Hey Blugene! How much torque on the MII alignment adjustment nuts?

I have a rub on the left front tire. I am sure it was not rubbing when I first drove it, after I eyeball aligned it. But now it is rubbing and I have tons of caster on that side, pushing the wheel into the front fender on turns. I can see that one of the bolts has slid completely inboard (top one in the picture).

Two questions:

1) Do I need to remove the paint on the area under the adjustment bolts to prevent them from sliding around?

2) How much torque would be enough to hold those in place?

 

I don't know the spec. Knowing what I do know, I am going to guess at 100 to 120 ft lbs. There should be teeth on the bushing bar and they should bite into the slotted hat. Maybe the manufacture can tell you what it should be.. Is it not in the instructions?

 

Makes me wonder if somehow the whole unit (starting with the cross member) isn't slightly forward maybe 1/2 to 1".. ?

 

No way. First off, the crossmember fits TIGHT between the frame rails. So if it was not even, it would be 1/8-1/4 inch MAX. There is no way short of welding one side and jamming a jack in on the other side to make it any further off.

Second, I measured MANY times, and always dead nuts on.

Thirdly, didn't rub and had plenty of clearance until that adjustment nut moved.

Muffler guy said "I had to take it easy because of that rub" at which point I had no idea what he was talking about. Drove it home, turned into driveway, and RUUUBBB.

Then when I looked down onto the A-arms, I see that that one nut has slid about half an inch inward from where it was initially located.

Yes, serrated edges on the bottom of the nut and on the top of the T-bolt.

I think the rustoleum paint acted as a lubricant and let it slip while i was driving it.

I "think" I tightened all the nuts with an impact wrench, but there is a slight chance, in my excitement to drive it, that I may have missed that one and just used the ratchet.

 

Doesn't Rod & Custom supply torque numbers?

 

I didn't get it from them. I could probably call and get them. And ask about the paint.

Never thought about it. I figured it was a basic alignment issue.

 

Why ask how much torque when you don't use a torque wrench? Just make it tighter than before and don't break it....

 

What I was referring to was the cross member being forward.. If you look at the tire in the well from the side, how much space is there in the front of the well and how much space is there in the back? Does the tire seem centered?
It may be right.. I know that I have a rub ussue also. But I figured it was because I have 245-50s up front.

 

The stock Pinto/Mustang II torque specs for the upper control arms to the frame is 95-120 ft-lbs.

Didn't you have the car aligned a few weeks ago, or was it just the exhaust you farmed-out? The one bolt could have easily gotten missed during alignment adjustments. If it was a paint issue, I would expect to see the same movement issues on the rear bolt/nut or on the nuts on the other side of the car. Get a torque wrench and "set it, and forget it"! There certainly isn't any paint there to worry about now.

BTW, I can't believe how close your tire is to your fender!!! WOW!

 

I'm starting to think that our cars are like that.. The wheel kinda forward in the well..

 

On mine if the caster is set to the factory spec of -.50* the tire looks centered in the well but rides like crap. When I tried to adjust it to get closer to 2* positive, it wanted to rub similar to (but not as bad) as Scooper's. That was with a 26.9" tire which is evidently way too big.

 

This is completely stock front suspension, with 205/60r15 tires. I was able to get 225/60 on there when it was dropped down, so the fender hit above the most forward part of the tire.

But now that I have it raised to stock height, and have too much caster, it is hitting on this side.

No, it has not been aligned yet. Just had it in for new exhaust. Might get it aligned tomorrow, or wait until I get the 2" drop spindles on. Can't justify aligning it twice...

 

Knowing this info, I MIGHT consider relocating the cradle in my 73 when ever I get to it.. If I can scoot the cradle back maybe an inch and get away with it, that might help the tire rub issue and allow for the increase in the caster..
Scott. Can you take a pic of the wheel showing the whole wheel opening? I would like to see how your wheel and tire sit in it..

 

I am trying to figure out if I understand the way the book says to figure out the ride height.. I need to get the book back out and see if it says where the height is measured at. In the mean time, this is how it shows to get the #.. Can you get the #s so I can see what they are talking about?

 

25.5 and 12"