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Front End Alignment

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I just purchased a 76 MG Midget and the caster/camber look off on the front wheels. When looking from the front of the car both front wheels are further away from the car on the bottom of the wheel than at the top of the wheel. The toe-in looks fine. Shouldn't the tires be almost straight up and down when looking at the tires from the front of the car? I looked at the front suspension and it appears that the previous owner replaced the front springs and lower control arm bushings. Can most repair shops that align front ends align a MG Midget? Can it be done by me? Are there shims used (like on old Fords) to adjust the caster & camber? Any help you can provide would be helpful. I don't want to wear the tires. Thanks.
 
The easiest, cheapest way to adjust the camber is get the offset trunnion bushing Winner Circle sells.
 
The only way to adjust the camber is by changing parts.

Alignment can be done yourself, 0 degrees, by adjusting the tie rod sleeve thing that goes into the rack. See the place to put a wrench on it. Just make sure that the front and the back of the wheels are the same distance apart, mark front and rear of wheels and use a tape measure between them. Looseen nut locking the tie rod and turn the shaft that goes into the rack. Make sure both sides are done equaly so your stearing wheel stays aligned correctly.
 
I had put the offset trunion bushes that Moss sells on mine and the have about a -2 degree camber before applying the bonnet weight. So I would guess that it moved them about 3 degrees.

They can also be used to adjust them out, depending on how they are installed.
 
Jack's means of alignment works, I did something similar. I had to rebuild the front suspension since the camber was looking like what yours is doing. I didn't really want to take it to a shop because I'm cheap and the toe-in isn't hard to do (just tedious).
 
TbirdTony,
The caster & camber on all spridgets is pre-determined by the suspension and not designed to be adjustable. Yes the front wheels have a positive camber from the factory. That said yes the camber can be adjusted three ways; angled shims under the front shock mounts (bad), offst upper trunion bushings (okay), or by new upper trunions with designed in negative camber (best).
Toe-in/toe-out is adjusted by turning the arms from the rack to the tierod ends. Loosen the locknut and the arm has flats that you can use to turn them. I have a jig made of two wooden rods that will fit between the inner walls of the front tires to measure at the front and rear of the tires to get a reading for alignment. 1/8" toe-in is what you are looking for. The front thread width is to narrow for a shop with modern equipment to handle.
 
"""""""When looking from the front of the car both front wheels are further away from the car on the bottom of the wheel than at the top of the wheel. """"""

Sounds like you have too much negative camber if you can visually see this......the wheel tire shud have zero to 1/4
degree negative which is not easily seen by the eyeball method.

"""""""""Shouldn't the tires be almost straight up and down when looking at the tires from the front of the car?""""""

Yes....looks can be deceiving.....use a caster gage to get the real reading tho.

""""""""Can most repair shops that align front ends align a MG Midget? """""""

"most" alignment shops cant count to 11 without removing a shoe. ONLY the toe in/out is adjustable on these cars...the caster and camber were not meant to be adjustable...they are by using offset bushings in the lower a-arm or the upper pivot point at the shock arm and shims between the trunnion/arm.


"""""""""""I looked at the front suspension and it appears that the previous owner replaced the front springs and lower control arm bushings"""""""

First thing I'd do is check for PO screwups...... proper ride height and then check for correctly seated springs and correctly installed bushings. You can set the toe as told in an above post.......the caster and camber can be changed somewhat BUT It will take bending and "non stock flogging" by someone very conversant with Spridgets. Street settings....toe = 1/6" in , caster = 1* - to 1* + (whatevers there is somewhat passable), camber= 1/4* neg to 1/4* pos ( whatever is there is passable).
 
https://www.speedwellengineering.com/frontsusp.html
But, it seemslike I have seen some more affordable ones elsewhere.

Before spending any money on special products to fix alignment problem, youe should replace all the worn stock items first. Unless the car has had accident damage, this will fix 98% of the problems. You might have a serious issue liked cracked A-arms (at the fulcrum pin)
 
I guess I have the same problem as tbirdtony. Hope I am not hijacking his thread.

I changed upper and lower bushings with poly. New coil springs, shocks are OK, kingpins "seem" to be OK. No cracks in the A arms. Could the king pins be worn enough to cause this? If I try and rock the wheel at 12 and six, there is no apparent play. Seems to be same angle on each side.
 
If shorter springs have been fitted, that will change your camber, to the negative. upper part of the tire closer to the car. i know because i did this to mine. and i can visually see it.


mark
 
I doubt the king pin is worn that much inside the stub axle, but wear between the kingpin/fulcrum could cause camber problems.
 
On a side note: With radial tires, wouldn't you want at least a degree of negative camber?
I was really wearing out the outside edges of my front tires, and the guy at the tire shop said it was because the car was set up to run non-radial tires. After some offset bushings added some negative camber my tires seem fine and the car pulls into the corners better.
 
""""""New coil springs""""""

many Spridgets have a lot of bumpsteer and camber gain on bump or droop...that said, this is why I said CHECK the ride height first. if this thing is setting sky high or on the ground it might be affecting camber setings so as to go neg or + and/or change the toe. An inch in ride height change might make a difference....sit two resident gorillas in the front as necessary to lower and look again.

264-595 is the Moss p/n for ecentric upper bushing set. Try also a search on their supplier ..Bugpak or Dee Engineering in Costa mesa , CA..might be cheaper than the Moss 3% markup on acessories.

Tom at Speedwell makes some good pricey parts. may b overkill for a street car.
 
Thats what I am afraid of. I think there is only one way to check there for wear, take it apart. All reports are the fulcrum pin is most likely fused to the A arm and is a real bear to get apart. Sounds like a winter project.

I bought standard springs from Moss. I cant assume they are the correct length?

Thanks for the good feedback.
 
"""""""With radial tires, wouldn't you want at least a degree of negative camber? """""

TJ....

I dont do street cars, but yes U wud want some negative w/ radials....I'd think 1/2 degree at most might be a starting point....handling and tire wear might be opposites...something to thmink about here.
 
Well, I've tinkered with my car's suspension quite a bit. After making some other changes, I was having a fair amount of understeer (at least more than I was used to). So, this may have caused the tire wear. However, after changing the camber, the handling seems to be more in my comfort zone and the tires are not wearing. But... as you mentioned...I'm now trying to sort out my bump steer problem. I'm going to get it on a lift and see what is if I can tell what is happening.

It is a street car, but I mainly use it on the lonely twisty hill roads.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
You can check for wear by jacking up the a-arm, removing the trunnion/shock link, and then moving it around and see if there is any play. Not a bad job at all.
 
Front spring length

Bugeye and mk 2, Midget mk 1, 9.4 inch

Sprite III and IV and Midget II and II, not 1500, 9.59 inch

Midget MK III 1500, 9,85 inch

Mine for example even after 38 years were spot on.
 
My original ones were the correct height as well, but I did not know if the had retained their correct loading rate.
 
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