My car needed a front end alignment as it pulled a bit to the left and felt unstable at "higher" freeway speeds (I usually drive 70mph at 4,000 rpm). I read up on the subject and was impressed with this editorial, which was written for the 1800 series:

http://vclassics.com/archive/align.htm

According to the author, going from negative to positive caster improves high speed stability. I went to my front end alignment place and they gave me 0.5% negative camber (as requested) and a toe-in as close to zero as possible, also as requested. But the caster is -1.89 degrees on the left and -0.39 degrees on the right, and according to the mechanic there's no way on the PV544 to adjust the caster.

My question is, is that true or how would caster be adjusted on our humpback Volvos?
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My Volvo, now on 8 pages at: http://www.californiaclassix.com/Bernard/PV544-1.html

Thanks, guys!
I'll try a more competent shop and ask if they have the proper tool for it.
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My Volvo, so far on 7 pages at: http://www.californiaclassix.com/Bernard/PV544-1.html

Dave is absolutely correct: the caster is fully adjustable, as is the camber.

In fact, the SAME nuts and bolts that your [cough] "mechanic" used to adjust the camber are the ones used to adjust the caster. So to answer your questions: No, it's not true. To increase caster, the upper pivot point of the front suspension has to move aft; to make this happen, the eccentric nut - the one that adjusts camber (at the outboard end of the upper a-arm) - has to be moved further aft. To make that happen, someone with a wrench has to loosen the locknuts and then turn the eccentric nut until the desired caster is attained.

This technology dates back to the covered wagon era. For someone to assert that it's impossible is plain absurd. And they should have all their wrenches confiscated. This is an automotive technician, not to be confused with a mechanic.

You'll have a fair amount of trial and error getting started, but for the price of an alignment by a bunch of clowns who make up stories about why they can't do the thing you've hired them to do, you can own the thing that will allow you to do it yourself.

All you need is a couple wrenches, the green book (which nicely describes the process), and one of these (or something like it):

http://www.amazon.com/Longacre-Magnetic-Caster-camber-Gauge/dp/B003750D7U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428123450&sr=8-1&keywords=camber+caster

Best,

Cameron
Portland OR

Fully concur with whats been said. The alignment nut is a little tricky to get to and volvo made a special tool for this, SVO 2201, but it can be fabricated if you have a grinder and a welder. I used a fasttrax alignment tool with a few 12"X12" pieces of floor tile (with grease sandwiched between them) for turntables. Seemed to work fine on my 1800 and 544.

dean

The alignment shop doesn't fully understand all the adjustment built into the front end of the 444/544. It is fully adjustable. It's been decades since my 544 days - but as I recall the upper pivot shaft is a threaded rod allowing the upper control arm to be moved forward or back. -- Dave