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Chemix Halesowen Alignment Check


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Just went along to Chemix after reading a glowing recommendation on here and on other forums. Found the guys there very helpful. Had to use the commercial ramp due to ground clearance issues, and they let me have a look around under the car. Going back again next week after I have twisted the nuts to lift the ride height to get things adjusted correctly (they changed toe in there and then) Toe in now 1.4mm, steering wheel is nice and straight again rather than twisted to the right.

 

CHemix.jpg

 

They aren't equipped to do anything at the back, so any thoughts on what or if I need to do anything would be greatly and graciously appreciated. I was planning on raising the ride at the back, which should (if I understand correctly) reduce the camber a little, and hopefully balance it out a little.

 

Chap suggested looking at a citroen / VAG electronic handbreak to replace mine....an interesting thought!!!

 

Cheers

 

Ed

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yep if you want to change the rear you will need shims that fit between the hub and wishbone. there is also too much toe-in on the back which is reduced with the shims at the same time. not sure who makes them but someone on here used to do it.

 

as you say increasing the ride height on the back will help a little.

 

electric handbrake has been done on a 2b sure there is a thread about it on here. personally don't ahve a problem with normal lever and can easily lock the wheels on the sierra drums. My dads citreon has an electric handbrake and i find it a bit annoying as it isn't as quick to release as manual.

 

hth

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Guest mower man

1.4 mm is a lot would be better at 0.5 ,rear certainly needs sorting to minimise toe and bring camber to no more than 0.5 neg HTH mower man

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Guest shaggy

If you don't want to use shims, just use washers behind the hub. Did that on mine and works perfectly well, sorted most of the camber out, as well as the toe in

 

Si

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Cheers - tempted to try some washers on the back to see what effect they have when I go back to get the front re adjusted after ride height change.

 

Please excuse the laziness for asking and not researching first, but should I be putting the extra washers towards the back or front of the car to fix the toe in problem - guessing front of the car to increase the space between the tyres at the front edge of the car. Was going to try 2 washers left side, 1 right and see what effect that has. Think I am going to try and fix one thing first then work on camber next!

 

Thanks

 

Ed

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haven't done it myself but if you are putting washers in then you will need to put more at the front (of the rear wheels) to push the front (of the rear wheel) out and reduce toe-in. You also need to put some at the top to push the top of the wheel out (increase camber) it still needs to be negative camber as said but less than what you have.

 

personally i wouldn't love washers as i would see that as more of temporary fix. if you get it correct with washers you could then get shims made to replace which will spread the load better across the hub.

 

when i did my alignment i made a bit rectangle around the car and squared it to the car. you can then measure in to the front and back of each wheel and see how much they are out. If they are toe-ing in then the front measurement will be more than the rear of each wheel. don't just run a line from front to back wheels as they are not the same track width and you will end up with a trapezoid shape. any measurements then taken will be wrong.

 

hope that makes sense.

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OK this is frustrating! I have the suspension in the attached photo

 

frontsuspension.JPG

 

I lifted the car, and hoped I could just slacken off the locking nut, then tighten the other nut thus increasing the ride height. Once I had found a 60mm spanner, all it does is rotate the silver threaded shaft and coil. My spring compressors don't fit, so had a look into Machine Mart and the closest we could find were motorcycle spring compressors:

 

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/laser-4764-motorcycle-coil-spring-compressor?da=1&TC=SRC-laser%204764

 

I can't find a rating for these to see if they would survive trying to compress even the pathetic springs on the superspec - also I don't fancy them failing mid compress either....but anyone know if these can handle it - or have a better solution!!! I tried, but not hard, to strap the coil when the car was sat on the ground, but that got me out the house to look for the compressor!

 

I also had a look at undoing where the damper meets the wishbone but that's under tension from the spring still. Do I have to release the bottom arm of the wishbone from the hub?

 

Again, thankyou for thoughts / help!

 

Ed

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Guest mower man

You need Move the nut in an upward direction loading up the spring you do not need spring compressors ,are the adjustment nut and lock nut locked together ? you need to part them and wind the upper one to shorten the spring when correct hieght is achieved hold the uppernut and lockit off with the lower one.there should be no need to remove the damper from the wishbone . what dampers are they ? the treadedpart should not rotate. Iam a little confused at you saying the threaded part revovlves it should be part of the damper body,let me think alittle more as some thing does not seem right mower man

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That's what I thought!!!! Think the solution is innovative, but not easy to adjust in situ. This is what it looks like disassembled (from another post on the site.)

 

 

Takenapart.jpg

 

The silver thing on the right sits over the damper and is the bit that rotates

 

Thanks

 

Ed

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Guest shorty

Hi I think what you have zeemerides first you will have to jack the body up not the suspension unlock the locknuts wind up the nuts it should wind up with the weight off the suspension I had the same problem you may have to hold the threaded part with molegrips or a stilston drastic I know but I can't see any other way.

Artie

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Ah the difference a change in mind set makes to working on a car......so I have decided I am going to change the coils/dampers and update the fronts......so that means I don't care about the existing zimmers.....Out came the plumbers pliers.....and lo and behold the nut was just stuck from lack of use (car has sat for 2 years un driven really, and several years in build before I got old of it.)

 

Body is jacked, and nut is turning reasonably freely.

 

How many much would people recommend? I was going with about 1cm all around then driving car to settle and see much it affects ride height. (will check geometry later when happy with final height.)

 

There is loads more thread to go, but would imagine that would compress spring too much and cause nasty thing to happen on bumps and at speed. I am going for the cumaltive effect on road height by changing sump fitting remote oil filter (measured mine against alloy 420 sump in breakers and I gain about 2 fingers.....)

 

Thanks all again.

 

Ed

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Guest mower man

Those damper are absolute cack sorry but that is as nice as I can be, get in touch with Dave at Damper tech an get some Gaz dampers from him ,the ones you have got are result of Tricky Dickie and his economy process sorry to be condeming things but you need to throw them in the skip ,it was this sort of thing that got the bad press for RH mower man

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