Hi guys, got a wheel alignment done today. Issues are with the left front...negative camber. Anyone experienced this before or fixed a negative camber. Normally happens on the left side. Picture is included. Apparently this will make the front left wear on the inside!!!

Good comprehensive data there, this is important.

Either the bottom is too far out or the top is too far in.

Problems I've seen
Bent lower swivel ball joint
Cracked and corroded top spring plate (inner bearing support bit) (stopped - full lock changes the steering feel pulls to one side, put the opposite lock and it resets back to normal)
Bent suspension cross member
Bent radius arm mount
Worn top bush

Maybe do a bit of geometry calculations to see how many mm one end needs to be out to get 2deg. I recon about 1.7mm over 50cm strut length. Someone check, havn't done sin 2=x/50 in a while

Strip her down and keep us updated!

SAI? Is that King Pin Inclination in English?

That should be 9 degrees 30 minutes, plus or minus 30 minutes. So between 9 and 10 degrees.

Check the data against that in the green book in case I've got that wrong...

SAI = Steering Axis Inclination

Mac

mac wrote:SAI = Steering Axis Inclination

Cheers, I assumed it was, as kingpins went out with the Nelson's eye. (Mind you, KPI is what the Volvo call it in the book.)

I will be driving approximately 6km to work...4 miles. should i be worried ? or should I just rotate tyres more frequently

6km per day!!!

After speaking to the tyre technician Carlos, he tells me it's the lower suspension arm causing me the problem ( number 6 on the diagram) bit on the passenger side. He said that If I could machine the hole to be adjusted i.e. make it move 3 mm to the centre of the vehicle on the cross member, this would align the wheel correctly. As easy as that!!!!!

Dear Ride on...Every ball joint, bush (except top mounting) was replaced. I'm assuming it been involved in an accident with a kerb before. Still drives like a treat......the glory days in Burton-on-Trent circa 1990
What is the
"Cracked and corroded top spring plate (inner bearing support bit) (stopped - full lock changes the steering feel pulls to one side, put the opposite lock and it resets back to normal)"
Nedd to check this out

I think Ride On is on about the issue in this post

http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-uk/v ... 20#p149329

Top plates were all in reasonable condition. got them from wreckers and refitted

kelvingenders wrote:
After speaking to the tyre technician Carlos, he tells me it's the lower suspension arm causing me the problem ( number 6 on the diagram) bit on the passenger side. He said that If I could machine the hole to be adjusted i.e. make it move 3 mm to the centre of the vehicle on the cross member, this would align the wheel correctly. As easy as that!!!!!

i think that it's not "6" that's causing the problem but "10", those rear brackets have the nasty habit of corroding and rusting away. i can very much imagine that this will screw up the alignment.

Yes I was talking about the top plate as Chris's link shows.

Volvospec, 10 is the clutch cable but I guess you mean the radius arm mounting, either loose or its not sitting right. As the bolt tighten up it pulls the arm shoulder onto the plate. If its not tight metal-metal that will not help, or the mounting can be distorted. You could check by measuring the wheel-wheel centre on each side of the car. It would have to be alot further out to affect the camber, seems it should affect other measurements like the castor, so I'm thinking maybe its not that.

Are the ball joint mounting bolts accurate? Are the bolts the right size locating it correctly?

Try some comparative measurements from either side on the bottom arm length, say ball joint to crossmember.

Will be checking this out in the month to come. Depends on how bad the tyre wear is

Hardly any rust on brackets at 10. this is Queensland. It's sunny most days and they don't use salt on the roads.