Trailing Arm Options to add Toe-In

#1

Hey guys,

My LR wheel has toe-OUT. I have the Ireland Adjusters and the left side is toed-in as much as possible, but it still has toe-out. I am able to achieve total toe-in by adjusting the right side in, but this was clearly still hindering me in T7 at Road Atlanta, especially.

Background: I tagged the wall at Watkins Glen last year and this must have bent my LR trailing arm. I had it pulled back out while it was on the frame rack (rather than replace it with a condition-unknown used one), but either we didn’t do enough or it returned to toe-out when the dyno guys strapped to the trailing arms.

I’m looking for opinion on how to fix this. Replacing with a NEW control arm, or dropping the subframe to relocate the adjuster tabs are my last options due to cost, but my ears are open. Should I just swap the control arm with another used one? Try to get it to move again on a frame rack? Or, something else?

Thanks.

#2

I hate those adjusters. I’m sick of fighting the outboard adjusters because they are so hard to get to. The next time I have trouble, I’m going to be tempted as heck to put adjusters on only the inside ears for camber, then leave the outside ears unmolested. Then I’ll have a frame shop bend as needed for neutral toe.

If that doesn’t appeal to you, I’d check to see if the toe adjusters have moved on you. If not, have a frame shop bend the rear wheels until absolute toe is right.

#3

Anthony, same problem on passenger side of Laura’s car.

You can try this exercise in futility:
Remove control arm and add an offset bushing.

Then you bolt it all back together and find the toe is still the same, you question your sanity. Theory sez it should work…

Then you can try an offset bolt going thru the offset bushing (special machine shop work).

Repeat reassembly and measurement to end up at the same starting point before you started all of this work… Twice.

Just some thoughts. I’ll work to replace junk this winter.
RP

#4

Do I risk harming anything else (wheel, wheel bearing, etc) if I have the shop pull on it by the wheel?

#5

I’ve no idea. I figure frame shops ought to have experience enough to draw upon to make decisions like that.

#6

Have frame shop here in Birmingham that has done race car work for decades. When I took my E30 to him, I had him bend the arm(s) with the toe adjusters the rear of their travel for “0” toe. Worked fine.