How to set caster?
Sorry, Ox, I was typing as you posted
Caster is basically in or out at the top of the tire
No, that's CAMBER. CASTER is tilting the tire forward or backwards so to speak, and the adjustment is made with the same cams
Here's how this works, if you were to loosen up the cams and move them, you can SEE this work
If you move BOTH CAMS TOGETHER, it moves the arm in or out as you are looking straight at the side of the tire. This tilts the top of the tire in or out perpendicular to the side of the tire, and this is CAMBER
If you move ONLY ONE at a time, let's say you move the FRONT one only. Depending on where the eccentric of the cam is now, when you move it, it will move the front of the are in or out AS YOU LOOK straight at the side of the car just as above. Because the rear cam has not moved, and the front one (let's say came out toward you) this "tilts" the arm TO THE REAR, and it will also change the CAMBER by some amount
The reason you hear people speak of "adjust the cams for maximum" or to recommend "offset bushings" is because with modern radial tires, you do NOT want to use the "factory book" settings that these cars originally did with bias ply tires.
IN FACT, so far as CAMBER is concerned, originally the tire would have been "tilted out" toward you at the top of the tire, where now with modern tires, you want it tilted IN at the top toward the car.
You either need to get a caster/ camber gauge, or you can actually make one, just Google around.
In this thread:
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?p=1780725
The "new" and the original specs are listed. NOTICE that the camber specs are NEGATIVE (top of tire "in") for radials, and the factory specs are POSITIVE numbers
Notice that original CASTER specs are NEGATIVE for some and the new specs are ALWAYS positive, and furthermore, goes WAY more positive than the factory ever did.
