Help!!

I have a Shelby Cobra (Everett-Morrison kit, 302 small block Ford), and cannot get the front end aligned!

I use the stock 74-78 Mustang II front suspension, and the frame was custom-welded to accept it. It bolted on just fine, too.

Now here's the problem: no alignment shop can get the damn front end to align properly. It pulls to the left, and just isn't right. Several alignment mechanics tell me the best (and least expensive) fix is to buy and install custom, ADJUSTABLE upper control arms, which have threaded pieces welded into the tubular pieces and allow the arms to be infinitely adjusted.

I've looked at all the rod/custom/street rod suppliers on the internet, and don't see what they're talking about.

Can anyone help?

Well...what you actually need is a competent front end tech...

There was a special service tool(s) to allow easy adjusting of the upper control arms for shimming but most just want to pry them with a large bar, ruin your paint job and tell you to have a nice day.

Anyways...Go -here- and about half way down the page under Misc. Other Suspension Parts will be the setup in question, the Must II Alignment Saver.

Once set, these cannot move and will make it much easier for the tech.

[ December 29, 2002: Message edited by: KULTULZ ]</p>

Nick - It sounds to me like maybe the upper spring perches were installed too far back or too far forward of the lower crossmember. Since the spring pockets serve as upper A-arm mounts, their position in relation to the lower A-arm mounts, (the cross member) directly and drastically affect caster angle. There are adjustable Control arms, true. If it were me, I'd recheck my dimensions before I'd spring for the adjustable A-arms.

I go along with Prime here, but depending on your abilities, you might not be able to correct the problem and the arms are probably cheaper than the labor to have someone else correct that type of mistake.

This product is not an entire control arm assembly, it only allows for easier and more precise front end adjustment. It (they) take the place of the bolts that hold the upper control arm shaft to the mounting. It eliminates shims.

Last time I checked, the predominate method of aftermarket upper A-arm mounting was the age old slider bolts, serrated washers and slots - once you run out of slot, your screwed.If you've got a brand new Cobra kit car that can't be lined up something's rotten in Denmark. Sure their might be a bandaid that might stop the bleeding for a while but, once camber and caster specs are achieved on a rig that are that far out of whack, there's a good chance other things are out of whack too.

A lot of time went into the design of aftermarket Mustang II based kit frontends. If this were my deal, I'd have a nice long talk with the manufacturer before I took another misdirected step.

Nick - Just so we're all on the same page here - do you have lower control arms and struts, or Lower A-arms? If you have struts, caster can be corrected with the adjustable struts previously mentioned.

Now... Just curious. Do you have slider adjustments on your upper a frames, or do you have shims? Somehow, I had the idea you had upper and lower A-arms with sliders for your caster and camber adjustmet.