A sagging rear end.....

The Ford 8 in rear end in my roadster has a negative camber that is creating issues with my new disc brakes. Is a negative camber normal with these rear ends? If so, how much is normal, and how do you align the calipers with the rotors? Right now I have the caliper mounting brackets shimmed to allow some measure of alignment. but it's not in perfect alignment with the rotor. Am I on the right track here with the shimming and this is all normal, or do I have to do something to this rear end to parallel the axle housing flanges with the axle flanges????

Is your rear housing narrowed? If so, someone fouled it up. The axle flanges should be parallel to the housing flanges.

HUH ??? I agree with Jack. How can a straight, non independant rear axle be anything but straight? Something is missing in this story.

If this is true, you have bigger problems than your disc brakes. Give us more info.

Is it a stock, non narrowed axle? How have you determined the camber is negative? What do you mean it is causing problems with the discs?

Be really specific, because this is weird.

Now that I read your post again, is the problem that your axle housing is straight, but somehow the axles themselves are bending upward, and making the housing flange and the axle flange not parellel?

Not an uncommon problem for a rear end that's been welded on without benefit of a fixture to keep it straight. Whether it's been narrowed, or just had brackets, etc. welded on it's the same result. Shortens bearing life too.

Thanks for the replies.......it's now so obvious, I don't know why I didn't relalize it before. That's gotta be what happened when they shortened the rear end, they didn't align the housing flanges with the axle flanges and with drum brakes it really didn't manifest itself until I installed the discs. No quick fixes here!

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Originally posted by Hidebinder
No quick fixes here!

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It might not be too bad, depending on how out of whack it is. If you find a talented guy who's well experienced with straightening axle housings it may only take some well placed torch work to bring it back around. Just make sure he uses a fixture to keep it straight til it cools.

Thanks Bob, I'll start looking around for someone who's got some experience with this kinda thing.

Actually, some solid axle cars set up for racing do have about 1/2 degree positive camber and a tad of toe in. I believe that the NASCAR big boys do such a thing.....not to your extent though.

mike in tucson