[AROWHED]

Got a Fastrax caster camber gauge. Read the instructions, watched the how-to youtube video. Slapped it on the 65, and put grease plates under both front tires to allow effortless movement. Both front wheels peg the gauge's caster scale at -4 degrees. No wonder its a handful on the highway...everything I've read says shoot for as much positive caster as you can get for directional stability.
So started messing with drivers side. It had nearly equal shim stacks on both bolts.
Removing all shims from the front bolt, and adding one more shim to the rear, got me to -.5 deg caster, and -.5 degree camber on that wheel. So this is where it is...see pic. Ridiculous, I know....and still not even on the positive side of caster scale yet. What next?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwyfUXsXTV4

[63gpman]

I feel your pain here. I have been second guessing my setup for some time now on the 65 i am doing. If you come up with a good solution on how to get your caster set right w/out messing with your camber, that would be awesome!! I wonder if any other offset shaft would work with these big cars?

[AROWHED]

The 65 factory chassis manual states a power steering-equipped fullsize should have 0deg, +/- 1/2deg caster, with camber at 1/4, +/- 1/2deg. Maybe those were overly conservative settings? But either way, how far it can be adjusted beyond that..especially after nearly 50 years of time on the frame. Also, how do modern radial tires factor into this.

[Goatracer1]

If I understand you correctly you just screwed up your camber. If you want the camber to remain the same whatever shims you take out of one side you have to put back in the otherside. This should also increase your caster.

[Deadhead]

I think something else is going on here b/c none of my '66s have near that many shims on them, and handle great. You have already changed to the later type control arms IIRC right? Disc brake conversion?

They make offset bushings for the control arms for '63-4 cars. I don't think they are the same for '65, but I could be wrong. Might look into those if no joy.

[stevep]

Has the frame ever been pulled?

[AROWHED]

I've had this car since 2011, it had sat unused since 1972 prior to that. No frame work while in my possession. Being a GP it has the boxed frame, and coming from Oklahoma, it is still very solid.
I have put 1969 Bonneville front disc brake spindles on it, with the original 1965 control arms, and all four control arms received polyurethane bushings and new ball joints.
New coil springs and shocks to boot.

The power gearbox is from a 69 Firebird..requires very little effort to turn. Recently installed a new centerlink and idler arm, and all four tie rods ends are still quite tight. The new centerlink required me to reset the toe, so it's now at 1/16" in.

It wanders a bit on the highway...touchy steering and likes to follow road irregularities. Doesn't pull necessarily but doesn't inspire confidence either.

The half degree negative camber I got now is good, but the zero degree caster is not...and as far as I can tell, all I can do now is keep adding shims to the rear bolt to get the caster positive...but as the pics show, the shaft is already tilted a huge amount.
I thought maybe I reversed the upper control arms, but the one stamped "L" is on driver side, "R" on the pass. side.

[Deadhead]

I doubt seriously this is your problem, but I have found that ball joints can make the car follow the contour of the road - hump in the middle of interstate lanes etc.

I also bet that the poly bushings are stiff enough to have an effect on your caster/camber. Rubber had to flex/crush with the weight of the car on it. Poly is not going to do that to the same degree.

[AROWHED]

I messed with it more yesterday..managed to get both front wheels to +1 deg caster and -1.2 deg camber. This required a significant shim stack on both rear bolts, more than the pic above..over half an inch, while still no shims on the front bolt. Took several attempts to reset the toe while keeping the steering wheel centered. It drives better now, corners highway offramps with no tire squeal like before...but also wants to drift left slightly on straightaways. The fun continues. Tubular upper arms that would allow 0-4 degs positive caster with around 3/4 to 1 deg negative camber would be most welcome right now.

[66bonne]

I wonder if the tubular a-arms for RAM restoration would let you make that adjustment ?
They're pretty darn pricey if I remember right.

Jim

[AROWHED]

It seems they only offer A body parts. I know that GTO style upper control arms are very different than fullsize...I've compared them side by side. It would be easier to cut and modify the stock upper arms..the trick though is by how much.

[66bonne]

Mike: I think RAM does have them but they still haven't posted them in their on-line catalog. I think there was even a thread on here about them. May have been another vendor but I don't think so.

Jim

[63gpman]

Just spoke with Ram Air. You can get just the upper control arms that have more built in Caster and more camber adjustments for $469 a set. I should have asked how much caster was built into them.

[AROWHED]

Dang that would put quite a dent in my Christmas budget. Do they come with a new ball joint and grease-able bushings or anything fancy like that?

[63gpman]

Yup ball joints and bushings from what I understood. That price is for the longer ball joints, take $40 off if you want the standard ball joints.

[AROWHED]

A longer ball joint? Did not think such an animal existed or was even necessary. What advantages does a longer ball joint offer? Seems like that would only add to a positive camber situation.

[mike nixon]

Remember that Alignment specs for BIAS ply tires are different that what RADIAL tires call for.

Mike