Negative camber - front right wheel

[va2ir]

Hi guys. Last couple of weeks I've been noticing slightly more play in my steering, and the car has a slight pull to the right - real slight, but the steering wheel needs a slight correction to the left.
Tire pressures are even.
When I look at the car straight on from the front, the left front tire looks perfectly vertical, but the right front tire looks like its "kicking out" at the bottom - negative camber. Suspension is all original and car has 40,000 miles on it.
I think its a ball joint going bad on me.
I will be jacking the car up tomorrow to give a shake test to see if there is any play. I already did that on the left side. There is no play on the left.
I kinda think that my left-turn chirp, and now this RH drift is associated with a worn ball joint.

Someone on here posted they did a "back yard" alignment. I'd like to see that article.

Thanks
Ian R.

[Bullitt 736]

Be sure to check your strut too when you replace the ball joint. My car aligned well and the ball joint was tight on the right side. The strut was blown and I was getting inside tire wear.

[va2ir]

How do I tell if the strut is "blown"? When I did a bounce test, the front right corner of the car is solid like a rock.
One thing I did notice, the camber adjustment on the drivers side shock tower - the plate is pushed all the way towards the outside of the fender, the right side (bad side) the camber plate is all the way towards the inside (engine).
Possible that hitting a bump caused the camber adjustment to move?
Waiting for things to warm upa bit and I jack the car and test.

Thanks

[SHAKEN]

Originally Posted by va2ir

Hi guys. Last couple of weeks I've been noticing slightly more play in my steering, and the car has a slight pull to the right - real slight, but the steering wheel needs a slight correction to the left.
Tire pressures are even.
When I look at the car straight on from the front, the left front tire looks perfectly vertical, but the right front tire looks like its "kicking out" at the bottom - negative camber. Suspension is all original and car has 40,000 miles on it.
I think its a ball joint going bad on me.
I will be jacking the car up tomorrow to give a shake test to see if there is any play. I already did that on the left side. There is no play on the left.
I kinda think that my left-turn chirp, and now this RH drift is associated with a worn ball joint.

Someone on here posted they did a "back yard" alignment. I'd like to see that article.

Thanks
Ian R.

http://www.modularfords.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=89009

[va2ir]

I checked my camber plate on top and compared it to the drivers side plate. The drivers side wheel was nice and vertical, and the camber plate was all the way positive.

On the passenger side, the camber plate was all the way negative, and the bolts were way loose ( i loosened them easily with a ratchet). So, I put the passenger camber back the same as the driver side.

Seems to need less correction to the left now, if any at all.

But I am getting a sharp rattle from the front end, sounds like a marble banging around. I did check the tie rods and ball joints and they seem tight, there is no play, but the ball joints still may be worn, not enough to give any play. Ford specs them at a max of 12 thou for play. More than that, change em.

The rattle - maybe I lost an anti-rattle clip while driving? Possible?

ANyway, for the moment, it seems ok. Maybe its just the ride on these winter tires. APril 1, I put my summers back on.

[va2ir]

Thanks for the link

[SHAKEN]

Anytime you adjust camber you need to check your toe.