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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
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    Default Converted AWD to FWD, now serious rear alignment issue - could use some direction

    After converting my AWD to FWD recently, I have a serious rear alignment problem that is wearing down the rear tires and I'm in need of direction as for how to resolve it.

    A bit of background, the car has had an annoying humming noise coming from the rear differential since shortly after purchasing it a few years ago. I lived with it and it was fine until last month there was an issue that I assumed was a bad left wheel bearing. I replaced the rear bearings, things seemed fine, and then shortly after something between the propeller shaft and differential was making an awful grinding noise and inhibiting the ability of the car's rear wheels to rotate freely. I had it towed home and decided it was time to just converted it to FWD to wash my hands of the issue and avoid sinking more money into expensive repairs. I'm fine with FWD and have read up on posts from others who have done so successfully so figured I could do the same.

    So I disconnected the propeller shaft and (now regretfully) cut out the rear axles, leaving just the outer ends bolted to the wheel hub to help hold the hub together. The rear differential has not moved.

    Since then, there's been a serious alignment issue with those rear tires. They look to be tilted slightly inward and you can hear faint squealing of the tires at times while driving the car. After a bit of highway driving, the tires have now worn down at an alarming rate.

    I'm inclined to install new rear axles and see if this resolves the alignment issue. Does that sound like the issue? Or could the problem be as simple as needing a new alignment after having disconnected the rear stay arms when I cut off the rear axles? I appreciate any light any of you can shed on this for me.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    GA
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    1,420

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by zeep100 View Post
    I'm inclined to install new rear axles and see if this resolves the alignment issue. Does that sound like the issue? Or could the problem be as simple as needing a new alignment after having disconnected the rear stay arms when I cut off the rear axles?
    If you loosened or removed these arms - Click image for larger version. 

Name:	rear arm.jpg 
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ID:	9294 - you did/might have changed the rear toe in. There is an adjustable eccentric bolt on one end. The axles themselves don't determine any alignment angles.

    You mention "tilted slightly inward" - that is camber and is not adjustable (without an aftermarket product)

    And I do think you made a wise choice converting rather than dumping $$ into a car that honestly is not worth much.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
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    10

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    Quote Originally Posted by hoonk View Post
    If you loosened or removed these arms - Click image for larger version. 

Name:	rear arm.jpg 
Views:	4 
Size:	78.8 KB 
ID:	9294 - you did/might have changed the rear toe in. There is an adjustable eccentric bolt on one end. The axles themselves don't determine any alignment angles.

    You mention "tilted slightly inward" - that is camber and is not adjustable (without an aftermarket product)

    And I do think you made a wise choice converting rather than dumping $$ into a car that honestly is not worth much.
    Thank you, you spared me the expense and misery of installing rear axles in the blistering heat. I was dreading that. And yes, those are the exact bars that were removed. I guess the question now is toe in, camber, or both. I should have included some images in my post. Here's a few. The passenger side wheel looks identical.

    Initially the tire wear looked like feathered toe wear, but after 100 highway miles it now looks more like camber wear as you can see in the photos. But after studying the photos, to my untrained eye, the wheels look like they're suffering from serious toe in and any camber issues are less obvious. So I'd like to hope I could fix this with a simple alignment for toe, but that would be in vain if I require a camber kit. Is a single culprit obvious from the photos?

    I see the camber kits are sold with and without the bushings. Are the bushings necessary on a standard v70 xc, one without any fancy modifications?

  4. #4
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    Sep 2015
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    double post, sorry
    Last edited by zeep100; 06-08-2020 at 12:15 PM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    GA
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    Quote Originally Posted by zeep100 View Post
    Is a single culprit obvious from the photos?
    Wow, toe-in is visibly out!

    I would adjust those yourself (by eye first then with a tape measure on the front and rear of the wheel) or simply get an alignment if you are not comfortable doing that. Those tires will not last much longer with toe that far off!

    Don't worry about camber - you mentioned "tilted slightly inward" I'm guessing you mean inward at the top compared to the bottom - camber off in that direction causes INSIDE tire edge wear. So don't spend time, effort and $ on an aftermarket camber solution, those are only needed for lowered cars. (unless it's a c70)
    Last edited by hoonk; 06-09-2020 at 07:38 AM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
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    10

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    Quote Originally Posted by hoonk View Post
    Wow, toe-in is visibly out!

    I would adjust those yourself (by eye first then with a tape measure on the front and rear of the wheel) or simply get an alignment if you are not comfortable doing that. Those tires will not last much longer with toe that far off!

    Don't worry about camber - you mentioned "tilted slightly inward" I'm guessing you mean inward at the top compared to the bottom - camber off in that direction causes INSIDE tire edge wear. So don't spend time, effort and $ on an aftermarket camber solution, those are only needed for lowered cars. (unless it's a c30)
    Awesome hoonk, I really appreciate you taking the time to help. I'll look into how to adjust it myself, but an $80 alignment as worst-case scenario is such a relief.

  7. #7
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    Sep 2015
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    Just wanted to update and say thank you, you nailed it. The toe in was off by 2+ inches! New tires, alignment, and now drives good as ever.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Brisbane Aust
    Posts
    1

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    Quote Originally Posted by zeep100 View Post
    Just wanted to update and say thank you, you nailed it. The toe in was off by 2+ inches! New tires, alignment, and now drives good as ever.

    I see the camber kits are sold with and without the bushings. Are the bushings necessary on a standard v70 xc, one without any fancy modifications?
    That's really great!

    Some clarification about

    :TOE rods

    :CAMBER bushings



    from IPD


    IPD Adjustable Toe Rod Kit:

    It has been common for owners of these cars to struggle with rear tire wear, particularly when the car has been lowered. The problem? The four link suspension has unequal length arms, causing the toe/thrust and camber alignment to be progressively different as the car travels through its range of motion. Many tuners have pointed to the camber as the wear issue on the car, but we have found the toe (or thrust) to be a far greater contributor to the destruction of your precious Z rated tires.

    Many alignment shops will not even check the rear toe of a vehicle unless it is specifically requested. Even when they do check, the elliptical adjustment on the factory link has very limited movement. This is compounded by the non-adjustability of camber on the rear wheels to make your tires squeal with fear (and friction).

    Spot checking the cars in our lot showed toe figures that would be considered outrageous if applied to the front wheels. Many of the cars had rear toe issues that were visible to the naked eye. While changing to adjustable toe rods seems extreme on the surface, the installation is so much easier than the alternatives that it becomes the practical option. A fresh alignment after installation produces results that put a smile on your face and keep your tire money in your wallet.

    Mild steel brackets with a 6061 T6 aluminum rod that is anodized before powder coating for additional finish durability. Plus, you can never really get enough cool blue parts under your car. Your friends will admire the look and you will know that you are actually saving money.




    IPD Rear Camber Bushing Kit:

    IPD’s rear camber bushing allows you to adjust for excessive rear camber that can cause premature tire wear and poor braking performance.

    Typically excessive negative rear camber occurs when lowering a vehicle via sport springs though some stock vehicles can also require adjustment. Since there is no factory provision for rear camber adjustment IPD has developed an eccentric offset bushing that provides up to 1.5 degree of camber adjustment (negative or positive) to help correct your alignment problems.

    The bushing must be pressed into the chassis in a particular orientation to realize the benefits of the design. Installation should be performed by an experienced technician who is familiar with this process and the appropriate tools required to complete it.

    Not only can this help alleviate tire wear issues, it can also restore lost braking performance by increasing the contact surface of the tire to the road. Bests results are often obtained in combination with a set of IPD adjustable toe rods to deal with the thrust issue that is also common to lowered vehicles.


    Cheers!

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