There are all sorts of
alignment settings that some will argue
will make your car perform better.
Remember that the 1970 Mustangs were
designed with a particular suspension
geometry and room for improvement is
limited to that design, save for
replacing original parts with aftermarket
items. So in dealing with the original
suspension, there are some very
straightforward procedures that will
definitely improve the handling of your
Mustang.
The wheels are aligned using three main
settings: Caster, Camber, and Toe-In.
Caster is movement front or back of the
wheel to the frame. Positive caster moves
the wheel rearward, negative caster moves
the wheel forward.
Camber is the tilt of the top of the tire
inward or outward within the wheel
opening. Positive camber tilts outward,
negative camber tilts inward.
Toe-in is the distance between the very
front of each tire. |
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1. Lowering the
upper control arms by 1 inch is a common
practice now, thanks to Carroll Shelby
and the GT 350s back in 1965. This lowers
the front end but also, and more
importantly, lowers the center of gravity
for better cornering. Many engineers feel
that 1 inch is all that should be used,
stating that the suspension was not
designed to handle any more drop than
that. This also however changes the way
the suspension works and varying the
alignment specs from stock helps this
modification to work better. Sometimes
the coil springs are actually cut to
lower the front end. This doesn't really
work the same and the spring tension is
increased, making for a rougher ride. To
lower the upper control arms, drill two
holes 1 inch below and the same size as
the existing holes as shown above.
2. Caster should be set to between 0 and
2 degrees positive. Caster is what makes
the steering wheel want to return to
center after a turn. The more caster you
have, the more the wheel wants to return
to center.
3. Camber should be set to between 1/2 to
1 degree negative. This tilts the top of
the tire inward and gives the car a more
aggressive ability to corner. Basically
this puts more tire on the road in a turn
than the stock setting.
4. Toe-in should be between 1/8 inch and
3/16 inch.
With these settings and modifications,
you will have a safer and much better
handling Mustang. |
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