Omega B2 3.0 V6 Executive from scrap to sunshine

[Doctor Gollum]

That's not the answer to my question.

I was after specific numbers, because the "official" settings are as vague as a politician being asked a question.

Light, beautiful or otherwise, suggests an issue. That's not to say that the Omega has particularly heavy steering... One finger with some weight rather than both hands... But from experience, when an Omega has light steering, it's usually followed about 1,000 miles later with dangerously worn tyres.

Perhaps the definition of light is more subjective than it should be, but nevertheless, the actual numbers from your alignment will confirm how 'correct' the alignment is 

Could you then share for all of us, what are the correct figures for Omega (with stock suspension) in camber, caster and toe-in values? Would be easier to make a comparison after that to see how much off my allignment is with factory spec settings. I was given a document from the allignment as well, so I can then compare.

Presumably from the sudden silence, the settings applied to your car are significantly different...

If you post a picture of the document you have of the settings applied to your car and if there's anything obviously out of sorts, then there's a wealth of experience here to help correct it.

[RallyArde]

Haven´t done much to car just washing and (today literally) sunday-driving, but few pics for breaking this sudden silence









Car drives perceftly, it goes srtaight on the road and wants to skid in corners   Maybe doesn´t feel as poky as my manual 325i with N52B25 (218hp), but still pretty quick compared to other traffic   Gearbox seems to work much better than in the last summer, with no leaks and correct amount of ATF inside



I managed to find my allignment sheet as well. To help translate; "varsin" means current value and "ennen" means value before allignment. Only difference for my other Omega is that this got more negative camber at the front, but in this case it´s a good thing, cause there lots of weight in front anyway.

My battery died right before MoT by the way so I had to borrow one from my daily driver, which I´m running currently. So next week I´ll probably buy a new battery for this one, in order to get that other Omega on the road as well.

[biggriffin]

Just read this, noticed you say you've fitted LSD,, I us to put Amsoil in mine, not cheap but has additives for LSD already added.

[Doctor Gollum]

About that alignment...

The front subframe would benefit from a slight tweak to bring the front left ball joint forward so that the caster is more in line with the front right.

The Thrust angle should be exactly zero. Nothing more or less.

And with that front camber and toe, you're front tyres will wear really quickly on the inner shoulders.

Correct them as previously suggested and the car will drive like a missile on rails in comparison.

The fresh MoT is a testament to the work you have put in, and if there's one certainty in automotive life, an idle Omega will devour batteries 

[Doctor Gollum]

Just read this, noticed you say you've fitted LSD,, I us to put Amsoil in mine, not cheap but has additives for LSD already added.

Legit.Street Cars on YouTube is an Amsoil dealer and usually has a discount code running

[RallyArde]

It´s been a long while, again, since last update for this one... But basically I just drove through september and october.





This is definately great car to pull my new trailer



Also installed new battery and fixed positive terminal connector as well, it was muonted pretty poor way, especially the cable that goes to the starter motor





Some mornings where pretty cold out here, despite threre was no ice, but still car was quite tail happy







I also prepared a set of wheels for next summer (mayde for going track days?), cause I got 4 correct sized tires for free, that I fitted to these after market rims. Perceft for drifting/training



Currently my driving season for this is over and I´m using my daily drive Omega for winter. There are few things that I need to do before next summer... Car in the rain feels too snappy, which it didn´t in the last summer with same width (225) tyre, so something is not allright I didn´t spun, but there were couple of close calls, which there shouldn´t be with Omega. Almost like missing some feedback of rearend grip or the grip is harder to gain back than it´s used to be. All and on, I need to take car for re-allignment, eventhough it does go staight or doesn´t pull either direction, but it´s way too unpredictable now. Even my 325i feels more chuckable in the rain

I´m also planning some upgrades, maybe a stainless steel exhaust and better ari filter to the original air box.

Engine and transmission-wise the car has worked out nicely

[Doctor Gollum]

Probably diff mounts. Makes the car feel like the subframe just fell off under load around a corner.

Sliding it around carparks won't do it (or the rest of the car) any good.

Always liked those original 17" 5 spoke Opel wheels

[RallyArde]

Probably diff mounts. Makes the car feel like the subframe just fell off under load around a corner.

Sliding it around carparks won't do it (or the rest of the car) any good.

Always liked those original 17" 5 spoke Opel wheels

The rearbeam is ok, threre is no play on any of the bushes or mounts of the diff. I don´t get any feeling of subframe coming off etc. The issue is when going for larger angles, you don´t get enough feeadback on the rearend though streering wheel and it´s sliding further than it used to do. Last summer there was no such issue, despite having old bushes all around. For comparison my daliy drive Omega drives spot on and like Omega you´ll always catch it even on full-lock. Only variables I found are allginment and cheap chinese (RoadX) tires, allthough I had previously cheap Radburgs as well with no issues, it has to be something on the allignment.

EDIT:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI207qabQ44

Just to give some reference, my daily drive in the wet at summer night

[Doctor Gollum]

Whilst still shit, one brand of cheap tyres will perform unpredictably under certain conditions when compared to another.

If everything is playing free at the back and you haven't changed anything then I don't see how it can be an alignment issue 

To properly check the diff/rear subframe mounts, support but DO NOT lift the diff with a jack. Then undo one of the mount carriers. If the frame falls off, then the mount is done. Refit and repeat the other side.

You won't get any noise when these fail, but it will allow the weight at the back of the car to move in ways that you can't predict.

[RallyArde]

Minor update to this one and some future plans:



I bought new stainless steel exhaust.

In the spring I´m going to replace fuel filter and make a better connector for the battery, weld some sheet metal to right side sill, and defiantely do re-alignment. The car doesn´t handle in the corners/when losing grip normally, there are new bushes all around so everythig is tip top and the only negative variable is the allignment, the equipment was wrehter calibrated wrong or the rear toe angles are causing these issues. The problem isn´t that "subframe is about to come off"- feel, the problem is that I don´t feel the rearend grip like I´ve done before with this in summer 2023 (despite having old crappy bushes in that time) and like feel other Omegas and every car I´ve driven by this far. Omega shouldn´t be hard to catch, that´s just the case.

I still have the manual gearbox conversion back in my head, but maybe nor for this year...?

Aircon-system needs re-filling by the way

Hopefully more driving and less repairing in this summer

[biggriffin]

This thread gives some insight into the murky depths, but there are several thousand posts on the subject over the years.

https://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=38995.0

Front settings:
Camber -1°10"
Caster ~ 4.5° to 5.5° ideally similar side to side and can be improved by moving the subframe.
Toe 0°03" to 0°05" toe in. Total toe 0°06" to 0°10" and even side to side.

Rear:
Thrust angle 0°00
Camber and toe should be similar side to side, but they are a single adjustment and the only number that matters is that the thrust angle is Zero. Nothing more or less, not even a gnats cock either way.

I use to have 1• camber,, and run the front track at 0- parallel.. running tyres at 35psi.  245/45/17

[Doctor Gollum]

When I was trialling the vertical poly bushes, Tony at WIM suggested running zero front toe. It certainly tracked true down the road, but any effect on steering was potentially down to the bushes as geometry.

With standard bushes I only ever had about 0°06" so can't really say whether the way the car drove was down to the bushes or the geometry or a combination of both.

[biggriffin]

When I was trialling the vertical poly bushes, Tony at WIM suggested running zero front toe. It certainly tracked true down the road, but any effect on steering was potentially down to the bushes as geometry.

With standard bushes I only ever had about 0°06" so can't really say whether the way the car drove was down to the bushes or the geometry or a combination of both.

I found 0'' and 35psi increased tyre life,but didn't affect the handling, running at 30psi would allow for more tyre wear, especially in the centre,and on non-XL tyres gave more wear on the shoulders as the tyre flexed more. Hence I use to run XL at 35psi.

[RallyArde]

Some progress for this one

https://youtu.be/QpYjz1XK_zA

Can´t wait till next week...

[ronnyd]

Some progress for this one

https://youtu.be/QpYjz1XK_zA

Can´t wait till next week...

You hooligan.  Nice repair job.