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BF Caster Adjustment - Will I Need A Camber/Caster Kit? 

 

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 Post subject: BF Caster Adjustment - Will I Need A Camber/Caster Kit?
Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2014 5:19 pm 
Stock as a Rock
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I was hoping someone experienced in carrying out wheel alignments might be able to provide me with some advice. My BF drifts to the left. I was told the caster probably needs adjusting. On both sides of the car there is plenty of thread left on all but one of the UCA bolts. I have posted a photo showing the UCA bolt on the passenger side which has the least amount of thread remaining. Is anyone able to tell me if I can expect to get any further adjustment out of it or if I might need a camber/caster kit?

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 Post subject: Re: BF Caster Adjustment - Will I Need A Camber/Caster Kit?
Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2014 5:40 pm 
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Probably just needs a wheel alignment not neccessarily caster adjustment.
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 Post subject: Re: BF Caster Adjustment - Will I Need A Camber/Caster Kit?
Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2014 5:41 pm 
Stock as a Rock
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{USERNAME} wrote:
Probably just needs a wheel alignment not neccessarily caster adjustment.


Had three wheel alignments, all with the same result. Have to constantly hold the steering wheel a few degrees to the right in order to track straight.
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 Post subject: Re: BF Caster Adjustment - Will I Need A Camber/Caster Kit?
Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2014 5:53 pm 
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How are your tyres wearing?

Doing castor is part of a wheel alignment, who have you gone too.
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 Post subject: Re: BF Caster Adjustment - Will I Need A Camber/Caster Kit?
Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2014 5:58 pm 
Stock as a Rock
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Age: 42

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Ride: 2008 BF MKII SR

Location: Brisbane
QLD, Australia

{USERNAME} wrote:
How are your tyres wearing?

Doing castor is part of a wheel alignment, who have you gone too.


The tyres appear to be wearing fine which is puzzling. I've been to Bob Jane (once for the initial alignment and then again a few hours later because I wasn't happy with the drifting to the left issue) and an independent suspension business whose name escapes me.
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 Post subject: Re: BF Caster Adjustment - Will I Need A Camber/Caster Kit?
Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2014 6:11 pm 
Stock as a Rock
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Ride: 2008 BF MKII SR

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QLD, Australia

I'm wondering if it might be more of a case of the steering wheel just being off-centre because like as I said the car tracks fine if the wheel is a few degrees to the right.
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 Post subject: Re: BF Caster Adjustment - Will I Need A Camber/Caster Kit?
Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 6:34 pm 
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QLD, Australia

Well, I had yet another wheel alignment carried out. The car still follows the camber of the road, being in Australia that means a left-hand drift in most circumstances.

Considering that I have had alignments carried out by three separate businesses I am quite confident it isn't the fault of the personnel who performed the alignment.

The business who performed my most recent alignment didn't have a printer connected to their computer so I took a photo of the final values.

From the photo I was hoping someone knowledgeable might be able to tell me two things:

1. What each set of numbers represents (camber, caster, toe, etc.)
2. How do the settings look to you?

Thanks again guys.

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 Post subject: Re: BF Caster Adjustment - Will I Need A Camber/Caster Kit?
Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2014 7:17 pm 
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{USERNAME} wrote:
Well, I had yet another wheel alignment carried out. The car still follows the camber of the road, being in Australia that means a left-hand drift in most circumstances.

Considering that I have had alignments carried out by three separate businesses I am quite confident it isn't the fault of the personnel who performed the alignment.

The business who performed my most recent alignment didn't have a printer connected to their computer so I took a photo of the final values.

From the photo I was hoping someone knowledgeable might be able to tell me two things:

1. What each set of numbers represents (camber, caster, toe, etc.)
2. How do the settings look to you?

Thanks again guys.

Image


id think the camber (top two) should be closer togetha
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 Post subject: Re: BF Caster Adjustment - Will I Need A Camber/Caster Kit?
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2014 12:49 am 
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{USERNAME} wrote:
I was told the caster probably needs adjusting.
Caster influences steering returnability - e.g. a shopping trolley with castors.
If a tyre place like Bob Jane told you that, it would be BS - as per the pic, it doesn't show you the caster settings.
Run the car along a decent flat road - if it tracks okay and the wheel is a bit off, in your case, to the right, the LH toe needs to be taken out a little more, and the RH taken in a little to straighten the wheel.
Check the BF settings from a BF user manual booklet - to me, total front toe seems a bit much - could be halved to 1.0 mm total.
I know an automotive that does BA/BF cabs - I'll ask them what they set the alignment to.

Due to our roads sloping to the left, bit more camber on the LHF and LHR wheels should be okay as shown in the pic.

 

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 Post subject: Re: BF Caster Adjustment - Will I Need A Camber/Caster Kit?
Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2014 8:32 pm 
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Hi there, I work at Bridgestone in Hastings NZ, been doing alignments for 8 years, depending on the severity of the drift to the left, I would be putting a 1.5 mm shim on the front bolts on the left hand side and another 1.5mm shim on the back bolts on the drivers side. Falcons run best with between 30 minutes to a degree more castor on the left.
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