2005 Focus ZX4

[spacemanspif]

Originally Posted by kingster1989

I still need to do my 0-degree toe set

Do you know how far out/in your toe is set now? I'm thinking a should get my car aligned just to see where it's at and if there is room for improvement but don't want to spend the money since my tires are wearing evenly and the car tracks straight.

[ECO-AKJ]

Originally Posted by spacemanspif

Do you know how far out/in your toe is set now? I'm thinking a should get my car aligned just to see where it's at and if there is room for improvement but don't want to spend the money since my tires are wearing evenly and the car tracks straight.

I don't know as of yet, I haven't spent the money on the alignment, even though I get things done at cost as I work at a Ford dealership, I am still a cheapskate, my car drives straight but I have a loose inner tie rod, I also work at NAPA and even at my pricing I still haven't bought the part to replace it because I have other priorities that require the money first, I run a rental house and a farm house and about 100 acres of farm land including the 7 days a week I work in the parts business of the automotive industry, unfortunately I have to travel about a quarter of a mile of dirt road and the paved roads around it for about 3 miles aren't much smoother, so therefore, the bad tie rod end is a major annoyance, in due time I should be able to get that fixed.

[freebeard]

Let's hope it doesn't become more than an annoyance.

The last time I borrowed someone else's car, back in the 80s, just after I'd been on the freeway 'blowing out the carbon' (it was a Trans-Am) I was on an empty 2-lane road when the tie-rod gave way. As soon as the steering was gone I locked up all four wheels and let things sort out with no further input from me.

You might check that the cotter pin is still in place. Just sayin'.

[ECO-AKJ]

I notice when it takes a little more steering wheel turn to turn left versus turning right

On another note, I love making the car take right hand corners a bit fast on the wet roads because right now it is balanced (tire grip, weight, etc.) that it will literally drift into the other lane, but of course I make sure the coast...(no pun intended) is clear before I play!

[civicefficient]

Originally Posted by aerohead

From research,it's been shown that an air dam directly below the furthest point forward on the nose,or slightly ahead will have the best drag and lift coefficients.
Here's a 'straight-down' version,it's too low for the street but good design

(

Great picture and explanation. I think I will give it a shot with a roll of plastic garden edging.

[ECO-AKJ]

So I removed the upper and the lower grille block (yellow tape), I was needing the a/c more than the fuel mileage at this point as we are seeing temperatures in the low to mid 90's here in Missouri, and have had to run on defrost so that the windshield would stay clear due to all the rain we have been having in the Ozarks, I think I have crossed the low water slab about 5 or 6 times in the last 6 weeks, (short way to work and lower speeds).

I have been going the (northern) route on the high side of the waters, which entails 55 miles to get to work after dropping the kids off at the sitter and 55 miles home vs 40 miles round trip.

On a good note, we have to select a new Sherriff so I will have plenty of coroplast heading my way (Hopes all of it).

[ECO-AKJ]

Magnets:

So I am thinking when I do my permanent grille block that I will use magnets to hold them on, any recommendations on where I should start looking?

[freebeard]

Old computer hard drives.

[ECO-AKJ]

hmm, I do have a few of those lying around, I will have to try that out

[ECO-AKJ]

So I scrapped the magnet idea, I am going with L-brackets to hold on the coroplast on the bottom, I ziptied some coroplast to the upper grille and painted it all yellow and painted the oval black, on the lower I am going to use moulding tape to adhere L-brackets to bumper cover and then attach lower blocks to those, as far as the lawn edging attached to lower valance, I have taken that off and will be using L-brackets to attach lawn edging where the factory screws attach lower cover to bumper cover, waiting on the brackets to come from BFE (China) so I won't get to complete said mods till close to Christmas