Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

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I believe the front end shake problem was probably the excessive caster. When I took my coupe to the local Jiffy-Mart for gas the first time, the front end would start shaking uncontrollably at about 30 mph. The only way it could be stopped was by coming to almost a complete stop. As soon as I got it home, I started twisting more and more toe-in into it to get it to quit shaking because I was trying to make it to my first cruise-in the following afternoon.

While I was at the cruise-in, a friend of mine told me he would bet it was way too much caster and advised me to check it and set it at 5 degrees. When I finally got to it a few days later, it measured 11 degrees. I checked the toe in and, in my effort to get it to stop shaking, I had put 1 1/4 inch toe-in into it! I adjusted the radius rod ends to get the prescribed 5 degrees and then reset the toe to 1/8 inch in and have never had another problem. I have '75 AMC Hornet disc brakes on my coupe. These are the same Bendix calipers that are used on late '70's Ford pickups, so they ain't light.

The Wilwood brakes are prettier and lighter and I'm sure Don Jr. will like them, but my point is, I wouldn't hesitate to sell those other parts to someone else. Just be up front about your experience with them and let the buyer beware...

Mike, there used to be an old time truck repair shop in this town that had one of those spin balancers you are describing. I don't know if they still do it, but I might have to look them up. Years ago I had a Toyota Corolla that developed a terrible thump when going down the road. They tried everything to get it out, and finally one mechanic put the front wheels on one of those balancers that do the entire wheel assembly on the car. Solved the problem.

Jim: I suspect you are right. Our protractor was an old one and we found out it was reading two degrees too low, so it showed about 9 degrees on his car and when we bought a new protractor it read about 11 degrees. I have moved it back to about 6 degrees now and think that is a more reasonable number.

What confuses me on that is why then do they dial so much caster into a drag car front end? Supposedly to make it track straighter, and some of those cars are flying down the track......why don't they get the wobbles?

Don can sell the rotors and calipers to someone because the rotors are new and the calipers should be fine, but I think whoever modified the spindles took a tad too much off of one of them. The bearing is pretty sloppy on it, so I think we will just make a very pretty paperweight out of them. I wouldn't feel right if someone got them and had and accident or something.

Don