Ford Mustang Service Manual: Camber and Caster Adjustment - Front
Wheel Alignment Angles
Camber and toe are adjustable on the front suspension systems. Front camber is adjusted by moving the top of the strut and spring assembly. Rear camber is adjusted by means of eccentric cams on the rear upper arms. Caster is preset at the factory and should only be adjusted after all other possible sources have been inspected and corrected as necessary. Front toe is adjusted by the use of the front wheel spindle tie rod (3280).
Camber
Negative and Positive Camber
Camber is the vertical tilt of the wheel (1007) when viewed from the front. Camber can be positive or negative and has a direct effect on tire wear.
Caster
Item | Part Number | Description |
1 | - | Positive caster |
2 | - | True vertical |
3 | - | Steering axis |
Caster is the deviation from vertical of an imaginary line drawn through the ball joints when viewed from the side. Caster specifications in this section will give the vehicle the best directional stability characteristics when loaded and driven. Caster setting is not related to tire wear.
Toe
Positive Toe (Toe In)
Negative Toe (Toe Out)
The vehicle toe setting affects tire wear and directional stability.
Ride Height
Front Ride Height Measurement
Item | Description |
1 | Ride height = B - A |
2 | Measurement A |
3 | Measurement B |
Rear Ride Height Measurement - GT and Base
Item | Description |
1 | Body reinforcement |
2 | Ride height (shortest distance) |
3 | Rear axle |
Wheel Track
Item | Part Number | Description |
1 | - | Front track |
2 | - | Rear track |
Dogtracking
Item | Part Number | Description |
1 | - | Vehicle centerline |
2 | - | Axle centerline |
3 | - | Thrust angle |
Dogtracking or thrust angle is the condition in which the rear axle is not square to the chassis. Heavily crowned roads can give the illusion of dogtracking.
Wander
Wander is the tendency of the vehicle to require frequent, random left and right steering wheel (3600) corrections to maintain a straight path down a level road.
Shimmy
Shimmy, as observed by the driver, is large, consistent, rotational oscillations of the steering wheel resulting from large, side-to-side (lateral) tire/wheel movements.
Shimmy is usually experienced near 64 km/h (40 mph), and can begin or be amplified when the tire contacts pot holes or irregularities in the road surface.
Nibble
Sometimes confused with shimmy, nibble is a condition resulting from tire interaction with various road surfaces and observed by the driver as small rotational oscillations of the steering wheel.
Poor Returnability/Sticky Steering
Poor returnability and sticky steering is used to describe the poor return of the steering wheel to center after a turn or steering correction is completed.
Drift/Pull
Pull is a tugging sensation, felt in the steering wheel, that must be overcome to keep the vehicle going straight.
Drift describes what a vehicle with this condition does with hands off the steering wheel.
- Drift/pull may be induced by conditions external to the vehicle (i.e., wind, road camber).
Poor Groove Feel
Poor groove feel is characterized by little or no buildup of turning effort felt in the steering wheel as the wheel is rocked slowly left and right within very small turns around center or straight-ahead (under 20 degrees of steering wheel turn). Efforts may be said to be "flat on center."
- Under 20 degrees of turn, most of the turning effort that builds up comes from the mesh of gear teeth in the steering gear (3504). In this range, the steering wheel is not yet turned enough to feel the effort from the self-aligning forces at the road wheel or tire patch.
- In the diagnosis of a handling problem, it is important to understand the difference between wander and poor groove feel.
Component Tests
Inspection and Verification
1. Road test.
Verify the customer's concern by performing a road test on a smooth
road.
2. Inspect tires.
Check the tire pressure with all normal loads in the vehicl ...
Camber Adjustment - Rear
Wheel Alignment Angles
Camber and toe are adjustable on the front suspension systems. Front camber
is adjusted by moving
the top of the strut and spring assembly. Rear camber is adjusted by means of ...
Other materials:
Fastening the safety belts
The front outboard and rear safety restraints in your vehicle are combination
lap and shoulder belts.
The presenter arm (available on the coupe only) is intended to improve access
to the safety belt and to allow access to the rear seat.
Rotate the pres ...
Traction Control
PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION
The traction control system helps avoid drive wheel spin and loss of traction.
If your vehicle begins to slide, the system applies the brakes to individual
wheels and, when needed, reduces engine power at the same time. If the wheel ...
Removal
Removal
CAUTION: Suspension fasteners are critical parts because they affect
performance of vital
components and systems and their failure can result in major service expense. A
new part with
the same part number must be installed if installation becomes nec ...