I am using stock suspension on my Borg conversion and the car was and entirely different animal w/ stock spec's. I am very close to what Krazy Comet stated in post #12. I thought stock specs should be close; boy was I suprised to find out -- the car was almost scary to drive.
for some reason these alignment guys like more toe, I have calculated the degree equivalent to 1/16 and 1/8 so I will have it set at 1/16 to begin with, but hey Im paying him $60 and he will keep tweaking till it is right. Yes it is still stock with exception of the rack
Caster is what makes the steering go back to center and makes the car track straighter. With a lot of caster, the wheel can be hard to turn, but power steering cars can use more of it than manual-steer cars. I think a main reason to run a bit more toe than stock is that these cars came with bias belted tires when new. Now that radial tires are primarily in use, a bit more toe can take a bit of that sidewall slack out of and keep a load on them to make them track better.
Electric PS is your friend,and is tune-able if you buy the adjustable kit or automatic controller it is controlled for you. You can put a system together for about $250.00 to $500.00 depending on where you shop. That is going with some used parts but the motor hardly wear out. it was typically the zero point sensors that failed and made the systems default. Use a motor and PSECM from a Saturn Vue.....then buy this kit from ebay. Yes there is some fab work but easier than you might think.! http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Automat...ash=item465b407718:g:9QoAAOSwZQRYYt-j&vxp=mtr When they say steering column what they mean is this part. http://www.ebay.com/itm/02-07-Satur...ash=item4666cd0dab:g:aAMAAOSwagdXRjvX&vxp=mtr
Well I have figured out why I was having trouble getting my alignment correct, the Unisteer R & P is a center take-off setup, with this style is some unwanted but necessary play between the housing and the block that attaches to the rack, which allows about 1/4 to 3/8 inch of movement up and down, since the tires naturally want to toe out this in turn causes an upward force on the rack which in turn causes a toe out condition. So with this setup one needs to increase the toe in to compensate, or put upward pressure on it, then set toe to spec. Does that make sense.
Is that what the folks at Unisteer specifies? Do they recommend any starting/initial alignment specs? I wud have considered their if it had been in production when I went w/ Borgenson. I got the system working pretty gud now, and the money and time I have invested, looks like it's a keeper. Did you get to drive it yet? If so, what are your impression at this point?
I have had it in and driving it for about a year or more, awesome setup, no bump steer. I had a new pressure hose made after mine blew, they sent a new one but I like the one napa made, don't have to worry anymore. I did install a smaller flow valve since then which made a improvement, It has been on the alignment rack several times trying to get it set so the car would quit darting back and forth, Unisteer could only recommend stock settings, I had it setting on a set of turn tables looking for anything that may cause my symptoms when I figured it out, right now it is really close to where it should be, for the first time since installing it have I been able to let go of the wheel. Just one of those things we have to deal with on aftermarket/ upgrade parts. They did say that extra play is normal and needed but I'm sure there are not enough in use to have anymore info or better recommendations but I will forward my findings to them
Also since most if not all rack and pinion setups are for the most part straight in line which is not the case with the Maverick, so I am assuming that if it were this would not happen
When you say "Extra Play", you referring to amount steering wheel moves b4 any tire movement? I have about 1" in my Borg setup; finally got the car working nice after 3 years. I must say, after I got the caster to 3+ degrees and added pressure reducing kit to the Saginaw pump, I can drive the car 75+ mph now. Before that, over 50 was a handful.
Same here but no talking about the play in the center take off on the rack, as it moves in upward direction from the force of tires wanting to naturally toe out causes excessive toe out so have to start with, that make sense.
Have you ever compared notes with Nick Dominick here on the forum? He probably has as much seat time as anyone with this system. I'll be running into the same deal when I get mine back on the road, so I hope you guys can figure it out. My stock power assist did the same thing you describe. It was all over the road and would dart about without warning when encountering pavement discontinuities. I was white knuckle in single lane construction zones.
I have asked Nick all he said was he is in the process of installing a coil-over I believe, he could not remember was his was set at and did not say anymore, but I have been bringing the toe in a bit at a time and seeing huge improvements and once I get it where I like it it will go back on the allignment rack to see where it is at.
