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DIY Caster

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Old Jan 6, 2011 | 06:48 PM
  #1  
001mustang's Avatar
001mustang
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 889
From: tn
Default DIY Caster

Level car.

Sit car on turntable.

Take camber measurements at 20* right and 20* left.

Calculate caster w/ googled equation.

Caster (deg) = (180 / 3.1415) * [(camber1 - camber2) / (turnangle1 - turnangle2)]



Shortcut for Caster w/ 20* turns:

Caster = 1.432 x (camber1 - camber2)
Attached Thumbnails DIY Caster-aster.jpg   DIY Caster-aster-1-.jpg   DIY Caster-aster-2-.jpg  

Last edited by 001mustang; Jan 16, 2011 at 03:55 PM. Reason: 1.432 short cut
Old Jan 16, 2011 | 12:18 PM
  #2  
001mustang's Avatar
001mustang
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 889
From: tn
Default Road trip

I took road trip to test DIY alighnment.
67 mustang w/ manual unisteer rack.

DIY settings:
Camber = -0.7, -0.7
Caster = +4.2, +4.36
Toe = +0.11 toe in

Goal: 70mph stability

Test 1: grooved bridge I-75 MM 72 Loudon.
Car used to tram line over this bridge but did fine this trip.

Test 2: Straight line tracking at 70mph.
Car used to wonder but now firmly tracks straight ahead.
Had this car for decades; it has never tracked this well.

Result: The high speed stability and return to center is perfect w/ above DIY settings. Low speed steering effort is a bit hard but ok for me.

I would not run more than 4 caster w/ manual rack. Lower caster reduces low speed steering effort at expense of straight line tracking.
Old Jan 16, 2011 | 01:31 PM
  #3  
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chris66dad
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 386
From: Benicia, Ca
Default

I did my own alignment also but "only" went to +3.0 caster on both sides. Car tracks and handles great at speed. At very low speed you will get Popeye arms trying to turn manual steering.
Write up and info here: http://chris66dad.tripod.com/id27.html
Old Feb 23, 2011 | 01:59 PM
  #4  
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001mustang
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From: tn
Default

I installed 1/16" shim on front UCA bolt (driver and passenger side) to give me a head start at increasing caster while minimizing LCA stress.
Attached Thumbnails DIY Caster-0-shim.jpg   DIY Caster-0-uca.jpg  
Old Feb 26, 2011 | 04:37 PM
  #5  
pappastang's Avatar
pappastang
 
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 5
From: mich
Default

i tried to look at your attachments, it says i dont have permesion ? how do i get it.
i do have a account for this site thanks
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