Routine check, front suspension question - slight slop when wiggling front wheels
Hi guys,
I'm still learning about what is "normal" the front suspension. My car has about 2,500 miles. I regularly tug/pull on the tires/wheels to check for any slop. I've noticed on either side of the fronts, when grabbing the tire at the top and pushing in and out I can hear and slightly feel some "slop". I pulled the left front off and the upper A arm has just a little give left and right on the bearings that are on the bar that attaches to the frame/SAI angle bracket. That is, the whole A arm can slide just a fraction of a an inch forward and back (front of car to back of car). Barely enough to just kind of see it.
Is this normal to have that little bit of slop or should there be zero? If zero do I just loosen the adjuster bolts and then tighten the nuts on either side of the bar until the bearings have zero slop?
I'm heading on a 4 hour trip this morning and wanted to be sure all was good.
FFR MK3.1 7075 Delivered: 10/13/09, First start 2/28/11, gokart 10 minutes later
408w carbed, TKO 600, IRS (3.27 with Torsen), dual roll bars, halibrand replicas, SS side pipes, rivet on hood scoop, SAI mod
Satisfied customer of: Factory Five Racing, Mike Forte, Breeze Automotive, Whitby Motors, Herb's Door Panels, Cobra Heat, Stewart Transport, Wayne Presley (Very Cool Parts), North Racecars, and Finish Line
It is normal for there to be a little end play on the upper adustable A arms with no load on them. If there is no end play the bearings could not rotate correctly. There should not be more than maybe 10 thousandths or so. You will not notice this when you are driving. the way I read the end play, under load, when the car is on the ground, the bearings press on the snap rings and washers on the ends of the shaft and the end play goes away. I wouldn't mess with the bolts and adjustment unless there is a lot of end play.
Ron
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Racing: "The world's most efficient way to turn money into noise and smoke"
"Think with your dipstick, Jimmy"
"Anybody can BUY a car, only a chosen few build their own"
FFR Challenge car #4182SP Carbed 302, Holley 600CFM, E303 cam, T5, 3 link rear-3:55, Levy wheels, Kumho tires, Fire Safe fuel cell, Griffin race radiator, ISIS wiring system, MSD 6ALN NASCAR ignition, 85 Mustang distributor,
It is normal for there to be a little end play on the upper adustable A arms with no load on them. If there is no end play the bearings could not rotate correctly. There should not be more than maybe 10 thousandths or so. You will not notice this when you are driving. the way I read the end play, under load, when the car is on the ground, the bearings press on the snap rings and washers on the ends of the shaft and the end play goes away. I wouldn't mess with the bolts and adjustment unless there is a lot of end play.
Ron
Thanks for the info... on the ground I can feel the play jiggling the wheels/tires but not in the steering, it isn't huge but I thought of possibly tightening the end bolts to get rid of just a bit of it. Would that hurt?
FFR MK3.1 7075 Delivered: 10/13/09, First start 2/28/11, gokart 10 minutes later
408w carbed, TKO 600, IRS (3.27 with Torsen), dual roll bars, halibrand replicas, SS side pipes, rivet on hood scoop, SAI mod
Satisfied customer of: Factory Five Racing, Mike Forte, Breeze Automotive, Whitby Motors, Herb's Door Panels, Cobra Heat, Stewart Transport, Wayne Presley (Very Cool Parts), North Racecars, and Finish Line
Thanks for the info... on the ground I can feel the play jiggling the wheels/tires but not in the steering, it isn't huge but I thought of possibly tightening the end bolts to get rid of just a bit of it. Would that hurt?
Darren: The large nuts on the end of the A arm cross shaft should be tightened down to they stop. I would hope they haven't backed off. There should be virtually no end play at the cross shaft and the pivot points when they are loaded with the car on the ground. Make sure that there is no play in the rest of the steering and then go on your drive.
Ron
__________________
Racing: "The world's most efficient way to turn money into noise and smoke"
"Think with your dipstick, Jimmy"
"Anybody can BUY a car, only a chosen few build their own"
FFR Challenge car #4182SP Carbed 302, Holley 600CFM, E303 cam, T5, 3 link rear-3:55, Levy wheels, Kumho tires, Fire Safe fuel cell, Griffin race radiator, ISIS wiring system, MSD 6ALN NASCAR ignition, 85 Mustang distributor,
If there's enough play that you can actually hear it I'd check it out very carefully. If the play is in a horizontal plane check your tie rod ends, both for wear and bolt torque. If it's in the vertical plane check your ball joints. In either case, reset your wheel bearings. Enjoy the trip.
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FFR2776, crashed, but not forgotten. On the road again with FFR1738 reborn and completely rebuilt.
My MkII crossarms have snaprings on the ends but I suspect, that if newer ones have nuts, there may still be slop. I ended up ordering every 7/8 or 22mm snapring McMaster Carr had which was 4-5 different ones that were all slightly different thicknesses. This way I was able to tighten up the slop. Yes, the arm sliding for and aft is felt when the car is on the ground and an autocross tech inspector graps the top of the wheel and pulls/pushes. Maybe this will help SPC Performance (Old Pole Position Gold) UCA Users
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FFR 5353K,351/400hp,TKO 500, 3-link w/3.08 and Truetrac, Koni DA coilovers front and rear,APE hardtop,Forte front and VPM rear swaybars
I found what it was. In addition to the horizontal slop front to back of car the sleeve part that goes over the bar has a bore that allows for slop forward and back (passenger to driver) movement. My wife shook the top of the tire in and out and I noticed I could see the movement and I took a wooden dowel to it and listened and it is definitely that.
So, the bore is either worn enough to have loose tolerances or it wasn't tight in the first place. Or it is as it should be. When I greased them up again the slop went away... even after two trips around the block there is no slop.
I'm assuming this is not normal for a car with 2,200 miles on it. I did indeed lubricate it liberally before the start of the season.
What say you? do I need to call FFR and tell them they sent me yet another defective part?
FFR MK3.1 7075 Delivered: 10/13/09, First start 2/28/11, gokart 10 minutes later
408w carbed, TKO 600, IRS (3.27 with Torsen), dual roll bars, halibrand replicas, SS side pipes, rivet on hood scoop, SAI mod
Satisfied customer of: Factory Five Racing, Mike Forte, Breeze Automotive, Whitby Motors, Herb's Door Panels, Cobra Heat, Stewart Transport, Wayne Presley (Very Cool Parts), North Racecars, and Finish Line
See the other thread on these things. They are less than i would like but very difficult to find an alternative to. I just grease them a lot.
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FFR 5353K,351/400hp,TKO 500, 3-link w/3.08 and Truetrac, Koni DA coilovers front and rear,APE hardtop,Forte front and VPM rear swaybars
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