GM Dana 44 camber correction? help!
02-03-2016, 04:56 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
GM Dana 44 camber correction? help!
if you're familiar with this axle, maybe you can educate me so i can try to help a friend...
...with a K5 Blazer, fitted with Dana 44 front axle. He's trying to correct his camber. He says he wants to move it 2.5 degrees.
He's looking for a camber adjustment kit, he tells me Part #s: raybestos 612-1051
moog k936
That part is two threaded cylinders. I've only seen one, in 1 degree with +/- 1/4 degree adjustment. Hardly enough.
I've seen camber shims, in various thicknesses. 4.5" rings. He thinks that's not the part he needs. Would it do the job, or no?
Can two 1 1/4s be doubled up?
I can't even tell if they make this adjustment bushing in more than one size, or you get 1 degree +/- the 1/4 and that's it. You're bent.
Any knowledge on this is appreciated.
Moog supposedly has these on backorder so having trouble finding them.
...with a K5 Blazer, fitted with Dana 44 front axle. He's trying to correct his camber. He says he wants to move it 2.5 degrees.
He's looking for a camber adjustment kit, he tells me Part #s: raybestos 612-1051
moog k936
That part is two threaded cylinders. I've only seen one, in 1 degree with +/- 1/4 degree adjustment. Hardly enough.
I've seen camber shims, in various thicknesses. 4.5" rings. He thinks that's not the part he needs. Would it do the job, or no?
Can two 1 1/4s be doubled up?
I can't even tell if they make this adjustment bushing in more than one size, or you get 1 degree +/- the 1/4 and that's it. You're bent.
Any knowledge on this is appreciated.
Moog supposedly has these on backorder so having trouble finding them.
02-05-2016, 07:20 AM
#3
Registered User
Thread Starter
OK just to follow up for the thread, i found some stuff out...
GM and Ford have a bushing at the top of the ball joint. You can buy a bushing with an offset hole. By rotating the bushing, you manipulate the angle of the ball joint, effectively leaning the spindle and hub in any direction to adjust camber and/or caster.
They also make shims that go between spindle and hub which have the same effect. The max degree of change is 1.5*.
Now, i read a comment somewhere that these are unsafe to use on 4wd vehicles because by creating an angle between hub and axle, you could create binding of the axle shaft inside the tube. This would be bad.
Apparently bad enough, because Moog and all other suppliers seen to have recently discontinued manufacturing these products.
After further discussion, we concluded that the negative camber built into the Dana44 is intended to compensate for the expected weight load of the vehicle it's installed in.
My friend has these in a stock Blazer K5. Pretty light, compared to the 3/4 ton suburbans and pickups they're in originally.
He's going to use the 1.5* bushing that's still available from one mfg, and then test to confirm there's no binding in 4wd.
But if we hadn't read this one guys complaint in a web review comment, he might not have known to check it while still in the air. Imagine going out, throwing it in 4wd, and hearing some nasty grinding! Too late!
That's your "learn something new" for today!
GM and Ford have a bushing at the top of the ball joint. You can buy a bushing with an offset hole. By rotating the bushing, you manipulate the angle of the ball joint, effectively leaning the spindle and hub in any direction to adjust camber and/or caster.
They also make shims that go between spindle and hub which have the same effect. The max degree of change is 1.5*.
Now, i read a comment somewhere that these are unsafe to use on 4wd vehicles because by creating an angle between hub and axle, you could create binding of the axle shaft inside the tube. This would be bad.
Apparently bad enough, because Moog and all other suppliers seen to have recently discontinued manufacturing these products.
After further discussion, we concluded that the negative camber built into the Dana44 is intended to compensate for the expected weight load of the vehicle it's installed in.
My friend has these in a stock Blazer K5. Pretty light, compared to the 3/4 ton suburbans and pickups they're in originally.
He's going to use the 1.5* bushing that's still available from one mfg, and then test to confirm there's no binding in 4wd.
But if we hadn't read this one guys complaint in a web review comment, he might not have known to check it while still in the air. Imagine going out, throwing it in 4wd, and hearing some nasty grinding! Too late!
That's your "learn something new" for today!
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