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[Turk]

Anyone remember what diameter socket was used to guage the distance between the wheel rim and the suspension leg ?
I'm replacing the springs later this afternoon and although I can get it reasonably accurate by tippexing a mark to re-set, I've fitted poly-bushes and the camber needs a slight tweak until it gets the WIM treatment.

15mm diameter rings a bell (from a 11mm socket), but not quite sure on that. 

I think Chrisgixer posted something a few months back.

[Andy H]

When I changed the shock absorber inserts in the front struts of my 1994 Omega I don't think I undid anything that would change the camber :-/

1. spring compressors on (with weight of car to assist)
2. undo nut on top of strut (leave finger tight)
3. jack up car
4, remove road wheel
5. remove caliper
6. disconnect pad wear indicator
7. disconnect track rod
8. undo pinch bolt on bottom ball joint - wrestle ball joint out.
9. remove nut on top of strut insert and you should be left holding the strut with the hub still attached.

[Andy H]

If you are going to have the camber re-set soon anyway I suppose it is probably easier to leave the hub on the car and undo the two bolts that hold the hub and strut together.......

Whatever you do be careful of the spring once it has the spring compressors on. I felt like a bomb disposal officer all the time I was working on it

[Turk]

Thanks for that, but I usually:
Axle stand the front
Road wheel off
Undo top mount
Undo bottom bolts
Suspension leg off
Mount leg in spring compressor
Spring change
Reversal of removal procedure
Drop car down

Temporary camber setting is done by a 11mm socket or something with 15mm diameter (I think !) taped to strut adjacent to flat edge of wheel rim (not the very edge lip tho', use the flat vertical edge). Slacken bottom bolts and wheel will tilt to rest against the socket. This gives a reasonably accurate temporary camber setting.

I'm reasonably sure it's a 15mm gap, but worse case is I just use Tippex to mark the leg and re-set to that.
I've fitted Poly-Bushes to the front and it's pulled it in tighter than the saggy old rubber bushes, so the camber is not quite right now, but not too worry.
I'm off to WIM soon as I can anyhoo.  

[Andy H]

Mount leg in spring compressor

It is a few years since I had the front springs off so I must have forgotten something about the top mount (or maybe I didn't understand it at the time ) what I do remember very clearly is that the pair of spring compressors I have didn't seem quite up to compressing an Omega front spring.

I did inquire about at the local motor factors about a better quality tool(s) but they couldn't offer me anything. Can you post a picture of your spring compressor please?

[Kevin Wood]

I have set it up using a spirit level before. You need to space it away from the rim top and bottom, with about 8mm (IIRC) extra spacing at the top. (17" rims)

On level ground, take the car round the block to settle it and then offer up the spirit level on level ground and check it's level.

Adjust and repeat as required.

Or just set it with as little camber as you can. Should be safe to get it to be aligned.

Kevin

[Seth]

I have set it up using a spirit level before. You need to space it away from the rim top and bottom, with about 8mm (IIRC) extra spacing at the top. (17" rims)

On level ground, take the car round the block to settle it and then offer up the spirit level on level ground and check it's level.

Adjust and repeat as required.

Or just set it with as little camber as you can. Should be safe to get it to be aligned.

Kevin

Same method used here Kev.
As luck would have it, I had actually got both sides spot-on when it was subsequently checked.
Handling well, and tyres now wearing nicely!

[Kevin Wood]

Same method used here Kev.
As luck would have it, I had actually got both sides spot-on when it was subsequently checked.
Handling well, and tyres now wearing nicely!

It surprised me how accurate I got it too. Shame it's not as easy to get the toe right though.

Kevin

[rustym95]

Same method used here Kev.
As luck would have it, I had actually got both sides spot-on when it was subsequently checked.
Handling well, and tyres now wearing nicely!

It surprised me how accurate I got it too. Shame it's not as easy to get the toe right though.

Kevin

a peace of wood same size as rear. as long as the back traking is good.

[Agemo]

I remember setting mine up once, using a spirit level. 6mm rings a bell, but can't remember if I had 15" or 16s on at the time. I had mine checked last time I changed a wishbone, but i'm sure it is not right.

[Seth]

I dis-regarded these measurements, and went this way ........
With the suspension settled after a short run, and with the car sat on all fours, I slackened, (slightly), the two hub carrier-to-leg bolts, then dropped a cold-chisel in between the carrier and leg.
Tapping the chisel downwards wedged the top of the carrier outwards, until the vertically-hung spirit level showed the correct setting. Then re-tightened both bolts firmly.
Another short test run, re-checked the spirit-level, and voila ...... spot on as it happened ..... !

[feeutfo]

i used an 11mill socket, but there is no reson to presume yours will be the same, either the car or the outside diameter of the socket you have could well be different, ideally find the best fitting one before you start, and replicate that when re fitting.

If you dont have the original measurement taken before dismanteling, i would strongly advise the spirit level method.

socket method also presumes the original setting was correct when meassured obviously....