Expert: Dan Liddy - 8/9/2004

Question
hi dan, i have a ford escort gt 1989 that is all caged and race worthy but am having trouble getting the aloted 1" of camber. I have tried just about everything I have a camber plate under the hood right side. It does tilt the strut in but the wheel is still the same. So I egged out the bolt hole for the lower control arm as far as posible However I have only 3/4 in. Can I cut a wedge out of the spindle and then bend it with a press? Please help.


Answer
Hi Michael:

Don't try anything with the spindle, first off it's real hard, and you'll never get it right.  Plus your tire will start to rub on the strut housing and spring.

Since you enlarged the bolt hole, now you can look at moving the inner mounting point out (toward the outside) a bit. That will add camber to that side. Or you can try to find a way to lengthen the lower control arm a little.  While you're at it, move the top of the strut mounting BACK to add caster to the mix. There's an old saying "caster is faster" .  It will make the car a pig at low speeds but it will turn more effectively. Finally, you need to run about 3/16 total toe OUT.  That's going to eliminate a lot of push in the middle of the corner.   When you start to feel the back stepping out, you've got the balance right.

Good luck,

Dan Liddy
Sarasota, Florida