Can rear camber be adjusted on a 00 Viggen?

Good question. My NG900 turbo's rear alignment is also out of spec, and the shop said there is no built-in adjustment but they could try to fix it with shims, which is a very time-consuming process.

Can anyone else shed light on this? Why don't manufacturers provide for any adjustment on the rear suspensions, especially on performance / handling-oriented cars? Why provide rear alignment specifications, but no means to maintain them?

I don't know the GM-900, but on the c900, this is accomplished by...bending the axle tube.

A knowledgeable shop will have the experience and equipment to do the job properly. Sounds like you need to go to a Saab specialist, dealer, or someone who does alignments as their primary business. There's nothing new about this sort of rear axle, or the adjustment methods.

Dave Hinz

I agree with brother Dave on this one - you want to find a specialist with some experience on the NG because you want to know *why* the rear end is out of alignment.

My first bet would be that one the arm bushings or wheel bearings are circling the drain - in which case shims are not the way to go. If the mount and/or box member and/or axel are bent - you look at shims assuming you can't get them easily straightened.

It is a good thing to know exactly what's wrong on those models *before* applying parts.

Yep, that's why I'd like to figure it out before getting new shocks or tires. The thing that is odd about it is that the wear is even on both sides so it's not like one bearing or arm is bent. The tires aren't severely worn to one side but it is noticable. The problem here (Miami) is, the dealers absoultely suck. They pretty much ruined my old 900SET and there is no way I'm letting them mess with the Viggen. There is one other Saab shop around but I'm not sure how they are. The good news is that I'm headed up to DC and apparently there are quite a few decent shops up there....Down here Saabs are very rare.

You might find that it's a good thing. A bit of negative camber normally improves the road-holding, but it does tend to wear the inside edges of the tyres first. I'd be tempted to leave the camber as it is and swap the tyres over halfway through their life.

Cheers,

Colin.

Actually - that changes the complexion of this completely. You should still check the work list as forwarded because bearings and bushings are known to go together - but it is completely possible someone has stuffed a wrong set of aftermarket springs in the rear somewhere along the way.

Brother Stamp is quite correct about the camber question (assuming it's wearing like negative camber).. You would have to think about going non-directional tires so you can reverse them on the rims rather than just side to side.

Here's perhaps my only really good uprate tip for NG900.

Go for a set of rear Boge shocks from a C9000 (pre 93) and grind down the ring to mount them on the NG900. Then set the toe a little out on the front end. Just one extra degree or so.

It will totally change the way the machine handles the road for the better for not a lot of cash. I did this to our 1994 and was *stunned* at how much better it tossed around the corners with that mod.

It's been mine all along so I know no aftermarket springs were installed but I'm starting to think I should just get used to the wear since it's not severe.

I might think about it if it was my old 900SET but this is a Viggen and the thing corners so good, I tend to wus out before the car gets to the limit. For a FWD car the thing is just plain phenomenal...and it's got a ton of accelleration. Every once in a while I think about getting a new car...then I go shredding in the Viggen;)

FWIW, I put a good set of urethane bushings in my 900SET and I was floored at how much of a difference it made. Best $50 I spent on that thing. Even my Saab mechanic said it was amazing.

Yes, in addition to shims, the shop also mentioned using some sort of hydraulic jaws as another option. The car hasn't been in an accident, so that sounds like a rather violent adjustment that could easily go wrong. It may be worth a try. I like Dexter J's suggestion to check bushings and bearings (though the technician apparently didn't see anything obviously wrong. In my case, the toe is worse than the camber.

Since my local Saab specialist doesn't have an alignment rack, I visited the subcontractor they use. The subcontractor has previously been awarded the Jetronic Cup for best independent shop in North America by Robert Bosch GmbH.

Addendum: Despite the shop's qualifications and general professionalism, I left with the problem unresolved, wasn't satisfied with the explanation given or my understanding of the problem, and turned to this group for further enlightenment. Thanks for the replies so far. It seems that my experience with the shop wasn't up to their usual standards and a return trip is warranted.

To quantify the problem, here is the report on the rear: Left rear camber: -2.2 deg (spec: -2.0 to 1.4 deg) Left rear toe: -0.14 deg (spec: -0.08 to +0.22 deg)

Right rear camber: -1.6 deg (spec: -2.0 to -1.4 deg) Right rear toe: -0.42 deg (spec: -0.08 to +0.22 deg)

Total toe: -0.38 deg (spec -0.15 to 0.45 deg)

The tech was most concerned about the RR toe, obviously.

Thanks again for the replies.