specification caster / camber required
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Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Central MN
Colour, that is a great choice for tires. they should give you a nice stable ride. I think you found the problem in the brakes. It might be as simple as just pulling the calipers off and cleaning the slides or you might have gotten a lemon? Caliper that is not van!
Norman, you are definitely on the right track! Assuming that you have 0* bushings in it now. Like Racerguy mentioned you might want to take a peak at the springs. They will give you that "crab walk "feel in heavy gusts of wind and is a perfect example of the negative camber, positive caster I mentioned. I'm thrilled to think I'm helping out a couple of neighbors clear across the ocean!
Norman, you are definitely on the right track! Assuming that you have 0* bushings in it now. Like Racerguy mentioned you might want to take a peak at the springs. They will give you that "crab walk "feel in heavy gusts of wind and is a perfect example of the negative camber, positive caster I mentioned. I'm thrilled to think I'm helping out a couple of neighbors clear across the ocean!
New User
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11
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From: London, England
Cor, thanks for the reply, l probably wont attempt my camber problems for a couple of months so let me know how you get on with the bush changes.
Papadace, thanks for your confirmation. As for the springs, I'm not sure how to check them, unless there are specifications for ride height available. The front ride height looks ok, visually anyway and if anything the rear looks very slightly lower which will make the castor more positive adding to the problem, if I understand correctly.
Just for clarification, assuming the springs are ok, do you think rotating my replacement bushes once fitted, will be able to reduce my positive castor down from Castor +4.33* and +5.58* to the +3* required. I don't think the radius arms are fitted with eccentric bushes, well as far as I can see from the not so useful Chilton manual, so I assume the new bushes previously discussed are my only option.
Once again thanks for your help its much appreciated on this side of the ocean.
Cheers
Norman
Papadace, thanks for your confirmation. As for the springs, I'm not sure how to check them, unless there are specifications for ride height available. The front ride height looks ok, visually anyway and if anything the rear looks very slightly lower which will make the castor more positive adding to the problem, if I understand correctly.
Just for clarification, assuming the springs are ok, do you think rotating my replacement bushes once fitted, will be able to reduce my positive castor down from Castor +4.33* and +5.58* to the +3* required. I don't think the radius arms are fitted with eccentric bushes, well as far as I can see from the not so useful Chilton manual, so I assume the new bushes previously discussed are my only option.
Once again thanks for your help its much appreciated on this side of the ocean.
Cheers
Norman
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Senior User
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: The Netherlands, Europe
Originally Posted by Cor
Dave, I will check the clearence between the rubber bumpstops andd the metal, ad get back asap.
Then I lifted the front of the van exactly in the center, by just over 1" (27 mm), then measured the camber, which was the as follows:
LH now --1.1* RH now 0*
So it definately makes quite a difference in the camber, if the van sits 1" higher.
As you guys indicated that Fords are known to sag over the years, then that is perhaps at least part if the reason!
The bumpstop clearence is respectively 39 mm (1 1/2 *) and 47mm(1.85"), that is 14 mm higher than before
Guess that I need to put spacers under the spring retaines at the bottom side in the region of this measurement and take it from there.
Anyone who would have the official ride hight in unloaded condition, and where this is measured?
Then I could get the van on the 'as nu' ride hight.
thanks,
Cor
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Joined: Jun 2004
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From: The Netherlands, Europe
Norman,
you posted your note just minutes before mine; look at that, it confirms that the ride hight does make quite a difference.
Regarding the bushes, I now know that what you assumed is correct: the bushes are excentrically bored, and have a slot in them. If you install the with the hole towards the outboard side, then you move the upper balljoint outwards, hence make the camber more positive; if you set the borehole towards the rear, the you do not change the camber, but only the castor angle.
That is in brief the simple explanation as to how it works; any position in between influences both angles, but to a lesser extend.
You made an earlier comment about that you did not think there was a possibility to adjust the castor an a beam axle; that is so, but this is not really a beam axle, even if they call it that way: it is just an oversize A frame set up at the bottom end, or as our US friends call it : a (lower)control arm
hope this helps,
Cor
you posted your note just minutes before mine; look at that, it confirms that the ride hight does make quite a difference.
Regarding the bushes, I now know that what you assumed is correct: the bushes are excentrically bored, and have a slot in them. If you install the with the hole towards the outboard side, then you move the upper balljoint outwards, hence make the camber more positive; if you set the borehole towards the rear, the you do not change the camber, but only the castor angle.
That is in brief the simple explanation as to how it works; any position in between influences both angles, but to a lesser extend.
You made an earlier comment about that you did not think there was a possibility to adjust the castor an a beam axle; that is so, but this is not really a beam axle, even if they call it that way: it is just an oversize A frame set up at the bottom end, or as our US friends call it : a (lower)control arm
hope this helps,
Cor
Last edited by Cor; Sep 6, 2004 at 05:08 PM.
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From: Central MN
Boy you guys are really getting the hang of this! I wish I had some info for you about what ride hight should be but I can't find it anywhere in the material I have. If I'm remebering correctly the measurement is taken from the bottom of the frame just ahead of the I-beams. Doesn't help much with out a number to go by tho'. If you have a body shop around that does frame straightening they might have the numbers for you and tell you exactly where to measure. I am still chummy with a couple shops. If I get a chance I'll stop by and bend an ear and let you guys know if I find out anything.
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From: The Netherlands, Europe
Originally Posted by papadace
........about what ride hight should be but I can't find it anywhere in the material I have. If I'm remebering correctly the measurement is taken from the bottom of the frame just ahead of the I-beams. ........ I am still chummy with a couple shops. If I get a chance I'll stop by and bend an ear and let you guys know if I find out anything.
We can forget, going to a bodyshop over here, they have probably never seen such a van before, certainly not in their shop.
There are probably a one or two hundred in the country here, at the most (on a human population of > 16 million.)
Hence we have to rely on helpful enthusiasts at the other side of the pond.
Many thanks!
Cor
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