Re: Front lower control arm replacement

["Toby Peterson" <tobyp@xxxx>]

Knut - What a great post ... you da man! I did want to clarify that 
it is technically possible to correct caster errors if they are 
sufficient to cause handling problems. If the caster differs more 
than 1/2 degree from one side to the other, you will notice that the 
car is directionally "twitchy" - a lane change can happen by just 
thinking about it. Winged1 had an error that was right at 1/2 degree, 
and I considered the car to be "quick into a turn" - a matter of 
perspective, I suppose. You can change caster by adding shim washers 
between the rubber donut bushings and the lower control arm. Add 
shims on one side of the LCA interface, and it will shift the caster 
value. Since your caster values are fairly close, you're good to go. 
Thanks for giving us the scoop on the SS lower control arms, and also 
the great explanation of the various suspension parameters. If you 
happen to have the old LCA that broke, I wouldn't mind getting ahold 
of it, and having a peek at the fracture surfaces. We might learn 
something more about the failure. Please advise if that would be of 
interest to you.

Toby Peterson VIN 2248
Winged1



--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "ksgrimsr" <knut.s.grimsrud@xxxx> 
wrote:

> As most folks are aware, only the TOE is adjustable when performing 
> an alignment and all the other parameters are fixed by the geometry 
> of the setup. In case some folks are not aware of the exact meaning 
> of the three common alignment parameters, here is a brief tutorial 
> (and my commentary on my specific values):

> CASTER: This refers to whether the axis about which the wheels pivot 
> for steering is vertical (i.e. perpendicular to the road surface). 
> The caster is affected by any modification in the ride height of the 
> front of the car, and if you lower your front a little the caster 
> will also change since the car will not be parallel to the ground 
> any longer. I don't have the alignment report from my previous 
> alignment, so I cann't tell if the caster has changed, but the 
> caster measurement is reasonable in light of the DeLorean's overall 
> configuration (larger wheels in the back) and the fact that my front 
> is slightly lowered.
>