Thread: 73 charger squirrley steering

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Hi.

Just replaced the entire drivetrain in my 73 charger.

The alignment has been checked twice, but it doesn't track right. It doesn't like to drive straight: kind of like trying to drive on the middle of a crested road, it will try to lean left then right when trying to go straight. Then it seems to have both understeer and oversteer.

Here is my question: the replacement springs have three inches of extra lift, is that enough to be causing this?

I seem to remember a similar problem with my 89 diplomat. The shop doing the alignment said they found that those torque bar suspensions required a ' special tool'. After they got it, the diplomat tracked straight as an arrow.

Any thoughts?

What do you have on it for tires and wheels??

and can you list the specs of the alignment??(if they gave them to you)

first, it's the rear springs with the extra lift, forgot to specify that

running stock 15" wheels and tires.

Don't have any specs.

3 inches of lift at the rear will remove 2-3 degrees of castor at the front causing the symtons you describe

did you also do bigger rear tires on the rear?? reason for the lift??

I would take a look at the steering box. The 75 Duster I used to have did the same thing, wander all over the road, and the guy that did the alignment told me that the box needed rebuilt but he wouldn't guarantee it to last more than a couple of years and he'd been in the business for some 40 years. I looked in a few junkyards for one and couldn't find one and I don't think it was because they were so popular. I had intentions of changing it to r&p, but sold the car before hand.

Reason for lift, just for the look. The steering box is new.

I may need to go back to stock springs.

If that is the issue, then loading it down with three or four men in the back should make the problem disappear? ( a cheap check )

As I recall the torque bars are adjusted at there rear with a deep well socket.

Do you have the alignment specs for the car AND WHAT THE ALIGNMENT GUY HAS IT SET AT????????

Usually a little more caster will solve what you describe

No sir, I don't have the specs.

Any good front end shop would give you both the OEM specs and their settings, if asked. As a former owner of a '71 Charger I cannot imagine that jacking up the back end three inches would result in a "good" stance for the car. Those are some good looking, coke bottle shapes, and not too many left around. That said, it's your car......

also please define what you mean by lean??

By 'lean' I meant that the car just doesn't seem to like to drive straight. It prefers to wander. Today I took it on the interstate for the first time. It is downright scary! Takes complete attention to make it track straight, just isn't safe over 55. Feels like I'm dead sober, driving a drunk car. Loosing camber makes sense, except isn't camber adjustable?

I always thought it took a radical rake to get this much misalignment.

Also, thanks for reminding me it's my car; implying it's mine to do with as I like. Having dumped 20 large in this bucket to save it from the scrap yard, it's refreshing to hear.

I said CASTER, not camber

Another thing that will cause dartiness is a ball joint that is seized or seizing up and doesn't let the wheels turn smoothly, so it will jump/dart around--that tho is easy to find--just jack up the front and take the wheel in your hands and turn it back and forth feeling for a bind, jerk, etc and then go to other side--to identify which side might be doing it you may need to unhook tie rods( you should see something as simple as a go kart with the spindle bolt thru the two ball bearings tightened a little too much)

Caster - does it to you every time (so can camber, but not quite so likely)

Years ago I had a '68 Torino that I took it in for alignment - and the "mechanic" reversed the caster numbers from positive to negative(also screwed up the toe). When I complained that the car wouldn't drive in a straight line, that it was "squirrely" his response was that 'they all did it'. After having driven the car a good many miles and since new, assured him he was full of something very odorous. I went to another shop to get it fixed where that mechanic showed me what was wrong. That first mech - he was gone within a very short time afterwards.