front suspension and tire clearance problem

[Zed Head]

The seam between casting and tube can be seen from the side with the wheel at full lock.  Take another picture.

[newbzee]

[Patcon]

I am still not convinced you don't have a bearing or race issue or some other issue with the hub

[Zed Head]

32 minutes ago, newbzee said:

 

Thanks.  I'd remove the hub and drop the "knuckle arm" myself.  Clean it up and give it a good inspection.  You only have to lift one corner.  It might be fixable now but not after it breaks completely.  

 

[newbzee]

This whole unit is becoming a pain in my A$$.  The caliper pistons were frozen from sitting so I figured I'd deal with that and since I had that apart I would proceed through the bearings etc.  Problem is I have a caliper bolt seized so the fun continues.  The PO or someone installed new pads with no hardware or the pin to hold the guides in place, nice.  It also looks like the rotors were replaced although they have surface rust now.  Anyway, I got the caliper pistons freed up while on the car and at this point I'm dead in the water until I can figure out how to free the bolt.  I tries penetrating fluid, heat, impact gun, no budge.

 

Are you thinking the bearing at the top of the strut, or the spindle bearings?  The spindle bearing seem fine with no play when the pads are out.

[Patcon]

@Zed Head

What are you seeing? I am missing the problem in his picture.

Surface rust on the rotors won't be a problem. It will be gone quickly when you get to drive it. If you have to, cut the head off the bolt and remove the caliper. Then drill it out and tap it

[Zed Head]

I didn't see anything.  I was just pointing out where to look closely.  If it was mine, I'd have the hub off and would have used a straightedge on the spindle flange surface, then measured across to the tube under the spring perch.  On both sides.  That's an indirect comparison of the angles.  If you can't get the hub and rotor off, use the rotor surface.  Verified that the spindle is perpendicular to the surface.  Then looked for the reasons they're not the same if they're not.  When you have two parts that are supposed to be identical you don't even really need any numbers.

That problem would bug the hell out of me.  It bugs me just reading about it.

[HS30-H]

2 hours ago, Zed Head said:

It might be fixable now but not after it breaks completely. 

Those are cobwebs, not cracks.

My money's on this being something less dramatic, and fairly easily cured.

[newbzee]

I've seen no cracks or structural damage due to rust.  I think either the PO had a curb-shot that tweaked it or maybe even it was a factory issue.  I'm going to give that caliper bolt another shot in the morning so a can tear it down but I'm more inclined to hold off since I need to disassemble the struck and replace the insert and see if there isn't something going on there.

[Zed Head]

On 8/17/2018 at 6:33 AM, newbzee said:

I now have about 1/4 clearance between the tire and spring base.  

Whatever is going on, he said, in essence, that the issue allows 1/4" of wheel movement, at the spring perch level.  That's more than 1/4" at the tire tread.  That's a lot of camber wobble to live with, let alone whatever loose parts allow it.

That's the problem boiled down.  If the wheel is moving, which the OP says is the case, something might be broke.  Or it's just a cocked wheel bearing, as Patcon kind of implied.  Which should come loose while driving.  Maybe he should get it driving and take it for a beating.  

[Patcon]

2 hours ago, Zed Head said:

I didn't see anything.  I was just pointing out where to look closely.  If it was mine, I'd have the hub off and would have used a straightedge on the spindle flange surface, then measured across to the tube under the spring perch.  On both sides.  That's an indirect comparison of the angles.  If you can't get the hub and rotor off, use the rotor surface.  Verified that the spindle is perpendicular to the surface.  Then looked for the reasons they're not the same if they're not.  When you have two parts that are supposed to be identical you don't even really need any numbers.

That problem would bug the hell out of me.  It bugs me just reading about it.

@newbzee

I think the above is an excellent suggestion for figuring out where the problem really lies. I also suspect it could be an easy fix. If the tube was bent you wouldn't have been able to gain distance the way you have...

[cgsheen1]

Just looking at the picture in post #38, I'd say the strut tube is bent.  With the other issues the OP is having, I don't know why he isn't just sourcing a replacement strut assembly.  I wouldn't put more time or energy into the current strut/hub - but then I have a spare in the shop so "that's easy for me to say"...

I agree with Zed Head though about the top of the strut assembly.  When I read the post about the wheel moving away from the lower perch when he loosened the top bolt and re-tightening it threw up all kinds of red-flags.  If everything up at the top of the strut was OK, that never would have happened - it would have returned to the same position.  I'm inclined to believe there might also be a problem with the isolater (top hat).