Rear Wheel is Cocked

[SYNFULL]

It was beautiful here today so my wife and I took a ride. I got on it to pass a car and the viper did a strange swerve. I thought maybe the tires weren't warmed up enough but on the way home I noticed it again. When I got home I thought the wheel looked strange, and sure enough it is cantered in at the top of the wheel. I jacked it up and looked underneath and everything looked normal. The bushings on the stabilizer bars are shot but I don't think that is enough to cause it. I let the car down kind of hard hoping that it was hung up somehow as my vette used to do that sometimes but it's still cocked. I haven't been driving the car much at all because I have been working on the hood and facia. I have had it jacked up several times on both sides- could it somehow be stuck in that position.

Thanks for any ideas on what to check
Gary

 

[hemibeep]

There are eccentric bolts/washers that are used to adjust for alignment. They probably came loose and "spun" to allow the wheel to pivot.

When my rear frame cracked, it did not look that far out!

Check the eccentric bolts.

 

[SYNFULL]

I'm going to pull the wheel off now and take a look. I know the bolts you are talking about and I will check them.
Thanks

 

[SYNFULL]

Here is a pic of the concentric wheel on the left side. The manual say's to start with the hole at the top when you are doing the alignment. Maybe this is something I will have to have done at a good shop.
Do you guys think any decent shop that does alignments can do this or are vipers more difficult and maybe I need to see a viper tech?

Anyone dealt with Fred Beans in Doylestown?
Any Thoughts?

 

[99 R/T 10]

Any good alignment shop can do the work. Is the bolt moving freely or is it loose? I would also check the possibility that the bushings might have to be replaced.

 

[agentf1]

Here is a pic of the concentric wheel on the left side. The manual say's to start with the hole at the top when you are doing the alignment. Maybe this is something I will have to have done at a good shop.
Do you guys think any decent shop that does alignments can do this or are vipers more difficult and maybe I need to see a viper tech?

Anyone dealt with Fred Beans in Doylestown?
Any Thoughts?

I have heard good about Town and Country (I think thats the name) on Rt 1 in Lima Pa was good but have NO first hand experience.

 

[RedLiner]

I think if the bolt moved, you would see traces of this (unpainted area or scratch marks). Guys do they have rear ball joints for the A-Arms (I can't remember)?? Would a twisted half shaft cause this? Worst case, take it to a dealer or alignment shop.

 

[SYNFULL]

The bolt is tight. I can't imagine how this happened unless it was from jacking the car up on the passenger side as I haven't driven it.
Thanks

 

[dansauto]

some times it takes a couple of days for the suspension to "settle" I would get it on a flat surface and do your own quick alignement check. use a tape measure (better yet a trame) and measure from the outside tread of one wheel to the outside tread of the other from the front and back and compare. if the bolt is tight I think the suspension is hung up a little.

 

[RAYSIR]

some times it takes a couple of days for the suspension to "settle" .

Sorry, never heard this one yet. Settle?
I think if the problem started after a Hard "gett'n on it" one of the cams slipped. Viper rears have camber and toe settings. Wouldn't drive it til checked out. Not worth a fender. I would have it checked out by a reputable shop or dealer. I know Dodge requires the 4 wheel optical alignment racks in their Dealer shops but most good tire shops have 4 way equipment.

 

[dansauto]

Sorry, never heard this one yet. Settle?
I think if the problem started after a Hard "gett'n on it" one of the cams slipped. Viper rears have camber and toe settings. Wouldn't drive it til checked out. Not worth a fender. I would have it checked out by a reputable shop or dealer. I know Dodge requires the 4 wheel optical alignment racks in their Dealer shops but most good tire shops have 4 way equipment.

Sure jack your car up for a day off the suspension. When you set it down your car will look like a 4x4. I agree any good aligment shop can do these, but dont take it to your local monroe muffle!

 

[SYNFULL]

Thanks for the help guys. I am going to loosen the bolts on the cams and see if the arms come down.

 

[GTS Dean]

Gary,

There is an eccentric cam adjuster on EACH pivot of the lower wishbone. You just snapped a photo of the easy one to see. Although hard to tell exactly from the picture, it appears that the rear toe angle is extremely OUT, which makes for very unnerving power-down. My guess is that the front adjuster may have slipped loose, causing the wishbone to move outward. This creates negative caster, negative camber and toe out. BTW - those bolts should not "just come loose" - ever. The nuts are supposed to torque to 75 lb-ft. When was the last time you had it aligned? My bet is that the tech didn't insure that both ends of the eccentric cam pairs were seated between the stops before he tightened it down. That would make them susceptible to sudden movement after a jarring hit or extreme acceleration/braking loads.

If you find that this may be the cause of your misalignment, I would STRONGLY recommend going to the dealer to check the alignment in the rear. I don't know how anyone can dial in the rear caster angle without the DRB-3 and the Viper Service Tools inclinometer setup that hooks to it.

Pivot bushings DO take on a permanent set after a few years. The lowers are easy to swap out and don't cost very much. Uppers are much more involved.

 

[PAvenomRT/10]

In reply to your earlier question, I deal with Fred Beans Dodge in Doylestown frequently for both my Viper and Dodge Stealth. They have 2 certified Viper Techs (Greg and Ken) who both are good, especially Ken. If you can't fix this yourself, I would not hesitate to take your car there.
PAvenom

 

[SYNFULL]

Guys,
I know I can't do the alignment, I was just going to see if I can get the angle straighter so i can drive it somewhere. The car has never been aligned since I have had it. I had asked Barbera Dodge to do it when it was in for the recall but they didn't. I think I will give Fred Beans a try.
Thanks for all the help!
Gary

 

[SYNFULL]

Update,
Brought the car to Fred Beans in Doylestown. Seems like the Camber Bolts were replaced with the wrong bolts and won't hold. Need to order new bolts. Price is 396 with alignment. Doesn't seem to bad and i am glad it wasn't anything worse.

 

[GTS Dean]

That's about right for a "by the book" Viper alignment. I'm sure you'll be pleased with the results.