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View Full Version : Rearend off center by ~7/8" - possible causes/solutions?


93Cobra#2771
06-10-2005, 01:24 PM
Long story short - got some new rims with less than optimal backspacing (they are meant for standard 5.0, not 93 Cobras). Anyhow, I bolt said rims on without tires to see what I'm going to have to do to fit the rims.

I look at passenger side, wheel sticks out .25" past fenderwell. Then I look at driverside - it is tucked in almost perfectly. I take some measurements, and it looks like the rearend is shifter to the passenger side by about 7/8".

OK, history of the car - it has been wrecked, but not badly. All body panels are OEM. Car wasn't put on frame machine before fixing this last time (prob. should have though). When I got car, it had gone through a ditch and a barb wire fence. Pretty much all cosmetic damage. Rad. support is still original, as are all ground effects. I did discover, however, that the DS strut tower was "ballooned" at the top - enough so that my CC would not bolt down. I fixed that with a 2x4 and a small sledge. Alignment was not an issue, although it was prior to the CC plates (left front of car sits lower than right front by 1/2" or so). Bottom of radiator support is also tweaked a little bit as well. I'm reasonably sure the DS strut was replaced as well.

DS lower control arm mounting point (torque box) appears to be bent up some. I'm unsure if it has actually shifted any or not. From what I can tell, the attachment point haven't been moved, just more cosmetic damage.

My questions:
1. If torque box is out of whack, can it shift the rearend over?
2. How can I determine if it is out of whack, besides using a frame machine?
3. I know upper control arms center the axle, but they look fine. Can the axle still be moved with a change in torque box on only one side?
4. If a lower control arm is bent, can it cause the axle shift?
5. If one LC arm is bent, wouldn't the other be bent too?

The LC arm bushing on the DS looks to be bulging on one side, and I have been hearing a "knocking" sound back in that general vacinity, if that helps.

QWKSNKE
06-10-2005, 03:03 PM
I think it is pretty common for them to be off center. 7/8" sounds to much though.

It could be from lack of tight tolerances from the factory. I could also see it coming from maybe weak bushings in the uppers or a slight bend in one of the control arms .

I think its time for you to get some Factory 5 control arms or an adjutable panhard rod setup. :D

On a serious note, I remember Sendero mentioning that he discovered his rearend to be off center when he installed his panhard bar.

Craig K.
06-10-2005, 03:37 PM
I would take Lee's comments on the new arms (adjustable) seriously, you might not be able to get it perfectly recentered, but they may help some.
If you would like a more agressive turnning car, then put off the upper arms and do a 3-link (like what Nathan has) along with a P-Bar.

Italian LX
06-10-2005, 05:54 PM
Yeah, I would think a panard bar would fix that pretty well. :shrug:

93Cobra#2771
06-13-2005, 08:19 AM
From what I've gathered, it's not uncommon for the rearend to be off by 1/2" give or take. I have a feeling that the upper control arm bushings may be off or something. Haven't had a chance to trouble shoot much yet, unfortunately.

While I would love a panhard and torque arm setup, I just don't have the coin to spring for that right now. That would be the optimal solution, though, and I've drooled over such setups for quite a while...

Disney Lincoln
06-13-2005, 09:41 PM
I can get the car in the air and map it out on the floor with a plumb bob and measuring tape to see how far it is out of whack. Measure off of the rear bolts for tle K member, and the forward bolts in the lower control arm. Measure front to back on both sides, then in an X across the car. Sounds like it will need to go on a frame machine though. I just had a car done a month or so ago, 85LX coupe, and they pulled it all out straight (looked straight from outside) and re-aligned all the body panels for $115 in about 2 hours time.

93Cobra#2771
06-14-2005, 06:14 AM
Thanks for the info, Disney. Had not thought about measuring it that way.