Front Wishbones

[Guest PaulM]

I'm just putting on the front wishbones and they don't line up. The box sections that run across the chassis are about 1/2 an inch out on one side and a bit more on the other. I've had to put 6 washers on one side and 7 on the other to fill the gaps. I'm working on the theory that the front box section is correctly aligned and the back ones are out. Should I be worried ?

[Guest daveg]

Paul

 

Something you haven't learnt about RH's yet:

 

1) A big hammer is required

2) A BIG box of washers are required

 

So your wishbone are correct

 

Seriously, that how everybody's are, including mine.

 

Dave

[Guest TerryBarry]

That sounds like mine !! - needed 4, 5 ,6 & 7 washers to pack out the four gaps

I assume when you say "they don't line up" you have had to add the washers.

On my chassis the number of washers is different top & bottom and o/s & n/s.

I've replace the larger collections of washers with solid spacers.

Terry

[Mat-Moo]

I thought the point of the washers was to allow you to change the camber (?) ?

[Guest TerryBarry]

The front pivot tubes of the wishbones are a tight fit in the square section tubes

Therefore it is not possible to move one wishbone laterally to the other - there by adjusting the castor angle.

Unless you grind off metal from the front of the wishbone and it's inner metal bush - thus allowing that wishbone to move backwards or forwards within the square tube and putting a suitable washer into the square tube to take up the slack introduced.

You can see the relative fit ?? of the front and rear pivots in attached photo.

Note the stack of washers behind the rear pivot

Terry

[Guest Alan Harrison]

Paul,

It can be a right bugger holding the wishbone in place, inserting the washers, then pushing the bolt through. Try superglueing the washers together to make a spacer and it goes together much easier............If you've drilled your crossmember in the right place

[Guest Mike Perry]

I've just got this far as well and I like the idea of superglueing the washers.

 

But does anyone have a handy tip as to how to insert the spacer/washers in the top shock absorber mount?

 

Or is it just a case of persevering until it all goes together.

[Guest Fred2b]

Mike

I used a nifty little gadget from a boot sale. It's a telescopic magnetic pen. It holds about 3 washers on edge while you try to insert the bolt. Not the best idea but I found it helped.

Regards

Fred

[Jon Bradbury]

Terry,

 

I think Richard's idea is to move the rear mounting hole of the top wishbone inboard / outboard to adjust caster. It has the effect of moving the wishbone end (at the ball joint) fore / aft in an arc, relative to the bottom wishbone end.

 

Unfortunately on my car (a DOHC "Lux") the front holes are all pre drilled so I'd have to weld plates on and redrill to do this.

 

Besides, as you say the front pivots are a tight fit in the box section so its quite hard to move the top wishbone in this way. I think this is poorly thought out as is the need for those washers - it results in putting alot more lateral stress on the bolts than I'm comfortable with. It would have been much better if Richard had used the box section for front and rear mounts and pre-drilled them to give the right amout of caster (I think -5.3 degrees?) to get self centering and steering feel.

 

I don't really think anyone is going to bother trial and error here to get it spot on.

 

As an aside, I have mine fitted according to the factory holes and the steering does not self centre unless I am going BACKWARDS. I double checked and, yes, the top wishbones are fitted correctly, although the toe-in / camber are no doubt out by a mile (haven't set 'em yet), and these too have their part to play in self centering.

 

Cheers

 

JonB

[Guest PaulM]

Thanks for the words of reassurance.

 

I'm off to get some more washers and longer bolts !!

 

Paul M