Alignment and Strut issue with Dealer
05-23-2012, 08:40 PM
#1
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Alignment and Strut issue with Dealer
Took my 05 Saleen to the dealer because I was getting a loud clunking sound out of the front end when on rough and bumpy roads and I also asked them to check the front end alignment.
I originally thought it might need new struts. End result no struts needed they just tightened everything up according to the TSB (that I had to show them).
Here is where it seems to get crazy to me. The Service Tech said "To align the front end properly and to get the wheels straight up and down the struts needed to be elongated". Which they said "involved drilling into the strut" and stretching in some manner bringing it through the top of the tower. Also they said the "lower control arm needed to be elongated and repositioned to adjust the caster". Sounded like a Frankenstein project to me, so I said no way!
The suspension is the same as it came from Saleen when it was brand new.
I'm looking to you guys for your expert opinions has anyone else heard of or experienced a similar situation?
I originally thought it might need new struts. End result no struts needed they just tightened everything up according to the TSB (that I had to show them).
Here is where it seems to get crazy to me. The Service Tech said "To align the front end properly and to get the wheels straight up and down the struts needed to be elongated". Which they said "involved drilling into the strut" and stretching in some manner bringing it through the top of the tower. Also they said the "lower control arm needed to be elongated and repositioned to adjust the caster". Sounded like a Frankenstein project to me, so I said no way!
The suspension is the same as it came from Saleen when it was brand new.
I'm looking to you guys for your expert opinions has anyone else heard of or experienced a similar situation?
05-24-2012, 05:14 PM
#6
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Join Date: Feb 2007
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Did the clunking go away? If so, the problem is at least temporarily solved.
As far as the alignment work goes, I wouldn't have anything done before finding out just what Saleen's specs were. They may be different from non-Saleen Mustangs, and if so the alignment guy's computer is not likely to know what they are. That's assuming that the alignment tech was sharp enough to try entering your car using the name 'Saleen' somehow instead of just calling up "Mustang, 2005" - which is something else that I would not count on.
I can't help with any numbers, so you'll have to find some specific Saleen knowledge which may mean calling around at Saleen if you can't find it out at a Saleen-specific forum such as saleenmustang.org.
Norm
As far as the alignment work goes, I wouldn't have anything done before finding out just what Saleen's specs were. They may be different from non-Saleen Mustangs, and if so the alignment guy's computer is not likely to know what they are. That's assuming that the alignment tech was sharp enough to try entering your car using the name 'Saleen' somehow instead of just calling up "Mustang, 2005" - which is something else that I would not count on.
I can't help with any numbers, so you'll have to find some specific Saleen knowledge which may mean calling around at Saleen if you can't find it out at a Saleen-specific forum such as saleenmustang.org.
Norm
05-24-2012, 09:52 PM
#7
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Maryland
Posts: 154
Took my 05 Saleen to the dealer because I was getting a loud clunking sound out of the front end when on rough and bumpy roads and I also asked them to check the front end alignment.
I originally thought it might need new struts. End result no struts needed they just tightened everything up according to the TSB (that I had to show them).
Here is where it seems to get crazy to me. The Service Tech said "To align the front end properly and to get the wheels straight up and down the struts needed to be elongated". Which they said "involved drilling into the strut" and stretching in some manner bringing it through the top of the tower. Also they said the "lower control arm needed to be elongated and repositioned to adjust the caster". Sounded like a Frankenstein project to me, so I said no way!
The suspension is the same as it came from Saleen when it was brand new.
I'm looking to you guys for your expert opinions has anyone else heard of or experienced a similar situation?
I originally thought it might need new struts. End result no struts needed they just tightened everything up according to the TSB (that I had to show them).
Here is where it seems to get crazy to me. The Service Tech said "To align the front end properly and to get the wheels straight up and down the struts needed to be elongated". Which they said "involved drilling into the strut" and stretching in some manner bringing it through the top of the tower. Also they said the "lower control arm needed to be elongated and repositioned to adjust the caster". Sounded like a Frankenstein project to me, so I said no way!
The suspension is the same as it came from Saleen when it was brand new.
I'm looking to you guys for your expert opinions has anyone else heard of or experienced a similar situation?
I know drilling sounds kinda crazy sometimes but what ever works, so don't be surprised. :P
Since you didn't mentioned the mileage. I'm just giving you an idea.
05-24-2012, 10:26 PM
#8
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Va
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Thanks for the additional input.
Norm Peterson: New struts not needed the clunking was the end links and sway bar coming loose. All good now and fixed correctly; after I showed the tech the TSB I downloaded to my phone.
You are correct in that the tech was trying to go back to Ford specs and not Saleen. I have learned with the Racecraft suspension and the car being lowered 1.5" it would have been royally screwed up if I agreed to let them do what they thought was right. There seems to be a slight negative camber in the set up that helps with turning and also hard cornering. The drawback is inside tire wear for the front.
Zanypunk CC plates have been suggested by others also and I'm going to look into it. As for all the other things they wanted to do; it might be the right thing to do for a stock set up but as I have learned today it is not for the way Saleen modified the cars suspension when new. BTW my car has 54k miles on it. Thanks.
Norm Peterson: New struts not needed the clunking was the end links and sway bar coming loose. All good now and fixed correctly; after I showed the tech the TSB I downloaded to my phone.
You are correct in that the tech was trying to go back to Ford specs and not Saleen. I have learned with the Racecraft suspension and the car being lowered 1.5" it would have been royally screwed up if I agreed to let them do what they thought was right. There seems to be a slight negative camber in the set up that helps with turning and also hard cornering. The drawback is inside tire wear for the front.
Zanypunk CC plates have been suggested by others also and I'm going to look into it. As for all the other things they wanted to do; it might be the right thing to do for a stock set up but as I have learned today it is not for the way Saleen modified the cars suspension when new. BTW my car has 54k miles on it. Thanks.
05-25-2012, 06:03 AM
#9
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: state of confusion
Posts: 7,635
I'm not at all surprised, given that Saleen started out doing mostly cornering and handling 'tuning'.
Two sides of the same coin.
The flip side of negative camber making for cornering improvements is that it kind of requires you to take corners a bit harder than the average guy with average alignment specs (read: Ford's preferred settings).
With camber that's more negative, it takes harder cornering to get enough roll to get over onto the outer shoulder of the outboard tire and move some of the fastest wear there. Keeping the front tires a couple psi or so higher than what the sticker suggests tends to slow the rate of inside tread wear (and helps turn-in).
Norm
that helps with turning and also hard cornering. The drawback is inside tire wear for the front.
The flip side of negative camber making for cornering improvements is that it kind of requires you to take corners a bit harder than the average guy with average alignment specs (read: Ford's preferred settings).
With camber that's more negative, it takes harder cornering to get enough roll to get over onto the outer shoulder of the outboard tire and move some of the fastest wear there. Keeping the front tires a couple psi or so higher than what the sticker suggests tends to slow the rate of inside tread wear (and helps turn-in).
Norm
05-25-2012, 11:14 AM
#10
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Va
Posts: 820
I'm not at all surprised, given that Saleen started out doing mostly cornering and handling 'tuning'.
Two sides of the same coin.
The flip side of negative camber making for cornering improvements is that it kind of requires you to take corners a bit harder than the average guy with average alignment specs (read: Ford's preferred settings).
With camber that's more negative, it takes harder cornering to get enough roll to get over onto the outer shoulder of the outboard tire and move some of the fastest wear there. Keeping the front tires a couple psi or so higher than what the sticker suggests tends to slow the rate of inside tread wear (and helps turn-in).
Norm
Two sides of the same coin.
The flip side of negative camber making for cornering improvements is that it kind of requires you to take corners a bit harder than the average guy with average alignment specs (read: Ford's preferred settings).
With camber that's more negative, it takes harder cornering to get enough roll to get over onto the outer shoulder of the outboard tire and move some of the fastest wear there. Keeping the front tires a couple psi or so higher than what the sticker suggests tends to slow the rate of inside tread wear (and helps turn-in).
Norm
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