Suspension & Alignment Q's

[show-off]

I got my tires and rims put on today and they called me saying I got a inner tie rod bad. What is the best route to go on this? Are there aftermarket parts and such for this...like bushings. I am upgrading to Konis/Eibach next month so I would rather do it up right 1 time.

[csracer]

The inner tie rod is part of the steering rack, you will need a freshly rebuilt rack if it is bad.

[show-off]

The inner tie rod is part of the steering rack, you will need a freshly rebuilt rack if it is bad.

Where do I get that from? The inner tie rods are part of the steering rack? Does it have an outer? The inner screws into to it right?

[turbovanman²]

The inner tie rod end can be changed on the car but it is a pain without the special tools and easier if you pull the rack out. If you rack is original, its probably better money to buy a reman longrack which comes with new inner tie rod ends and you either reuse your existing outers or buy new ones, which again, wouldn't be a bad idea. You can buy all new front end bushings from any of our vendors IE poly bushings.com or auto parts store.

When you get it all done, put some neg camber into it, around -3/4 to -1 deg is a good tradeoff for street driving and handling.

[show-off]

Does anyone know the part number and cost for a remanufactured "long rack"?

[turbovanman²]

Are your parts stores that bad?

I will see what I can dig up for Fenco numbers. There usually around $225 ish canadian.

[Mario]

Click this auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/DODGE-ARIES-PLYMOUTH-ACCLAIM-STEERING-RACK-220HD_W0QQitemZ8031463775QQcategoryZ33589QQssPageN ameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

and message the guy. I'm sure he has plenty of racks. $42 for a complete rack...not to bad.

[afsautoworx]

like people have said u can just replace the inner tie rod. it is kind of a pain in the butt but its more of a pain in the butt to replace the whole rack. some auto parts stores let u borrow the inner tie rod tool or u can buy an inner tie rod tool for like 30-40 that will work.

[turbovanman²]

Click this auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/DODGE-ARIES-PLYMOUTH-ACCLAIM-STEERING-RACK-220HD_W0QQitemZ8031463775QQcategoryZ33589QQssPageN ameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

and message the guy. I'm sure he has plenty of racks. $42 for a complete rack...not to bad.

Holy sh*t, what a smoking deal, the inner tie rod is worth that.

Steering racks aren't hard to change, there actually fairly simple.

As for his listing, he's a bit mixed up, a rack that fits a TD WON't fit a Concorde or LH series, its a totally different setup.

[show-off]

The guy that put the rims & tires on my car told me to go buy the inner tie rod at Napa (24.99) and he would install it and do the alignment for $70.00. That is the route I am going! Don't want to wear out the 17's!

[turbovanman²]

The guy that put the rims & tires on my car told me to go buy the inner tie rod at Napa (24.99) and he would install it and do the alignment for $70.00. That is the route I am going! Don't want to wear out the 17's!

Good deal, he probably has the "special tool"

BTW, don't get cheap as white/blue box sh*t, buy a name brand, IE Spicer if no, then Moog. Someone mentioned that Napa Gold is reboxed Spicer.

[GLHNSLHT2]

uhhh why go through the trouble of an alignment if you're just gonna have to do it again when you put the koni's/eibachs on..???? Camber I go -1.5 in the front and -1.0 in the rear. If you don't want that much then go -1.0 and -0.5 Basically keep a half degree split between front and rear will keep the car balanced well. Oh and that's EACH corner! None of this Total camber and total toe crap they try and push! Toe set at 0 and you'll be fine. I hate alignment shops. I wonder how much an alignment rack costs. I'd love to just buy my own. Charge friends $20+parts or less just to make up for some of the costs eventually :)

[afsautoworx]

25 grand for the hunter in our shop

[turbovanman²]

I hate alignment shops. I wonder how much an alignment rack costs. I'd love to just buy my own. Charge friends $20+parts or less just to make up for some of the costs eventually :)

An alignment rack costs $15-50, 000, then you need to buy the hoist as well, have it installed, and the rent of the shop where its installed.

Do the match on your giving your friends $20 alignment specials, that would take you, if the rack cost you $30, 000, tax and interest, at least 1900 alignments, and that doesn't include maintenance.

Wish you guys would stop bashing mechanic shops, :(

The other option is buying those kits to do your own, I think there around $5000 and you can do them in your back yard, then your $20 make sense.

[GLHNSLHT2]

I understand costs and what they need to charge. Certain shops around here have good pricing. It's the fact that you have to argue with them for 15 minutes to get an alignment you want because some dill hole at some lame class they went to told them that positive camber is a good thing and that negative camber will wear out the tires. Over the last 6-7 years of actually having to have cars aligned I have found 2 good alignment guys. 1 was the husband of a lady I worked with who had had a turbododge at one point and was really excited to see what I had done to mine. The other was his co-worker who seemed to know abit about how to make a car handle or at least had a somewhat open mind as to what I wanted and why. Too bad the lady and her husband moved 2 hours away last year. Hopefully his co-worker still works there and I can get him to align my car from now on. I get tired of the "kids" or old men telling me it isn't a race car shop because I want some negative camber in the tires.

[5sp. mini]

we use the camber bubble gauge try to set camber close to 0 and light beam for toe set and 0 toe as we are a tire store and have to warr. if bad wear. for less the 1.000 you bye the gauge and slip plates then dig a pit and put ramps in to do the rear back it on and read toe backwards . this sound eazy but i've been doing wheel alignment for over 30. years so the new stuff some time won,t let you do simple alignment unless you put in user spec.s to full fac. spec,s in the compter of the rack. just my 02. al

[J&H Ryan]

I understand costs and what they need to charge. Certain shops around here have good pricing. It's the fact that you have to argue with them for 15 minutes SNIP
So what specs do you tell them? After I get my suspension redone I want to make sure they align it correctly and I honestly wouldn't know good specs.

[turbovanman²]

So what specs do you tell them? After I get my suspension redone I want to make sure they align it correctly and I honestly wouldn't know good specs.


Post 12, :amen:



Camber I go -1.5 in the front and -1.0 in the rear. If you don't want that much then go -1.0 and -0.5 Basically keep a half degree split between front and rear will keep the car balanced well. Oh and that's EACH corner! None of this Total camber and total toe crap they try and push! Toe set at 0 and you'll be fine.

[J&H Ryan]

DOH! thanks simon.

[5sp. mini]

if you street drive it don,t go lower than 3/4 neg, and 1 1/4 neg on the rear hard on inside of tires o to 1/32 toe in will work well too. car will handle well at 1/2 neg. and not to hard on big dollar tires. mine are always take offs so i can run them hard AL

[GLHNSLHT2]

huh? Never run more negative camber on the rear than is in the front, the car will understeer like a pig :) The above specs I mentioned are on my daily driver 87 ShelbyZ. Although I probably corner harder than most :) But I've had it on friends cars and been fine. Long as you keep that 1/2 degree split from front to rear the car will handle well. Just the limits won't be as high.