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Jez4
08-08-2013, 11:42 AM
hi, im a newbie here :) btw i just wanna ask, my car is pulling to the left when running (when i dont hold my steering wheel ) i just had an alignment today and they said something about my front caster slightly out or engine mount problems, bought the car 3 months ago and it was ok(except for the rear wheel bearing),. and in that 3 months ive never hit anything., how much does fixing the caster cost?

thanks!!!

phunkdust
08-08-2013, 11:50 AM
Depends on the age of the car, the bushes in the suspension are likely to be well worn by now. Engine mounts do wear out also and if they haven't been changed yet then the forward mount and gearbox mount are probably due. Have any trouble shifting?

Caster probably isn't as big of an issue as camber and toe, which are gonna tear up your tyres quickly. You want to check with the place who did your alignment why they couldn't get it in spec (bushes too worn?)

project.r.racing
08-08-2013, 11:57 AM
costings will depend on the solution to fix. and the solution to fix depends on the faulty part.

what part is faulty?

Jez4
08-08-2013, 12:07 PM
Depends on the age of the car, the bushes in the suspension are likely to be well worn by now. Engine mounts do wear out also and if they haven't been changed yet then the forward mount and gearbox mount are probably due. Have any trouble shifting?

Caster probably isn't as big of an issue as camber and toe, which are gonna tear up your tyres quickly. You want to check with the place who did your alignment why they couldn't get it in spec (bushes too worn?)

my car is a 2002 sp20 and it only had 100ks in it., and no trouble at shifting at all ., my caster value is LH +01`32 RH+02`21.,

Jez4
08-08-2013, 12:08 PM
costings will depend on the solution to fix. and the solution to fix depends on the faulty part.

what part is faulty?

they said camber or engine mount., (bob jane bankstown)

project.r.racing
08-08-2013, 01:15 PM
both of those dont effect you caster being different side to side.

a bent chassis, a bent k frane, worn lower control arm bushes or rotated front strut tops will effect caster

JDM323
08-08-2013, 03:27 PM
can you post a photo of the strut tops from the engine bay please?

Jez4
08-08-2013, 10:04 PM
how do you upload pictures on threads? does it always have to be URL link? (sorry for being NOOOB):eek:

Jez4
08-08-2013, 10:14 PM
http://www.astinagt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=257&pictureid=1540
http://www.astinagt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=257&pictureid=1539

Jez4
08-08-2013, 10:15 PM
sorry its upside down., (iphones fault XDD)

JDM323
08-08-2013, 10:53 PM
unbolt the 4 nuts and turn the passenger strut top so the dot is to the front outer. you will need to jack the vehicle, best with an assistant.

rodhog
09-08-2013, 12:05 AM
The dots and it's hard with those photos being out the way they are. I can't tell up or down. But yes the dots should go into one position as a pair.

But if I work the photo out they are in the same point toward fire wall and panel side.

I'd say it's all stock and you have worn parts in pushes and possible shocks.

I'd say bushes are gone but if you went to BJ Bankstown( Rodney there hooks me up on Pirellis on couple of my cars) the roads in the are screwed.
Thank the Premier for stopping the resurface on Canterbury road.

Could be many or any problem. The fact it's pulling sounds like it might of had hit.
Could have bent lower control arm - worst case.

TheMAN
09-08-2013, 02:26 AM
the top hats are positioned in their correct factory positions
however, you can rotate them to correct the caster or camber or both

Jez4
10-08-2013, 01:08 AM
ohh ok ., is that the setup that u guys have? Dont wanna ruin it as its my firt time to have mazda never had one before ., and yeh my front LH shock is licking? Cause its wet compared to the driver side ., and if i rotate my left top strut do i have to do the driver side too?


Pps can u guys post a photos of your top strut so i know what im doing:)

Thanks guys!! For helping out!!:)

TheMAN
10-08-2013, 04:59 AM
everyone usually runs in the factory positions, which is what yours are at
you only need to rotate them as necessary to correct for any caster or camber issues... no need to do both!

JDM323
10-08-2013, 05:05 AM
unbolt the 4 nuts and turn the passenger strut top so the dot is to the front outer. you will need to jack the vehicle, best with an assistant.

doing this will not affect camber but will give the caster variance to stop your car pulling left.
I worked professionally wheel aligning for over 3 years and have aligned a lot of these mazdas and lasers.

Jez4
10-08-2013, 06:45 PM
ohh ok., ill do it tomorrow., and i rememeber BJ BAnkstown said something about caster being other way around is that right?

TheMAN
10-08-2013, 06:50 PM
doing this will not affect camber but will give the caster variance to stop your car pulling left.
I worked professionally wheel aligning for over 3 years and have aligned a lot of these mazdas and lasers.

yes it will!
you can increase camber and/or caster but NOT decrease it!
read the manual!

it's even obvious if you looked at the gap between the top hat and the mounting hole in the body when you rotate the top hat!

JDM323
10-08-2013, 08:26 PM
yes it will!
you can increase camber and/or caster but NOT decrease it!
read the manual!

it's even obvious if you looked at the gap between the top hat and the mounting hole in the body when you rotate the top hat!

you can decrease it and still stay inside the factory specifications as any experienced wheel aligner will confirm or you can say can't do it and put up with a vehicle that doesn't track properly and abnormal tyre wear.

Jez4
10-08-2013, 10:56 PM
http://www.astinagt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2632 by doing that., will it fix my caster problem?

TheMAN
11-08-2013, 05:02 AM
you can decrease it and still stay inside the factory specifications as any experienced wheel aligner will confirm or you can say can't do it and put up with a vehicle that doesn't track properly and abnormal tyre wear.

you can add 30 minutes of caster or camber, not subtract.. you can set it to standard setting which is "0" though

read the manual as I said!

TheMAN
11-08-2013, 05:03 AM
http://www.astinagt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2632 by doing that., will it fix my caster problem?

it will make it better, but it won't make it perfectly matched on both sides by any means

JDM323
11-08-2013, 05:44 AM
perfectly matched on both sides would be good if our roads were perfectly level but they aren't they camber off which is why 1/2 a degree caster variance is often set during an alignment. care to post the relevant page of the manual stating that you can not decrease caster during an alignment Edwin.

TheMAN
11-08-2013, 06:51 AM
why don't you click the link he posted a few posts up? it has a scan of that page

JDM323
11-08-2013, 09:49 AM
already done that which is why I was questioning your reply as my advice will Increase his caster on the left/passenger side not decrease it.

Jez4
12-08-2013, 11:24 PM
so ive done it., its still thesame.,. rides abit weird actually .,., sometimes it goes straight some time left .,. but thanks guys!!!!

JDM323
13-08-2013, 04:09 AM
when the alignment was done did they do front and back?

Rupewrecht
13-08-2013, 07:43 AM
sometimes it goes straight some time left .,. but thanks guys!!!!

Sounds like worn lower control arm bushes then

Jez4
14-08-2013, 07:45 PM
they did the front and back

JDM323
14-08-2013, 08:32 PM
then check bushes as rupe said

Jez4
15-08-2013, 04:27 PM
Btw the bushes looks ok ., but my eyes could be wrong., what does it looks like when its worn out?

familiagtx
15-08-2013, 08:14 PM
Easiest way to rectify your caster and have your left hand side have more caster is to replace the lower control arm rear bush with a superpro or nolathane product and it gets rid of the old tired bush at the same time.

Also the factory bush located in the lower control arm rear bush has a elongated crush tube. When the bolt is undone and having a decent lever bar forcing the lower control arm outwards and re tighten the bolt at the same time improves caster. And the tops in the correct direction

Jez4
18-08-2013, 08:36 PM
Ill have my mechanic check for that as i dont have apporiate tools atm so yh but thanks!

familiagtx
19-08-2013, 12:22 PM
No worries.

Fairly simple for a mechanic to fit provided that they have a hydraulic press.

a product off the top of my head would be a superpro product SPF2573K
This is a single increase/decrease kit

You would install the non adjustable on the driver side and the adjustable on the passenger side to increase caster.