How the Heck?

[XXXR]

OME caster correction... pretty straight forward - NOT. How in the heck do you measure the control arms like they direct? You can't use a staight edge because you can't cut through the front axle. WTF? Measuring from the ground is about as accurate as using a butter knife in surgery. Any help at this point would be GREATLY appreciated. (pics?)

Thanks!

 

[sea2skydad]

I followed Dan's advice. It's straightforward and it worked for me.


Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: The parts room, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Posts: 9,184 Does a lifted 80 really have caster issues?

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Riley, this is how I did it:

After the lift is installed, park the vehicle on a flat surface.
Measure from the ground up to the center of the mounting bolt on the frame end (rear) of the leading arm. Then take a measurement from the ground to the center of the front axle housing mount bolt. Record both measurements. You will get something where the rear will be a couple inches higher than the front.
Remove the arms and lay one of them flat on it's side. get a long straight edge like a 4 foot level or mark a straight line on the floor.
Position the arm so the center of the front and rear bolt holes are the same distance from the line as they were from the ground.
Take a carpenter's square or the like and mark lines perpendicular to the straight edge, through the center lines of all three holes.
Mark the top and bottom of the mounting rings where the bushings go. Do all three and mark both sides of the arm. I used a cold chisel and &quotunch marked" the top and bottom. Be sure the marks are clear as you will be very unhappy if you can't see them later.
Repeat the process on the other arm.

measure the center-to-center of the axle mounting bushings, IIRC it's 7.25 inches.
Press the old axle mounting bushings out. Position the OME bushing in the front hole so that the bolt hole in the bushing is at the top mark and the line moulded in the bushing is pointed at the bottom mark. Press the front bushing.
Next you will postion the rear bushing so that the hole is at the bottom mark and the line is at the top mark. BEFORE you press the rear bushing, check the center-to-center measurement, you should be right on.
Repeat on the other arm and re-install.

 

[XXXR]

Thank you Sir... I'll give it a go.
http://pages.sbcglobal.net/desmo/bmw/fj80.html

 

[-Spike-]

I made a jig out of 1/2" copper pipe before removing the old bushings. Made it real easy to ensure the bolts would line up when finished.

-Spike

 

[XXXR]

Good idea.... I was attempting to do this with wood, but the bolts are pretty large, and I didn't have a large enough bit. I'll run over to OSH today.
Thanks!

 

[Walking Eagle]

I made a jig out of 1/2" copper pipe before removing the old bushings. Made it real easy to ensure the bolts would line up when finished.

-Spike

any picks of the jig?

 

[XXXR]

any picks of the jig?

I took the advice and merely stuck a couple short pieces into the bushin holes. Added 2 elbows and another piece of tube to reach each vertical running tube. Sanded the ends, applied flux and sweated the pieces together, while still in the bushings. Resulted in a perfect fit. My machinist laughed when he saw it, but actually used it as reference.