Hi guy's this is my first post on the site, I have a 72 Cutlass Supreme that I've owned for about seven years. I drive the car every summer so it's been a long restoration. Things I've done to the car so far are new quarter panels, new fenders, bumpers, new interior and many other small jobs. My issue is the front end alignment I've put everything new in the front end except the upper control arms. The car has had two alignment's done at two separate shops and it still pulls to the right hard. Any advice or suggestion's would be greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome! When you get a chance post done pics of the car
Okay can you post a pic of the shops alignment specs before and after . Most shops these days don't align cars they just put it in the green and ship it out the door with no clue how they work togeather I do mostly front end work for my dealer ship so the specs would help me understand your car

 

While I'm guessing you've already checked these things, issues outside of the alignment can cause a car to pull in one direction. Out of balance, unevenly worn, or under-inflated tires could cause this. A problem with the brakes on one side, such as a dragging caliper, is another possibility.

And what about the shops that did the alignment? What did they have to say? Every time I've had an alignment done, the shop takes it on a test drive before declaring the job done. Does this pull happen for the shop mechanic when takes it for a drive, too? Did they say it's something that can't be fixed by doing an alignment?

I'm also kind of curious about your having taken the car to two shops. If the first shop got the alignment within specs, what did the second shop actually do? Just verify that they're OK? If they found the car to be out of spec, did you go back to the first shop and point this out?

 

Welcome, yes we do love pictures.


You can just list the specs:
Caster =
Camber=
Toe in=
Please list all the items your replaced on your front end and what brands you used?
What tires and wheels are you running up front?


Is it pulling or is the steering wheel crooked?

 

Thanks good to be here. The first garage didn't give me any paper work but the second one did and I have to post it tomorrow. First guy said is was way off and he got it as good as he could and the second guy which is a major chain said it was all set when I picked it up. I like pictures to so I'll post some tomorrow. I have a lot of time into my Cutlass and I want to enjoy it but it's no fun driving it the way it is. Now that all the body work is done and the interior is done and all the jams painted in the original Viking blue I hope it's not something expensive because I was hoping to paint it this spring. I checked tires and I measured both sides of the car from the center of the wheels.

 

The parts for the front end were a kit from eb@y and the coil springs also, the lower control arms are aftermarket. KYB shocks. I had new american racing rims with Bfg's on it but now back to original wheels.

 

Did it pull with the old wheels ? If not maybe try and rotate the set you have and see if it helps some times you get radial tire pull and I just move it to the back

I would think that the shop checked air pressure before aligning the car

 

Hi oldstata the front end was original so it was pretty worn but it didn't pull like this, if I take my hands of the wheel it will change lanes buy it self. Maybe I should have bought all name brand parts. It may have to go on a frame machine but that may be expensive .

 

I wouldn't think you need frame time unless it was hit recently

Post up before and after specs and I will see what I can suggest for you

 

What lower control arm and springs did you install? Is the car much lower than stock?

 

Hi they were aftermarket I can't remember where I bought them.
These are the pictures of the print out from the front end shop. I hope you can see them.

 

Can you wright them out I need

Front
Left Right
Castor
Camber

 

 

When they finished frt camber left 0.3 right 0,.2. Caster left -2.3 right -5.7
I hope this helps

 

Camber looks good but castor is way off !!

-2.3. And -5.7 it should be pulling left not right and a hard left at that

Let's try do e thing rotate your tires and see what changes you can cross the two front or just orate to the rear what ever you can do

Question what kind of road are you driving on ( is it flat or does it crown to the right )

 

I can't seem to post more than one picture? I'm using an iPad

 

Rule of thumb is I like castor equal and a .2 + on left camber

When you did the front end work did you replace upper ball joints

 

I tried switching the tires around. It pulls hard right no matter what kind of road I'm on. I bought the car in N. Carolina and drove it back to R.I. 7 years ago and it was nothing like this with the old suspension, almost 900 miles. Is it possible I did something wrong when I rebuilt the front end? It's the first time I ever did one.

 

I replaced everything but the upper control arms. Would this happen if a coil spring moved while putting it in? I measured both sides to make sure the height was the same.

 

Correction

Sorry it's pulling right because it's more negative castor you need to have them equal out the castor

Sorry I neglected the - earlier

 

Castor shouldn't be +/- .5 from left to right and will pull to the neg

Camber should be +/- .5 from left to right and will pull to the positive

These should be +/- more than this with out a pulling issue these are not spec just a Guide line I use

 

Rear specs left camber 0.0 toe-0.03. Right camber -0.2 toe -0.1
I'm stumped to. I need to find a good front end shop.
Here's an interior pic.

 

Good looking rig !!
Check my last post it all makes sense to me after I read your number correct lol sorry

Take it back and have them equal out the castor when they do this it will Chang camber, but tell them to keep it with in specs!! basically they have to add and remove shims from the upper control arm to make the changes and it's a pita to do you had a lazy tech or one that didn't understand the work and he just set toe

 

AC0B050F-8E49-4DF9-86FF-021CAC484835.jpg
Specs from a 72 cutlass should be the same

 

CB0052AA-60F2-4DA4-B71F-524AB77A054E-27989-0000169F1598D320.jpg


From a hunter alignment machine 2010 and updated. Yearly

 

From these your right castor is out of spec and left is on the edge

 

I'm gonna find a good front end shop. I don't think taking it back is an option it's been about 6 months since I had it aligned. I'm hoping to have the car complete this summer so I can enjoy driving her.

 

This might sound funny but take it to a truck or collision shop for the alignment it will pay off in the end

 

Are these the specs when you finish an alignment? Hey what color blue is your Cutlass?
Art

 

My cutlass has about three different blues and I have no Idea what they were except for the orig color it will soon be a ruby red that I made from a newer color that I changed to my liking .

It was a car but I didn't align it I just pull the specs up to help some one on here last year and remembered I had it lol

 

Nice Olds must fly. Nice to have your family help with the build, mine are grown but I let my grandson help. I like red on that body style. I was thinking about going gun metal with mine but having blue interior my options are limited. I wish I went with a darker carpet.

 

If I keep the kids interested it help the wife understand the money going into it ! It's for the family time and some like it and some don't but want to drive in it my 16 year old wants to take it to prom, but I told her no because the guy should drive you lol .

 

Welcome to CO Townie. Hope you're able to get that fixed soon so you can enjoy it. Can you find any evidence of it being hit?

 

Townie,
maybe its the angle of the picture , but it looks like the r/s frt wheel is way back in the wheel well and not centered in the front wheel well? is that the case or have I had too much to drink?

 

Might be true his right castor is about -1.5 degree more neg then spec and realistically is about -3.5 more neg from the left front

 

Hi guys the right front tire was up on a mulch pile so the car was siting high on the right. I moved it today but were in the middle of a snow storm so I'll have to wait to take another pic. Keen eye though you guys are good I looked and can't find any signs of damage underneath the car. Is it possible to put lower control arms in wrong and cause an issue like this?

 

I don't think so the adjustments are on the upper control arm I believe do e one adjusted camber and messed up castor when adjusting these you need to adjust together

 

Here is a pic of the upper arm see the shims behind the nuts ?

You add and subtract these as a pair to accomplish the goal if you adjust one it affects the other
6BA7BEE1-6EE4-4C87-9416-C93FEB2416CC.jpg

 

Why didn't you rebuild the upper control arms? If the bushings are 40 + years old and shot, there's no way that ANY alignment will do any good.

 

Yeah Charlie I put in new bushings and ball joints after powder coat and I put the shims back but that wouldn't matter with all the new parts. I didn't touch the steering box but I did have to take the shaft off.
I'm stumped so I'm gonna let a pro handle it.