Rear wheels seem angled inwards

[Damien8086]

I jacked the rear of my 61 700 up for the first time and it seems the wheels are angled very inwards towards one another at the bottom. I took some pictures but had already removed the driver side wheel. You can see the drum is also angled though.

I never noticed this before so maybe it is just because the rear is jacked up that it is happening and everything is okay?

If not then what would be causing this? I am kind of learning as I go here with this car.

Also if there is anyone in the Buffalo area that could help me work on this car then please give me a shout. I’d love to learn if you’re willing to teach but also willing to just pay for certain jobs if you’re not the teaching type. Thanks!

[Lane66Monza]

Yep, all vairs do that when you lift them off the ground. Don't look at that angle until on the ground. If extreme angle then, drive forward about 30 feet, so suspension has a chance to settle back into normal operating position.

[American Mel]

All EM ( Swing-Axle ) Vairs do that. It's a common trait in early VW bugs and all other swing-axle vehicles too.
The Late Models with their Fully-Independent-Suspension, tend to drop more straight down.

[cnicol]

They call the early model suspension design "swing axle" for a reason.

[Damien8086]

Awesome! Thank you for the quick replies - it is a relief to hear that this is as expected. I have enough things to fix on this car so I was stressing that this was something major.

[66vairguy]

Awesome! Thank you for the quick replies - it is a relief to hear that this is as expected. I have enough things to fix on this car so I was stressing that this was something major.

Yes at the limits the brake drum tilts vs. the brake shoes and backing plate. Fortunately the wheels rarely drop that much and when they do in extreme maneuvers - the wheels tuck under and off you go into the weeds, often rear end first (cue Ralph Nader). This is why EMPI and others developed axle drop limiters called "camber compensators". FINALLY Chevy re-engineered the swing axle suspension for 1964 models and it was a good solution (why 64 cars bring a premium).

This tilting of the drum vs. the backing plate requires a special bearing. At one time the aftermarket bearing did not work correctly!!!! AFAIK - Clark's now sells the correct bearing.

BTW -- The famous Mercedes 300SL sports coupe was notorious for poor swing axle handling at the limit (the later convertible was improved)!! Credit to GM for developing the superior Corvette IRS and using the design on the 1965-69 Corvairs. There are a number of IRS designs, but in the 1960's the GM Corvette design worked well and was reliable compared to other designs.

[American Mel]

Uh, NO!
Listen Damien, your wheels will never tuck any further under than they do when the car is up on jacks. (Like they are right now.)
It may FEEL like they have "tucked under", but that is simply because when they are experiencing extreme camber, the rear center of gravity is moved upwards considerably.
Sometimes this leads to a loss of control and you might slide, or even roll off the road, but more often if your keep your wits about you, you can simply let it drive out of this jacked-up state.
.
This isn't FarceBook, let's stick to facts around here.