Trying to 'see' the geometry in my head (ooohhh that hurts). Here is my two
cents. The 'new' idler arm is shorter than designed and shorter than the
steering arm (pitman arm). The center link which both arms are attached to
is a fixed (but adjustable) length. Having a shorter idler arm MIGHT
restrict how much movement the steering is capable of thereby increasing the
turning radius slightly to a 4 acre field from a 3 1/2.. It would also cause
a VERY slight increase in the toe in while turning but it looks to my
fevered brain to be very slight. There is a good illustration of the
steering parts and how they are laid out at:
http://www.obsoletechassisparts.com/dap/whatpart.htm
I'm sure the mathmaticians amoung us could figure this out but the 'magic
happens here' button is broken on my caculator and I can't find any paper
and my pencil is broken....
KerryP
Patch panels fabricated
Pinkertonk@xxxxxxxxx
dte.net/57imperial
Imperials -- 50 Limo, 57 roadster, 61's, 62, 68 Convert, 73, a 66 300 and a
bunch of lesser marques
----- Original Message -----
From: Dick Benjamin <dickb@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, April 28, 2003 11:47 PM
Subject: Re: IML: Idler Arm Replacement found
> The alignment shop won't even know it's different unless they check the
> angle of the right wheel when the left wheel is turned away from straight
> ahead. The shorter idler arm will make the Ackerman angle be wrong in a
> turn, but the car will still track fine straight ahead. I can't estimate
> the danger, but driving a car this way will have more of a tendency to
> understeer, and to go into a skid on slippery surfaces, because the two
> front wheels will have to slide slightly in a turn. Maybe this is too
small
> an effect to notice, but they must have made the Imperial arm longer for a
> reason.
>
> Dick Benjamin
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bar00n" <baroon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Monday, April 28, 2003 12:35 PM
> Subject: Re: IML: Idler Arm Replacement found
>
>
> > I wonder if an alignment shop would know the difference or if they have
to
> > do something different to compensate for it.
> >
> > Carl
> > http://www.robdiesel.com
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Jeff Ingraham" <jeff_ingraham@xxxxxxxxx>
> >
> > Just to chime in here... My brother has had a 68
> > Chrysler 300 Idler arm on his 67 Imp for about 4 years
> > with no adverse effects. The differences in angle
> > and or length of maybe 1/4 of an inch was about the
> > only difference between the 2 when you laid them next
> > to each other.
> >
> >
> >
> >
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