I am planning to take a look at the front strut mount positions at a shop this weekend once some other work is done.

The left strut seems to be seated in a different position than the right strut. As follows :
- the large nuts on top of the strut mounts are not in the same position with respect to the hole in the frame where they are bolted


- the left strut seems to be pinned to the back of the housing while the right strut is more forward.
-as though I would have less caster on the right side

- it also appears that the left strut is more towards the outside of the car
- it appears that I have less camber on the left side (0deg) by visual

- the car has always pulled a little to the right since I bought it 8 months ago

Should the mounts be in the same position, or could these have been set this way during an alignement to correct something else?

There appear to be 2 sets of mounting holes on the top of the strut mount. Could the other combination work for me on the one side?

What is the correct bias for the large nut with respect to the hole? Near the front, center, back , outside or inside?

Thanks

Both struts should be in the same position, biased to the rear of the car. The rear position should result in a correct caster angle of about 5 degrees. Incorrectly positioning the strut to the front of the car will reduce the caster angle to about 3 degrees. Check the FAQs for camber angle adjustment. It is adjustable, to a limited extent, but only by drilling new holes through the upper strut mount (not the car body). Caster is also adjustable but using control arm struts of varying lengths.

When you say biased to the rear, do you mean right against the rear of the shock mount?

Refresh my memory....the side with more caster will pull?

Or the side with less caster will pull?

Thanks
Matt

Well....if you're looking at the "wheel house tower" from either side of the engine compartment, the shock absorber spindle will be located more to the rear, of the hole through the wheel house tower, than to the front.

A larger (numerically higher) caster angle on both struts will result in a greater "centering" force on the steering. In other words, if the steering wheel is turned, the higher the caster angle, the more "eager" the steering wheel will return to its straight ahead, centered, position. If the caster angles are mismatched, I haven't a clue which way the car will pull, or if it will pull one way or the other at all.

First of all, you need to align it at a shop. Caster and camber are adjustable, but first get the angles as correct as you can without replacing parts or slotting the strut top (see FAQ for information). Have them also check ride height (see the FAQ for information) since spring sag can affect camber angles and also the steering.

I strongly suspect you have a spring problem and that should be your next step.

I just replace the rear springs.

Prior to replacing the rear springs I had sag of almost 1" on the left side of the car.

Now I am about 1/8 - 1/4" lower on the left (front and back). Only noticable if I measure the ride height at the fenders. Before I could see the sag in the window of a store when I pulled up.

I suspected the rear left spring was weaker than the right.

Once the springs were out, on the bench it appeared that the right one was in fact shorter.
I am pretty sure that the rear springs were original.

I know that the front struts, mounts, and springs were replaced within the last two years.

I then looked at the position of the strut mounts in the shock tower.

Noticed lack of camber on right side. About 1-2 degress on the left.

This is what led me to believe :
- the lack of camber on the front right of the car may be due to the angle of the strut
- the shallow strut angle is holding the front right a bit higher than the left, which in turn causes the rear left to sag a bit.

The front right strut is against the outside rear of the hole, while the left strut is almost centered, but a bit biased towards the rear.

Keep in mind the angle of the shock mount...sloping in toward the motor (at about 4-5 deg???). Could this be the mysterious 1/8 " if the right mount is more to the outside by 2" with respect to the right?

Has anyone heard of a shock mount with 4 holes? Is it common to use the wrong combination of holes which results in this situation?

I think that I am going to rotate the mount and try different combinations to see what I get.

Proper alignement after that!

Hope I have been clear.

Thanks

See Ted's notes above.