jackh@zehntel.UUCP (jack hagerty) (05/03/85)
> > Can some of our automotive afficianados educate me as to the wonderful > > things Macphersons do for me so that when I have to go chip in my > > $140 I can at least pretend to be happy about it? Since my car is > > new I hope this will be some time to come. > > 1. They cost less to manufacture. > > 2. They do not require adjustment for caster or camber. True, but I would state item 2 as "They do not *allow* adjustment for castor or camber". This, plus the fact that they give generally poor wheel geometry are both deficits. -- Jack Hagerty, Zehntel Automation Systems ...!ihnp4!zehntel!jackh
kens@orca.UUCP (Ken Serack) (05/07/85)
> > > > Can some of our automotive afficianados educate me as to the wonderful > > > > things Macphersons do for me so that when I have to go chip in my > > > > $140 I can at least pretend to be happy about it? Since my car is > > > > new I hope this will be some time to come. > > > > > > 1. They cost less to manufacture. > > > > > > 2. They do not require adjustment for caster or camber. > > > True, but I would state item 2 as "They do not *allow* adjustment for castor > > or camber". This, plus the fact that they give generally poor wheel geometry > > are both deficits. > > > >Wrong -- My VW Rabbit has struts, and does allow camber adjustment, >as do a number of other strut cars. Ken Serack Tektronix, Inc. tektronix!orca!kens
rls@ihu1g.UUCP (r.l. schieve) (05/07/85)
> > > Can some of our automotive afficianados educate me as to the wonderful > > > things Macphersons do for me so that when I have to go chip in my > > > $140 I can at least pretend to be happy about it? Since my car is > > > new I hope this will be some time to come. > > > > 1. They cost less to manufacture. > > > > 2. They do not require adjustment for caster or camber. > > True, but I would state item 2 as "They do not *allow* adjustment for castor > or camber". This, plus the fact that they give generally poor wheel geometry > are both deficits. > The 1980 Mustang I bought new with struts is the only car I have ever owned for 65000 miles with no work done to the front end. No bad tire wear, no pulling to the left or right, no new shocks and no alignments. Also, very good handling. I have a 69 and 81 Camaro and wish that I could make the same statements for either of them. Rick Schieve
kmk@hlwpc.UUCP (Ken Keyzer) (05/08/85)
> > 1. They cost less to manufacture. > > > > 2. They do not require adjustment for caster or camber. > > True, but I would state item 2 as "They do not *allow* adjustment for castor > or camber". This, plus the fact that they give generally poor wheel geometry > are both deficits. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > > -- > Jack Hagerty, Zehntel Automation Systems > ...!ihnp4!zehntel!jackh Not true! My car has McPhersons and its wheels are round.:-) ^^^^^ -- Ken Keyzer AT&T Bell Laboratories ihnp4!hlwpc!kmk (201) 564-2426
dca@edison.UUCP (David C. Albrecht) (05/13/85)
> > > > > Can some of our automotive afficianados educate me as to the wonderful > > > > > things Macphersons do for me so that when I have to go chip in my > > > > > $140 I can at least pretend to be happy about it? Since my car is > > > > > new I hope this will be some time to come. > > > > > > > > 1. They cost less to manufacture. > > > > > > > > 2. They do not require adjustment for caster or camber. > > > > > True, but I would state item 2 as "They do not *allow* adjustment for castor > > > or camber". This, plus the fact that they give generally poor wheel geometry > > > are both deficits. > > > > > > >Wrong -- My VW Rabbit has struts, and does allow camber adjustment, > >as do a number of other strut cars. My Daytona also allows adjustment of camber by bolts which hold the strut on which is why replacement of the strut requires a re-alignment. So far I haven't gotten any responses on this that seem to indicate any advantages to the things. I had thought that Macphersons originated from the race track circuit and that there was some concrete reason that they were better not just cheaper (for them). Sigh. David Albrecht General Electric
heneghan@ihu1m.UUCP (Joe Heneghan) (05/14/85)
> > > Can some of our automotive afficianados educate me as to the wonderful > > > things Macphersons do for me so that when I have to go chip in my > > > $140 I can at least pretend to be happy about it? Since my car is > > > new I hope this will be some time to come. I have Macphersons on an 81' Skylark and after 79k miles, including about 15k of towing a sailboat, they're still O.K.
dca@edison.UUCP (David C. Albrecht) (05/21/85)
> > > > Can some of our automotive afficianados educate me as to the wonderful > > > > things Macphersons do for me so that when I have to go chip in my > > > > $140 I can at least pretend to be happy about it? Since my car is > > > > new I hope this will be some time to come. > > I have Macphersons on an 81' Skylark and after 79k miles, including > about 15k of towing a sailboat, they're still O.K. True, but realize that degradation in struts is often of the gradual loss of performance kind and the affect on handling is not necessarily realised until you buy new ones and feel what a difference they make. I bought a sporty car because I wanted it to handle well ('84 Daytona Turbo) and I'm not going to be willing to put up with much significant degradation, I would rather replace the strut. Most guides I have seen rate them to be good for ~40,000 m. I'm certainly not going to wait for catastrophic failure modes. David Albrecht General Electric