Mat's 105 Suspension Bible

Does your 105 series Alfa have the fine and light steering, and beautifully controlled road manners that contemporary road tests describe? Or does its stability and predicability more closely resemble a Ford Galaxie in a gale? Were they ever any good, or is it really a matter of 1960's design limitations being revealed by the passage of time?

To answer the last question first, it really is a bit of both. They were pretty good (though not exceptional) in their day, but our expectations have moved on since then. However, if your car is greater than 15-20 years old, there is probably plenty that you can do to restore some dignity and reduce the need to make excuses. These cars will never handle with the aplomb of a good modern on fast bumpy sweepers, or give a cosseting ride, but when in good condition, they are honest, forgiving and predicable. They don't bite, and they won't break.

The following is a personal account of some of the suspension and steering problems I've encountered in my sixteen-odd years of owning these cars, how I've diagnosed them, and how I've attempted to fix them. I don't claim to always be correct, or that this is the only way. Most recently (in late1996), I acquired a nice but neglected Giulia 1300 TI saloon which was an unpredictable handful to drive, with nearly 1/4 turn of steering free play, squeaks, and rear end thumps and bounce. Three months later, it is a neat, nimble and discreet family hot-rod, easily capable of blowing away most contemporary vehicles, and plenty of moderns too.

A note on originality. These cars were well engineered for their time. Unlike many, they will accept, and grip better with modern low-profile rubber. Stiffer dampers (Koni, Spax, Bilstein are all available, as are plastic (nolathane) suspension bushes. My opinion is that the Alfa suspension engineers knew what they were doing, and my personal preference is to keep things as close to standard as possible. Plastic trailing arm bushes will increase NVH (noise, vibration, harshness), and will possibly result in catastrophic suspension mount failure. The OE dampers are cheap, effective, and good for very high mileages. Going to 195/65 section rubber or greater will make the steering very heavy and prone to tramlining, reduce steering finesse, and the greater frontal area/drag will make the car slower. Fwiw, I've scrapped my nolathane bushes, and when finances permit will be switching from 195/65x14" to a 185/60x15" wheel/tyre combination.

The Back End

The easiest and cheapest fix is a loose back end. The commonest problem here is aging of the conical bushes in the T-arm. Replacement of these requires raising and supporting the body on blocks, and the centre of the axle with a jack. Remove the wheels, undo the nut and washers from the central pivot, and then remove the T-arm mounting bolts from each wheel arch. The T-arm can then be slid off. Fit the new rubbers (about $10 pair), and re-assemble. Getting the mounting bolts in can be a fiddle, but this job is simple and straightforward. While you're in there, you could support one of the trailing arm ends with a jack, remove the bolt, and lower it for inspection. If the rubber hasn't softened (e.g. from oil contamination), and the rubber hasn't separated from the metal, I'd leave well alone. Inspect the dampers. Oil leaks or failure of the bounce test mean replacement time.

Damper replacement is straightforward, new trailing arm bushes are a pain. With the body on blocks, and the axle on full-droop (you'll need plenty of clearance under the axle), undo the dampers (a helper is a big help here). Then support one end of the trailing arm with a jack and release the pivot bolt, and lower the arm to release the spring tension. You don't need spring compressors for this, but they would help. The springs can be removed, then the dampers, and the whole lot re-assembled, or the other end of the arm unbolted to remove it.

To remove the bushing, I drill out the rubbers as best as possible, then cut the centres free with a hacksaw. To remove the outer metal case, I make a pair of parallel hacksaw cuts about =BD inch apart, almost through to the arm, then chase out the slice with a chasing cold chisel (cheap, buy one) and 4 lb hammer. Then the rest comes out. If you try to simply drive out the old bush, you will separate the housing from the arm where they have been brazed together, and scrap the lot. I have driven in new bushes by relieving them and oiling them, and pounding with a sledgehammer. I don't recommend it. Use a press or a big vice and various drifts, or pay an expert to do the job properly. Getting the rear end properly set up will not cure the characteristic diagonal wriggle ("they all do it, Squire") over bumps, but however much it moves around, it won't feel loose!

The Front End

The front end requires fewer of the blacksmith's arts, but more careful inspection and analysis, and possibly a lot more care. The three giveaway signs of trouble are: 1) lost motion at the steering wheel, 2) irritating squeaks, and 3) split boots on joints. This is n old-fashioned system, rich in ball-joints and pivots, all of which are prone to wear. It is never going to be as good as a rack-and-pinion design, but when in good condition, there should be no perceptible lost motion between the steering wheel and the road. Any joint with a split boot will have collected water and dirt, and will need replacing

The first port of call is to have someone work the steering while you inspect each of the six ball joints, and the idler spindle, for wear. Replace any as necessary. The idler can be re-bushed. Bushes are generic (as are roller and ball bearings and oil seals), and can be cheaply obtained from your local bearing supplier (check the yellow pages, or look up SKF, Timken etc.) . I've fixed mine, and fitted seals and a grease nipple. Buy a cheap ball joint splitter (*not* a pickle fork), for about $20 if necessary: you'll never regret it. If you need to re-use the joint, loosen the nut above the taper so the nut-threads are level with the taper-threads, but don't remove it. Fit and tighten the splitter (not too much), give it a good whack to separate the taper, then pull it all apart.

Suspension squeaks mean that the lower A-arm joints are shot. If they squeak when move the front end up and down only, then its the inner pivots. If it occurs with up and down, and with steering, then it's the outer pivot, or possibly both. Test by jacking the relevant end of the arm, with the car's weight still on the relevant wheel. Any vertical movement means you're going to have to pull the lower arm to replace the joints. Note. With the front end on full droop, there is still about 500lbs of stored pressure in each of those front springs. This is a straightforward job, but not for the faint hearted or careless. This stored pressure is sufficient to cause amputation, or serious injury, and is also the reason why you have to jack the arm to see any unwanted movement.

To release the spring safely, you need to buy about 2 feet of 3/8" threaded rod, and eight nuts. Remove or disconnect the anti-roll bar. Cut the rod into four equal lengths, and substitute them for the spring pan retaining bolts. Then just wind the pan down evenly and slowly: about 3" will unwind all of the tension, and the inner and outer pivots can be easily removed.

Depending on age and model, there are at least three different types of inner pivots. Spindles on really early cars are retained by a single bolt at each end: I know nothing about this type. Four-bolt spindles may have variously rubber bonded, parallel-sided or conical type bushes. I believe the last to be the latest type, and that all are interchangeable. If your bushes are really shot or have come loose, the inner bush may have been pivoting on the steel spindle, and worn it out. You'll have to judge whether to replace the spindle or not. Outer pivots need the taper to be split, and then can be un-bolted and replaced. Re-assembly is the reverse procedure, Ho, Ho Ho. Get everything (except the inner pivot joints) assembled, then tighten them fully with the weight of the car on the relevant wheel.

The Steering

If you've fixed everything and still have lost motion, then you're going to have to get into the steering box. There are two types, ZF (worm and nut) and Burman (recirculating ball). I've never seen a ZF, but they are of an inferior design and should be replaced. If you're shopping second hand, then remember that the Giulia saloon boxes have a different length steering input shaft from Coupes and Spiders, and that saloons with dash mounted handbrakes have a different casting from the others, with the handbrake pivot mounting cast-in to the base of the box.

These boxes are supposed to be oil filled. With an old box, then the chances are that the bottom seal has gone, the oil has leaked o ut, and the main steering shaft bearing surfaces have worn. Removing the box is straightforward, but a pain. The worst job for LHD cars is (probably) getting the steering wheel off. I use a harmonic balancer puller and some long metric bolts. As with taper joints, get the wheel tensioned up tight, then use a big thump to break the friction. RHD cars need removal of the carburettors to get the box out.

With the box out and stripped, you can assess the damage. The input shaft is held by two cones and ball bearings, similar in principle to the hub of a bicycle wheel. Rotary motion is transferred from the steering worm to the drop shaft via a caged set of (re-circulating) ball bearings. The drop shaft is bushed at both ends, and tensioned with a spring. Excessive sideways play in this shaft will require re-bushing. The bottom seals are either oil seals (early cars) or "O" rings (late). Replacements can be found at your now familiar bearing and seal supplier.

My experience is that water gets into the boxes, resulting in corrosion and pitting of the lower bearing surface of the input shaft. If necessary, this surface can be re-machined and case hardened by a specialist machine shop. Apart from this, and re-shimming, there is little you can do with these boxes. To re-assemble the box, hold the steering shaft outer horizontal in a vice. Fit the drop shaft to the box and pack the ball carrier with grease then the ball bearings. Slide the upper cone over the steering shaft worm, and stick the ball bearings in place with grease. Fit the box to the shaft, and screw it into the ball carrier, catching and feeding back in the balls that wind out. Then fit the lower race. Shim it and tighten gently. If there is play between the shaft and box, then remove some shims. If it's tight, then add some shims. The manual gives all sorts of torque figures for setting up these boxes, but in reality, by adhering to the principle that the bearings need to be free-running, with no perceptible sideways- or end float in the shafts, they can be adjusted very nicely. Assembly is tricky, and you may need several attempts to get it right, and to re-fit all of the bearings that fall out. Shimming of the steering shaft can be done independently, prior to final assembly. Additional shims can be made from a variety of stock, from paper to old beer cans if necessary. When you've finished, pack the box with grease, and fit the top.

Steering Alignment

I *never* pay someone to do this. Straight edges, and tape measures , plenty of care and patience, and long term observation are all you need. Set the geometry as best as possible, then monitor your tyre wear and adjust incrementally as neccessary: this is the ultimate test of suspension condition and alignment. Assuming the steering wheel is fitted straight, set the toe-in correctly by measuring between the front and rear of the front tyres. Then adjust the track rods so that the car steers straight, with the wheel straight ahead. Measure the length of the track rod on the drivers side, and transfer this length to the passenger-side arm. The re-set the toe-in, using the interconnecting rod to provide the adjustment. If the track-rods are of unequal length, then one front tyre will scrub, even if the toe-in is correct.

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last modified Jan 3, 1997