Good old TVR design...tracking/camber adjustments

[brogenville]

Finally managed to get my camber/tracking all sorted out today- difference is enormous, it doesn't feel like the car is quite so determined to kill me. Anyway, its taken a few weeks to get to this stage, after the garage decided that the bolts/bushes would take too long to shift than they could be arsed with. It was fair enough really, as there was a fair amount of oxy-acelayne required to free it all up. Having fully dismantled the rear suspension, it occurs to me that not only is the adjustment system for the tracking/camber really unusual, but for the camber adjustment, its really quite a flawed system too. Normally you would have a cam-bolt to make alterations to the suspension geometry, but the cerb camber is adjusted by moving the top of the hub carrier along a straight slot. The problem with this is not only it it difficult to alter precisely when the weight of the car is bearing down, but its almost destined to sink back down over time and become un-aligned very quickly as it rides over bumps. Have a look yourself, its just a bad system.

Out of interest, has anyone else noticed that the suspension geometry seems to come out of alignment surprisingly rapidly? Has anyone perhaps even thought about modifying the upper rear wishbones to create a more stable setup basis?

[GreenV8S]

The same approach has been used on TVRs for years without any problems, it shouldn't shift if it's done up correctly.

[brogenville]

Fairenough, its my first tiv, so I'll just see how it gets on. I still think they could have come up with something better though.

Cheers.

[julian64]

Surely all it would take is a blob of weld at one end of the slot with a flat filed into it, and a washer with the hole drilled offset and welded to the bolt?

[brogenville]

I would have thought so. It would certainly make it easier for the poor chap having to set the camber, who in one hand has to use a pry-bar to lift the car into the correct camber setting, and with the other try to tighten a bolt up at the top of the hub.

[methodwares]

first time i had mine done and saw him using a pry bar, we came up with a more better solution

the lift he was using had additional hydraulic lifts on it that, as luck would have it, put the lift points just at the right point to lift the car using some nice stiff foam blocks.

so, take the camber measurement when the car has not been lifted and make a note of the difference from where it is to where it needs to be. lift the car and adjust the camber by that much. lower the car and see where it is. repeat as needed. much, much easier.

[julian64]

However it seems to be known that the setting its very important to get right is the front castor angle on a Cerb. God only knows how you set that up from looking at the thing

[mikesr]

Didn't they use different thickness spacers either side of the top ball joint?
Although it appears the only available thickness is 3mm (from Clever Trevor)

[julian64]

I had two crappy looking washers on mine. Maybe one washer or two is the adjustment.

anyone got three?