95 Neon. Major camber problem

[Larry_Volkey]

So when i put the vehicle in 1st gear and start to move forward i get alot of positive camber. Then when i put the vehicle in reverse and go backwards i get negative camber. Any Idea's on whats broke?? this car is a bandit race car and hit the wall on the right front of the car and has done this ever since.

Thanks

[mopar_rocks]

So does this occur only on the right side? I would check the lower ball joint, the strut mount, strut tower (all welds), lower control arm (and all mounting points as well), the strut itself and look for a bent rim. The other thing to check would be the "cradle". Something is WAY wrong there. (My guess is in the strut or mounting area of the strut mount or the lower control arm.) Can you have someone go from drive to reverse while you watch the strut mount and tower with the hood open? It sounds like it happens immediately from your description. With the front of the car off the ground, try to push in and pull out on the wheel and see if you have play somewhere. This is a tough one to answer without seeing the car in person, but that should give you a few places to start. Good Luck!

[Larry_Volkey]

Thanks for the reply,

no it happens on both sides of the vehicle, when you say craddle are you talking about the engine craddle or what?? i did a dry park test with the vehicle on the ground and also had some one turn the wheel back and forth while it was in the air. i still havent found any looseness, but i will check the struts tonight.

Thanks

[mopar_rocks]

Originally Posted by Larry_Volkey

Thanks for the reply,

no it happens on both sides of the vehicle, when you say craddle are you talking about the engine craddle or what?? i did a dry park test with the vehicle on the ground and also had some one turn the wheel back and forth while it was in the air. i still havent found any looseness, but i will check the struts tonight.

Thanks

The cradle really has nothing to do with the engine as it does in some other cars. The cradle has more so to do with the sway bar, rack and pinion, lower control arms ... stuff like that. It basically attaches the lower part of the suspension to the unibody. With a car that has no upper control arm, your struts take the place of those and any adjustment other than toe in/out,is done where the bottom of the strut mounts to the knuckle. doing it on both sides it kinda weird and that would suggest something very major wrong with the car and it's suspension, frame ... you get the idea. I have setup many off road tucks and race cars alike, and I have set the alignment to whatever specs that situation called for. Since you're not jumping the car off road and you're not rock climbing I would think that physically seeing the tires and wheels tilt in and out with your eye and not an alignment machine, is something serious. Turning the steering wheel while the car is in the air won't show much. You physically trying to rip the wheels off the car while it's in the air may show a problem though. I would really watch the strut towers when the car is placed in gear. The only time I've seen that problem (this is just my personal experience) was when the frame and suspension on a Modified car was broken. But ... being your's is a race car ... things do get put in there that aren't so common. Keep us informed ..I find this problem interesting. Pics would be a plus.