Bailey28

Car: 1994 Camaro LT1 A4, convertible, 85,000 miles, very nice car 9.5/10..

I've had the car for a year, previous one owner car, owner died... Car pulls to the right and I have to keep a hand/finger on the steering wheel to keep it straight on the highway. I've replaced all of the following:

New front lower control arms with all new bushings and ball joints,
New sway bar bushings front/rear
New rear control arm bushings (moog "1le" solid rubber)
New tie rod ends
New front hubs
New shocks front and rear KYB gas a just
New upper strut mount and strut bearings (moog)
New tires (Sumitomo HTR a/s P01's) 245/50 16

Had all four stock wheels and tires force balanced . They replaced two tires because they could not be road forced under 45lbs variation.... Other two were ok

New UMI subframe connectors
UMI strut tower brace

I just did control arms this weekend and the car rides tons better. Nice and compliant over bumps and road trash...

I set the alignment as best I could in the garage as follows:
Maxed out caster by moving both front lower control arms as far as they would toward the outside of the car (for positive caster from what I've been reading).
Right and left camber is 90% maxed out as far as that setting can go toward the outside of the car.

String alignment to set toe afterwards to 0*.

Car drives good, and turns fine although I have no idea what I have for the caster and camber...Factory book says +4.4* caster, -0.5* camber, 0*toe

The car feels better, but the same "pull to the right" characteristic remains, even after replacing all of these parts.

I'm going to try switching sides with both sets of tires to see if that changes anything..

Other than that, pointers in a different direction would be helpful! What could I have missed here?

Corvett z07

iTrader: (2)

Put more air in your front right tire.

^ That's what I do actually, I put 2 psi more in the front right and 2 psi less in the front left to compensate for a slight right pull in my car. Probably not the smartest idea on the totem pole but it gets the job done for me. I'd get a fancy alignment where they can print you out a sheet that shows your exact alignment, one with a Hunter machine, that's the last idea I can think of that would help

Others I could think of are uneven front sway bar end link tightening, but that's splitting hairs in terms of a considerable pull to one side or the other

blackandgold

iTrader: (2)

I'd say spend the 100 bucks and get a printout of all of your specs from a laser machine. Make sure you get the rear info as well, thrust angle and also if the rear is centered. I would be a little worried that the unibody may not be straight.

Bailey28

Thanks for suggesting the air pressure trick, I'll have to try it. I am at 32 front, 30 rear psi cold right now.

After posting I did think of the thrust angle. Let me say that all of the parts I removed were the originals. The front caster bushings were each cracked across the rubber parts. They were also solid, like a 1LE bushing, maybe due to the convertible model? The new control arms had solid bushings already pressed in. The rears were still original star shape bushings, unmolested. I replaced those as well last weekend.

After each little upgrade, ride quality gets better and better. I don't know for sure that the car wasn't hit or curbed at some point before I got it.
Even with the old set of tires on it, driving back home on a 250 mile trip, the first thing I noticed is that the car pulled to the right. The pull has been consistent no matter what parts get changed out, and through two different alignments.

So the unibody may not be straight.... If this is the case, could I compensate by moving caster closer to 0 on the drivers side, "pulling" the car to the left? It's easy for me to do in the garage. Of course I will reset toe after every adjustment.

Bailey28

Last aligment was in September, the guys couldn't/didn't/wouldn't adjust caster or camber, they claimed they didn't know how.. They did not have the "J" tool....

They did print out a sheet, however I cannot locate it at this time.. I do recall cross caster being about .5* different left to right..

When I took the original control arms off of the front, the left caster bushing was pulled all the way to the outboard stop. The right bushing set was about half way, in the center of the slot.

I pulled both all the way out, going off of info I read here at LS!tech. Theoretically, I should be at +4.5-5* caster at max. I can see the slight negative camber by looking down the side of the car and seeing the tops of the front tires angled ever so slightly.

farmington

iTrader: (14)

FWIW I developed a slight pull to the right last year and my alignment guy said it was my tires (from sitting over the winter). He swapped them side to side and the pull went the other way. New tires and no more issues

1981TA

iTrader: (7)

Seized caliper or slider On right side?

blackbyrd

iTrader: (14)

^ Thats what I was thinking as well

Bailey28

I'll check for a stuck/sticking caliper. The calipers and hoses are original. Car stops well and doesn't pull to either side while stopping. The brakes are HOT after normal driving.. Hot enough to make steam from a garden hose until they cool off. This is after driving through my neighborhood at 20-30 mph...

Pad wear seems non-existent and the rotors are thick and smooth. Very little dusting. AC Delco pads. I can push the car with it in neutral with no great effort. Gas mileage is acceptable, 14ish in town 23-ish highway.

I will verify that the wheels spin free by getting it on a jack right after driving it.

1981TA

iTrader: (7)

other possibility: check for proper thrust angle alignment of your rear axle.

RevGTO

iTrader: (12)

Good suggestions above, but when it's all said and done, like others have stated, you've got to get it on a good Hunter alignment machine operated by competent techs who can not only adjust, but troubleshoot. That's the best way to isolate problems and to know that you've got it dialed in.

79_T/A

iTrader: (1)

How can you troubleshoot if you haven't the slightest clue what the alignment specs actually are?

blackbyrd

iTrader: (14)

If memory serves a proper alignment machine makes you enter the year make and model of the car and pulls up the specs for you to match the car to

farmington

iTrader: (14)

I get all of my alignments and front end work done at a frame shop, never a "tire store". the mechanics where I go are all old school guys and know what they're doing. See if you can find one in your area.

BMR Tech2

iTrader: (5)

This. Garage alignments are good to get the car to the alignment shop, but should not be relied on for daily driving. There are many variables that go into front end alignment. Before looking at anything else I would get the car to an alignment shop and let them actually measure the car out and get it set properly.

Bailey28

Alright guys, fair enough - I don't know to what degree the specs are. I can get toe pretty good with the string method. To me, if it drives well and the tires don't wear appreciably then its pretty good!

I have been at work all week and won't be able to get to the brake caliper issue until Sunday. I have a work ride so the car sits during the week days.

The problem here is finding a shop/guy that "knows" how to do the alignment, let alone how to lift an F body without bowing the fenders. The ones I have been to say they know, but after the work is done, they don't know anything and nothing gets accomplished. That's the reason I decided to give it a shot. Who knows, if the unibody is not straight, it may need excessive cross caster to keep it going in a straight line...

I will look for frame shops that do alignments. I think most of them would just bring the car to a tire shop after getting fixed.

M4N14C

iTrader: (3)

I'd suggest talking to your local F-Body tuner garage and see what guys they use for alignments and stuff. That's how I found my guys and they did great work, even knew how to adjust panhard and LCA's.

BMR Tech2

iTrader: (5)

Look at the link in my sig and see if you can find a shop near your area. Those are shops that have been used and recommended by members on the forum or others in the industry who are familiar with f-bodies and aftermarket components on them

Bailey28

I'm in Gainesville, so the guys at Advantage Auto in Ocala would be the closest to me for the alignment.

I don't auto x or anything major, I just want a good driving car on the street.

Seahawkfan

iTrader: (4)

Hi, you need to get it aligned by a knowledgeable shop, caster has everything too do with a pull lt or rt, also camber has a little to do with it too. Your shop needs to put .5 degree more caster on the right side for road crown. Just get it aligned or you are just stabbing in the dark, I am a ase master tech with 30 years of experience, also 0 toe will make your car feel darty and also wear your tires... I would align it for you but live in Seattle.