On my last alignment the front left wheel measured a -0.3 caster with a specified range of 0.5 to 2.5 degrees. And the front right side was at 1.3 degrees. So I need to adjust my left side +1.6 degrees to match the right side.
I looked under my car, and on the drivers side the crossmember was hit and bent. Getting a new crossmember wont’ help because where it mounts to the unibody it’s a little bit tweaked…so i’m kinda suck with that messud up crossmember. But I would still like to fix my caster.
Is there a way to adjust my caster through the radius arm?? I see that the radius arm goes through the crossmember and some kind of bushing. Could I put some washers on one side of the radius arm where it mounts to the crossmember? Is there some kind of different radius arm that I could put on thats shorter or longer? Or is there some kind of caster kit out there for my '92 teg.
to my understanding caster is not adjustable on our cars. Is there any way to bend the cross member back in place? I’ve seen plenty of them beat up a little bit from a lowered car but yours seems to be somewhat worse.
It’s not really an option to bend it back…kinda sucks. I know it’s not adjustable from the factory, I was thinking of something like the washer trick in the back…except doing it on one side of the radius arm where it connect to the crossmember.
I did a search but there wasn’t really any specifics on the accord rods. I’m assumeing they are supose to give you some positive caster?? How much? You said you have to re-drill them…are the holes too small? Are they not spaced out the same? Any details on useing the accord rods would be great.
bringing this back from the dead. i also bottomed out bad and bent my frame a hair back on the driverside and its giving me almost 3 degrees of caster while the other side is set to 0. so has any one else tried this 86-89 accord trick yet?
I tried the accord radius rods but my stock radius rods were bent along with my crossmember…so when I put on the accord ones “that were not bent”, they wouldn’t fit. But as long as your stock radius rods are not bent…and it’s just your crossmember or frame that’s bent, then the accord ones should work. It’s kinda’ hard to explain, but if the angle between the mounting point on the crossmember and the lower control arm is different then they will not mount up…unless you customize them. Hope that helps.
I still have the accord radius rods if your interested in buying them. Let me know.
Yes, you can add washers on the inside where the stock washer is to adjust caster. I have done it. Just go to the hardware store and get some larger flat washers about the same size as the factory ones (you will not want them that thick). The only issue is that it does take a while since you have to remove the radius rods or crossmember and add and subtract washers until you get it where you want (installing it completely each time) and have to do a caster sweep each time. You can also get the Accord radius rods or an aftermarket crossmember like Full Race, Z10, etc.
So does anybody know what size washers to use and how much caster that will get you? I have -1.9 on the left and +1.0 on the right, due to some tweaking in the front subframe (the car was in an accident before I got it). Also I’m looking for a set of 86-89 Accord radius arms…
I don’t know the size of the washers that I got - I just took a stock one in to the hardware store and found some about the same size. I’ll see if I have any extra’s laying around to get an aproximate size. It was either .1 or .2 degrees per washer (I’m working on my car this weekend, so I’ll look to see how many I used and the results). There is only so much space to put them, so putting a dozen on one side will not always work. I think I adjusted mine down to around 1 degree on each side.
depends what side you add them to. infront of the crossmemeber will bring the wheel forward in the wheel well. beheind the cross member will push the back.
You can not pull the wheel forward unless you make the rod shorter i.e. cut it and reweld it or machine the flang that the washer sit on. If you cut the washer like a C. Do you your adjustment (see how many you need) then replace them with hole ones you only have to take it apart one time.