a wealth of info but I'm not sure what to give them.

[lloydy]

On brickyard T3 information you can get all the alignment data for different lift heights. My local wheel alignment place had all the data anyway

[v-lux]

Patrick, I used the info on Brickyard. Measure up your wheel center to wheel arch height and you'll be able read off the graph the relevant info.

[syncropatrick]

[Simon Baxter]

If your van is lifted, then chances are that your vans height won't be on the chart leaving you in unknown territory.
Get smeone who understands wheel alignment rather than someone who just does what the book says.
I'll be surprised if you can get everything in spec.
Theres a thread on here somewhere with a graph that projected the known data to achieve the unknown data.
That's what I use at work and it seems to work okay, no issues so far and they do drive nice and straight with no tyre wear.

[KINGPRAWN]

Patrick, I used the info on Brickyard. Measure up your wheel center to wheel arch height and you'll be able read off the graph the relevant info.

where do i find this data? cant see it on the web site.....

[lloydy]

ere you go
http://www.brick-yard.co.uk/VehicleSpec ... ometry.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[KINGPRAWN]

ere you go
http://www.brick-yard.co.uk/VehicleSpec ... ometry.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

FANX!!!

[syncropatrick]

Done a couple of hundred motorway miles since the lift to let things bed in. As expected, the wheel alignment is now off. Van:-
1) pulls to the left a little
2) feels not so keen to turn into corners
3) is more difficult to keep in a straight line, but weirdly in a cyclical fashion. At 60mph it wants to wander every 5 seconds or so.
I know 2 and 3 contradict each other! How much of the above is because of the raised height and not geometry out?

My 16" van runs 225/75/16 BFG ATs with original springs and shocks, plus 30mm over-spring spacers all round, shock extenders all round and upper ball joint spacers on the front. Pressure set to 40 front and 42 rear. Van filled with a typical load for a trip away - both batteries, furniture, water, both fuel tanks full, tool kit and spares. The vertical distance from middle of axle to bottom of wing lip is 535mm.

I've read all the blurb and think my best statement of angles are:-
Front.
Toe in somewhere between 0°30'±5' and 0°45'±5' depending who's data you read.
Camber 0°20'±20' Camber tolerance left to right. 1°
Castor 4°40'±15'
Rear.
Toe in 010'°±20'
Camber 0°5'±20' NEGATIVE Camber tolerance left to right. 0°20'
And when I say toe in for both ends I mean OUT for both ends yeah?
Done in this order - caster, camber then finally toe.

My local (nice) tyre fitters said 4wd alignment off the chart was a bit much for them, so they recommended another local chap who used to run the alignment side at Protyre Bristol, 'he does all the difficult stuff like track cars etc'. Even he struggled with understanding what to do and gave up after an hour, especially when he could not work out how to adjust camber and toe on the rears and balked at removing the front bash guard. He admitted he'd never done a T25 before and his knowledge only went back to T4s. Couldn't even give me a printout as his printer had run out of ink. Grr! I think I'll ring some T25 friendly local garages and ask them who does it for them.

If only Baxter was nearer. He did a great job last time, even with my funky chassis geometry.

[v-lux]

Patrick, i got mine done at Pro Tyre in Exeter, Marsh Barton they were very good/helpful.

They used the data that i brought along for them and got it spot on. However we didnt touch the rear as it was already within spec and the chance of budging the bolts looked very slim. They have my details on their system in case its any help.
Perhaps your guys could chat to the guys in Exeter??

(i took my bash plate off before i went there... )

FYI - Mine is 520mm from center to wheel arch lip and drives great after the alignment based on the BY data. Its characteristics before alignment sound very similar to yours, bit reluctant to go round corners!
Its fine now and doesnt feel all that much different than it did before the lift etc. Goes in a straight line, turns corners smoothly. Feels more confidence inspiring to drive now, was definitely a bit twitchy before.

[Simon Baxter]

Reduce castor to make it go around corners.
They are usually at full stretch on the adjustment on one side, so, just get one side as low as you can and set the other side to match, usually the left hand that runs out of adjustment, plus there are a few tricks with the settings to counteract the camber of the road, some better than others.
Hard to explain.
Ideally need some longer radius rods, only feasable on later cast arm syncro.

[syncropatrick]

Thanks Al - Protyre Brizzle it will be then. Can you PM me your number plate and date you went to Marsh Barton. I'll ask the Brizzle lads to ring MB and get the details of yours and any tips and tricks they found, before I take mine in. What toe OUT angle did you get in the end for your front, as 520mm is off the chart as well?
Thanks Simon - every little helps.

[v-lux]

Think I went with the figures for 515mm as it was pretty damn close. But shouldn't be to complex to extrapolate the data on the graph for your height measurement.

Pm on it's way...

[jed the spread]

3) is more difficult to keep in a straight line, but weirdly in a cyclical fashion. At 60mph it wants to wander every 5 seconds or so.

Mine still does that abit even after the adjustments.(van sitting at 51.5cm) I am hoping to get used to it and have just fitted some coil inserts to the rear as well as the front ones I had fitted already to see if it helps.

jed

[syncropatrick]

van sitting at 51.5mm

Not much ground clearance then! Were you right to go lower? (apologies to the splitty crew for misquoting them).

BTW, can anyone remember what height MG's Limey was, when it won highest van at Syncro 25?