Attn: Series 2 Owners

[No Crust Racing]

Hey guys,

Need someone to do me a quick favour. I've noticed that one of my front wheels is off centre relative to the wheel arch (wheen looking directly at the rim). I did some measurments, middle of back wheel to middle of front wheel and got a 10mm discrepency. Found it to be the alignment of the K-Frame (well it's called that on a commodore - has your sway bar and front stabilizer bar connected to it). Fixing it is not a drama at all but I need some measurements from you guys. Can you please measure the distance between the middle of your back rim to the middle of your front rim and post it or PM me please so I know if I need to adjust one side or both. The car still drives and handles fine but now that I've noticed it, I see it very easily and plus it puts excess strain on the sway bar bush o that side.

Thanks heaps in advance Dezz and Randy

Cheers

[r33_racer]

Your not referring to the offset castor on the driverside wheel to allow for australias tapered roads. If thats it...then thats normal if a suspension place has changed the castor bushes or done some sort of alignment on your car...maybe a previous owner? Stops the car from pulling to your left normally.

Thats how i interpreted it. Or have i completely missed what youve said?

[No Crust Racing]

I've done a very quick and crude photoshop ob to show what I'm talking about using a pic of my car before it got its wheels. Although this is the same side in both pics, imagine that the 'normal' side, the first photo is the passenger side and the second photo represents the driver side. As I mentioned, the entire K-Frame requires an adjustment. I just need measurements from rim centre to rim centre from a straight series II.

Disregard the height difference, that's just me and 1:20am and St Patricks Day =D

Passenger Side

Driver Side

[MerlinTheHapyPig]

make sure the person who you get this measurement off doesn't have aftermarket castor rods or bushes!......

[shanef]

make sure the person who you get this measurement off doesn't have aftermarket castor rods or bushes!......

just exactly what i was going to say...i've got about 20mm from the front gaurd to my tyre with my castor rods (8deg castor)

[KamikazeR33]

dan id be getting under the front to c which arm or rod is bent

this was the same with mine n yet im still to replace it. it will still drive fine due to it being aligned with it being in that position

mine is the radius rod thats bent. $80 from jappo donks to replace

[No Crust Racing]

Hey man was wondering when you'd poke your head in =D I've checked all the rods and bars, had it up on stands and the wheel off. The K-Frame needs to come forward 10mm, everything else looks and measures right. I just need some reliable measurements.

[Sydneykid]

Hey guys,

Need someone to do me a quick favour. I've noticed that one of my front wheels is off centre relative to the wheel arch (wheen looking directly at the rim). I did some measurments, middle of back wheel to middle of front wheel and got a 10mm discrepency. Found it to be the alignment of the K-Frame (well it's called that on a commodore - has your sway bar and front stabilizer bar connected to it). Fixing it is not a drama at all but I need some measurements from you guys. Can you please measure the distance between the middle of your back rim to the middle of your front rim and post it or PM me please so I know if I need to adjust one side or both. The car still drives and handles fine but now that I've noticed it, I see it very easily and plus it puts excess strain on the sway bar bush o that side.

Thanks heaps in advance Dezz and Randy

Cheers

What's the caster readings?

cheers

[No Crust Racing]

SK: nfi, tell me how to measure them and I'll tell you what they are. As I stated in my blurb, the k-frame appears mis-aligned and that a simple adjustment there will put everything back to where it should be. Unless adjusting castor is going to move the k-krame as well which I can't see how that would occur (but I'm no expert). I can see from the pressure on the sway bar bush that the k-frame needs to come forward and everything would be then be where it should be.

Cheers

[Sydneykid]

SK: nfi, tell me how to measure them and I'll tell you what they are. As I stated in my blurb, the k-frame appears mis-aligned and that a simple adjustment there will put everything back to where it should be. Unless adjusting castor is going to move the k-krame as well which I can't see how that would occur (but I'm no expert). I can see from the pressure on the sway bar bush that the k-frame needs to come forward and everything would be then be where it should be.

Cheers

Caster is best measured on a wheel aligner, as it is a differential measurement. Simply put, the amount of camber when the wheel is turned one way compared to the amount of camber when the wheel is turned the other way (20 degrees is the standard). If you move one side of the front subframe forward you will increase the caster on that side. This will give uneven caster when compared to the other side, the car will pull to one side as a result (the side with the least caster).

Currently you have said the car tracks OK, so that must mean the caster is somewhere near similar, side to side. Move one side of the subframe and that won't be the case. Also moving the front subframe will change the toe settings, moving towards toe out.

My suggestion would be to get the wheel alignment checked before you touch anything, all 4 wheels, camber, caster and toe.

cheers

Edited March 21, 2006 by Sydneykid

[Ol_Mate]

Here's an answer for ya, 2720mm. mines a "straight" series 2 ("straight" being that as far as i know it hasn't been bent)

enjoy!

[No Crust Racing]

Great, thanks =D

I got 2720mm on the right side and 2710mm on the left so I'll go with 2720 being correct.

SydneyKid: is adjusting castor on the left going to affect this measurement? I might go get all the measurements for an alignment done but have them call me first.

[Sydneykid]

Great, thanks =D

I got 2720mm on the right side and 2710mm on the left so I'll go with 2720 being correct.

SydneyKid: is adjusting castor on the left going to affect this measurement? I might go get all the measurements for an alignment done but have them call me first.

The LHS being short is quite common, it's the side that hits the gutters and the edge of the road surface the most. If you adjust the caster using offset bushes in the radius rods, or by shortening the radius rods, then you will change the wheelbase.

As I posted previously check the caster before you do anything.

cheers

[No Crust Racing]

Aight, I'll book it in to get checked and get all the measurements but will ask them not to adjust anything.

Thanks =D

Dan

[RANDY]

Sorry I didn't see this earlier, Dan!

I can measure up for you if you still want confirmation, but I found today that my castor bushes are completely stuffed, and will need replacing.

I'm going to head up a new post asking for the part numbers, cause searching doesn't give me any joy.

[No Crust Racing]

It's all good, I took some detailed measurements and have since fixed the issue. The measurements did NOT add up so the only way to fix the issue was to die grind new holes for the stabilizer bar, which required us to weld on new metal washer and tidy it all up. I've attached a pic showing the end result (just took the pic, the repair a few days old now). I know this sounds very dodgy BUT I had a suspension/alignment specialist on hand to assist and he agreed that this was the best fix without putting the car on a rack and risking bending other components.

For the record the measurements are now PERFECT each side at 2730mm wheel centre to wheel centre. I'll be getting a full balance and alignment after easter as we're putting in my shocks and springs (Bilstiens with King Super Low's for that phat look )

Just to clarify, we die grinded the original holes back towards the front of the car then welded new metal washers in place (we also sprayed the welds with WD-40 which makes them high tensile apparently). We then touched it up with some primer and a quick hit of black.