2004 Mustang Deluxe Coupe

The car was involved in a serious front end collision last August. Took the car to Ford Body Shop for repairs and they returned the car to me in October however since I have had the car back, I have experienced a lot of pull to the right. I took the car back to Ford and they said the tires need inflating. Anyway, almost 1 year later, several return trips to the shop, and still having the same problem, I found and looked at the alignment measurements taken in October when Ford returned the car to me. When I received the report I had no clue what camber, caster, and toe measurements meant but now after doing a little research, I have a bit of knowledge.

The report:

Left front
Actual / Specified Range
-1.4 / -1.3 to 0.3 Camber
2.6 / 2.5 to 4.0 Caster
.13 / .00 to .25 Toe

Right front
Actual / Specified Range
-1.2 / -1.3 to 0.3 Camber
2.2 / 2.3 to 4.0 Caster
.13 / .00 to .25 Toe


Now my understanding is that these measurements should be the same for both sides for ideal performance and that the measurements should be within the specified range. (Note the left camber measurement and right caster measurement are not within specs nor are they the same on both sides.) I believe this is the cause of the pull. I did some reading on the net and understand that there are no camber adjustments on my car and that the out of spec measurements are indicators of bent or worn parts that will require repair and replacement of parts. Is my understanding correct?

Something I recall from the accident is that the right strut got pushed way up through the tower and that the strut tower actually fractured to which Ford welded rather than replaced.

Any info would be helpful. If you can point me in the direction of some reading material for my 04 Mustang suspension / alignment, etc. , that too would be appreciated.

 

What you need are frame measurements as in frame alignment. Sounds like either the front subframe is jacked or your strut mounting towers were messed up in the accident and weren't properly fixed.

Also, I can't remember if it's Caster or Camber that is not adjustable on SN95 model cars. That being the case, one of those specs cannot be adjusted without Camber/Caster plates.

oh yeah, here's a link for reference
http://www.whiteline.com.au/default..../faqsusp01.htm

 

Caster is non-adjustable on a stock Mustang, and the settings are not going to be the same on both sides. You have to compensate for the subtle crowning of the road. If you don't compensate for that and you set both left and right equally you'll find yourself pulling towards the edge of the road. Check tire pressure and like Derf00 said, check to make sure the subframes are where they need to be and not damaged.

 

+1. I would take it to an independant shop and have the frame checked. And from what I see with the numbers, the left side is OUT OF SPEC.

 

Thanks for the input. Were can I go to get some information that states that the casters are not able to be adjusted on a stock mustang? If Ford were to say they can make an adjustment, how would they go about doing so? Will they be adding parts?

 

Caster/camber plates will make it adjustable. The other thing they may have to do is tweak the subframe some. That's why I recommended having another shop check the frame. Ford will try to do anything they can to keep it cheap. Even if they have to lie about it.

 

The camber is adjustable. Just slot the holes in the struts where it bolts to the steering knuckle, then you can adjust the camber.

 

OK so I took the car back to Ford body shop based on the front settings being out of specs. Ford service did a 4 wheel alignment and identified 1) that the front alignmnet was out of specs (we already knew) and 2) that the rear axle housing was also bent. The body shop then proceeded to replace the rear axle housing with a used axle housing. Three used housings later and they return the car to me. This time with an alignment report for all 4 wheels. HOWEVER ...

This alignment report is missing specified ranges for several catergories. SOOOOO....

Can anyone get me a copy of the specified ranges for my 04 Mustang for all four wheels for all catergories including camber , caster, toe, SAI, included angle, Turning anle diff., cross camber, cross caster, total toe, and AND the settings for the rear. I assume that since the rear is a fixed wheel axle then the settings should be similar on both sides. According to my report, the rear alignment settings are:

rear left
Camber 0.1
Toe -.30

rear right
Camber -0.2
Toe .05

NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE IN NUMBERS? Should they be the same? I just want to know if my care is fixed and if I should be satisfied.


Also, the body shop gave me a print out of the subframe measurements. Can anyone tell me what the acceptable ranges are?

If anyone is in Las Vegas, Nevada do you know a good shop I can take my car to?