Suspension Problem?

[Nick V]

Had the Surf for a few days now and it's great, but would appreciate some advice.

Was looking at it front on today from a distance - well longer than my drive - when it was parked on a level surface, and noticed that the front nearside wheel has slight negative camber but the offside is straight. It also seems that the n/s is very slightly lower than the o/s. Had a look underneath and could see no evidence of anything being whacked or any creases in any metal. It drives great and does not pull to the side under breaking, maybe just a slight tendancy to wander to the left if I let go of the wheel.

I thought maybe the suspension needs lifting on that side or has a fault/weakness. I will go back to the dealer tomorrow, but could any of you experienced Surfers shed any light on this please?

Cheers, Nick

[Elvz]

If it's a 2nd Generation it probably just needs one of the torsion bars wound up a fraction.

[mart 870]

Easiest way to check camber to put the car on flat level surface and then press a long spirit level upright against the side of the tyre, do it both sides and you`ll be able to tell if there is any difference. I dont know if camber is adjustable on Surfs but if it is buy yourself an adjustable spirit level (i got mine from B&Q and use it to set the camber up on the front of the Stock Car) turn the level guage to what you want, and then adjust the camber until your guage reads level.

Does anyone know if camber is adjustable and what it should be set at?

Cheers

Mart 870

[Scubasurf]

Easiest way to check camber to put the car on flat level surface and then press a long spirit level upright against the side of the tyre, do it both sides and you`ll be able to tell if there is any difference. I dont know if camber is adjustable on Surfs but if it is buy yourself an adjustable spirit level (i got mine from B&Q and use it to set the camber up on the front of the Stock Car) turn the level guage to what you want, and then adjust the camber until your guage reads level.

Does anyone know if camber is adjustable and what it should be set at?

Cheers

Mart 870

CAMBER ADJUSTMENT
Front Suspension
1) Check tires for wear and improper inflation. Inspect front
wheel bearings for looseness. Check wheel runout. Wheel runout should
not exceed .047" (1.2 mm).
2) Inspect front suspension components for looseness. Ensure
front shock absorbers work properly. Measure vehicle riding height.
See RIDING HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT.
3) Measure camber of both front wheels. If camber is not
within specification, add or remove shims on upper suspension arms on
2WD models. On 4WD models, loosen and rotate adjuster cams.

CASTER ADJUSTMENT
Front Suspension
1) Measure riding height, camber, and steering axis
inclination. See WHEEL ALIGNMENT SPECIFICATIONS. If adjustment is
necessary, see appropriate adjustment procedure.
2) Measure caster of both front wheels. If caster is not
within specification, add or remove shims on upper control arms on 2WD
models.

STEERING AXIS/KING PIN INCLINATION
Measure riding height and camber. See
WHEEL ALIGNMENT SPECIFICATIONS. If adjustment is necessary, see
appropriate adjustment procedure. Measure steering axis inclination of
both front wheels. If steering axis inclination is not within
specification, inspect and replace any damaged or worn front
suspension components.
axis/king pin inclination is not adjustable.
Rear toe-in is not adjustable.

Application Preferred Range
Camber (1) ............ 0.75 .................. 0 To 1.5
Caster (1) ............. 2.5 .............. 1.75 To 3.25
Steering Axis Inclination (1) ..... 11.83

[Nick V]

Thanx for the replies. Scub, that's a very comprehensive reply, do you know of any reason that this could change other than a thump? Maybe some work was done on it and not adjusted?

Cheers again, Nick

[Nick V]

Hoping to get this problem sorted tomorrow when I take the Surf back to the dealer. However, I have been reading the previous threads on torsion bars, suspension heights etc, and it appears that the standard distance between top of wheel rim and underside of arch is 14". I have measured mine on a level surface and I get 11.5" and 12.5" for n/s and o/s respectively The negative camber is on the side with the lower gap.

I don't know if there could be a serious problem here or there is just a lot of adjusting to be done, but why such a difference/what could of caused this and can the height and camber be easily adjusted?

Sorry to go on and hope this all makes sense

Would appreciate some advice as I will quote the standard heights to the bloke tomorrow and ask why the car wasn't at them in the first place?

Cheers, Nick

[TonyN]

Thanx for the replies. Scub, that's a very comprehensive reply, do you know of any reason that this could change other than a thump? Maybe some work was done on it and not adjusted?

Cheers again, Nick

Toy IFS front ends seen to wander out of alignment easily, the amount of speed humps around don't help either!

Worth getting it checked every year or so, especially if it see alot of offroad action.