Hello
just got back from alignment shock.
I had replaced the tie rod ends and had to adjust the toe.
the shop said that my front camber is out of spec because there is a play in upper control arm bushings ,
what else could contribute to front camber?
can a worn upper ball joint effect the camber ?
http://www.jag-lovers.org/books/xj-s/11-Suspension.html#Steering
Verbatim form “The Book”:
STEERING ARM SHIM: The steering arm bolts to the hub carrier with two bolts. At the rear (longer) bolt, there is a shim (it looks like a washer) that goes between the steering arm and the brake caliper.Don’t lose it!Omitting this shim at reassembly screws up your alignment and distorts your suspension parts.
If you have lost the shim already, replacements are available in .004" and .010" thicknesses. To determine the thickness required, assemble the parts and tighten all bolts except the one the shim goes on. Measure the gap between the brake caliper and the steering arm with a feeler gauge. After assembly with the appropriate shims, be sure to have the car aligned.
Have you checked if the steering arm shims are there?
I had to reshime it as I installed new calipers and there was a 0.053" gap between the steering arm and the caliper.
I know that sounds like alot but my calipers are some new calipers i bought on ebay which might be manufactured in china therefore the mounting surface is slightly thinner than original lucas calipers.
i do not think those shims have anything to do with camber anyway .
I think they are there to prevent any strain on steering arm when the caliper bolt is tightened.
Hmmm…
Upper wishbone bushes and ball joints. All easy enough to renew on xjs.
Steering arm shim will not have any bearing on camber.
To answer your question: Camber can be affected by worn upper bushings, upper ball joint, lower bushings, lower ball joint, or bent parts – including a bent front subframe. Bad camber readings can be caused by the car not sitting at the specified ride height during the measurement process. Jaguar specifies the use of ride height locking tools to ensure the ride height does not adversely affect the alignment process, but reportedly they changed their alignment specs in the facelift models not to require the use of the tools. If true, you’d want to be sure that the shop was using the alignment specs for your year.
I think the alignment specs may have also changed slightly with the advent of 16" and 17" wheels with low-profile tires.
Finally, I will point out that your camber readings may have been caused by a PO. Some people prefer moving the camber in the negative direction because it makes the car turn more crisply. They just accept the front tires wearing more on the inside corners.
Went through this a long time ago. I was able to resolve by adjusting shims. Looks like you’ll have to do the same. The math works reliably.
Kirbert
the shop did not use did not have the height adjustment tool.
I do have the height adjustment tool for the rear and I am in process of making the front ones.
I purchased the lifetime alignment so they will do it for free once I do the needed repairs.
I would replace the easy parts like upper bushings and upper ball joints and take it to the shop again .
I do not think I am ready to fool with lower arm bushings as they seem to be a nightmare.
of course next time i will have my height adjustment tools when i go to the shop.
I am sure the PO was not a kind of person who would even have a clue about negative camber effects.
A lot of his repairs was very poor , for example he had 3 aj6 injector and 3 aj16 injector on the car.
also the shop said they did not have the special tool ( height adjustment) which make me think the facelift xjs still requires the tool for alignment.
thanks for the input
Veekay
I will first replace the upper bushing and see if it helps .