Hello everyone this is my first post/question on the forum. I have searched and searched and have not been able to find an answer that fixes the issue. It is a 1985 FL350 that I got Last summer.

Does anybody have a clue what would cause the issue with the left rear tire shown in the pictures? With the Odyssey on the jack both wheels, axles and camber links all look equal. When I take it off the jack the left rear tire leans out and the axle and camber links are almost straight (bottomed out) they are no where close to the same angles as the right side. I originally thought it was the shock as it needs to be rebuilt, so I took the good shock from the right side and switched to the left side and still had the same issue. The trailing arm doesn't seem to be bent when comparing it to the right side and the jam nut on the front of the trailing arm is tightened all the way. I also don't see any obvious signs of the frame or any other component being bent.

Should the Camber link move when under weight, do they go bad?

Would a slightly bent trailing arm cause this?

Any help will be greatly appreciated

It could be the rod ends on the top camber link. I see you still have the original rubber boots on them so it is possible that one of those rod ends is totally shot. Inspect them. When I jack my machines up the wheels look cambered bad when I let them down but everything squares up after you jump on the back end a few times. That does not appear to be the case here. I thought your frame was bent at the top shock mount but that does not appear to be it either. When I crashed my machine a year and a half ago I bent my top shock mount up a 1/4". Yours appears to be ok. Check the camber rod ends.
Welcome new guy.

OK thank you. Should the camber link rotate down when under weight? The left side does but the right side does not. I will try to switch them and see if I still have the issue. If it is the camber link and I switch them, my problem should also switch sides?

My suggestion is remove both camber links, take off the rubber boots (difficult without tearing them) and see how loose the ball is in the joint. Both links should be free to move. If it does not then there is an issue.

Check the wheel bearings on the bad side.

Both Camber Links feel sloppy, I switched them from side to side and the left tire still leans out but the right side didn't. What should I look for in the bearings, should I take them out of carrier? With the tires of the ground I tried to wiggle the tire side to side and in and out, there was no movement. I stood on the rear of the odyssey and jumped up and down, the left side ( with the good shock) compressed but the right side (with the bad shock) did not.

If there is no slop when wiggling the tire then your bearings are probably good.
Your rod ends on the camber link will probably have some play because they are over 30yrs old. I was just trying to figure out if it was totally shot.
Good shock Bad shock If one of your shocks is shot then that is not helping this issue.

I have been looking at those photos. When it is jacked up the wheels are good. When you lower it the left wheel tips out. Is this the bad shock ??
Right now I am thinking it is a shock issue. It's just screaming shocks to me.

I thought shock first also. I swapped the shocks from one side to the other.

The shock that was originally on the left side did not support the weight with the wheels on the ground and the wheel tilted out. If I bounced on the back end I could hear the shock making a squishing noise. Left side only made the sound so I figured that shock was bad.

I switched the shocks from one side to the other and same issue.

Both shocks when installed to the right side support the weight and the wheel looks correct and there is no squishing noise when I bounce on the rear end. However, both shocks when applied to the left side do not support the weight the wheel leans out and there is a squishing noise when I bounce on the rear end.

If both shocks are bad does it make sense that it works properly on one side and not the other?

I again jacked up the rear end and then slowly lower it down the shock on the right does not compress. The shock on the left does compress maybe an inch. Could this be because a majority of the Engine is on the left side making it heavier than the right? Could both shocks be bad and can't support the weight on the left side but can on the right or am I reaching?

I adjusted the top of left camber link making its overall length shorter. It helped quite a bit with the wheel and drive shaft matching the right side when off the jack. Is that ok to do? Is it just a band aid for the problem?

I am thinking that is just a band aid. If your shocks are gone its all over. Your corner weights will be all wrong with a weak shock. Then steering and handling will be all off. Verify your shocks are good.

I will be sending the shocks into Works to be rebuilt. Thanks for your help, hopefully shocks do the trick.

If you are swapping shocks and adjusting links from side to side and the lean doesn't transfer to the other side I would say it's not a shock issue.

Was the Ody in this condition when you purchased it?

Is your upper radius mounting (frame) bracket bent?

What condition are the mounting holes like in the upper radius mount itself? Is it bent?

Are the Heim joints in the adjuster link shot?

Rand

Not sure what the upper radius mount is. Are you talking about where the Camber links bolt in? Could you look at the pics in my first post to see if you see anything bent. To me nothing stands out as being obviously bent.

Yes,

The radius arm (at least that's what I have heard it called) is the black arm that is attached to the top of the swing arm where the camber adjustment link is attached to.

That makes me think of another check. With your Ody sitting on the ground, measure the length of the shocks when it is sitting on the ground. If they are the same length, then check to see if the top of the trailing arm is bent and or collapsed. Particularity where the radius arm is attached to the swing arm. It's a box design and it may have collapsed in that area.

Where are you located? There may be one of us close enough to help with the inspection.

Rand

Not sure if you can tell in the pictures but the alignment of the camber links does not look the same on the right side as it does on the left. On the left side the camber link goes pretty much in a straight line from the frame mount to the radius arm mount. On the right side the frame mount is forward of the radius arm mount.

Does that mean the right side radius arm is bent backwards? Or is the left side radius arm bent forward? Or is this how they were designed?

I also measured the shock springs with the oddy on the jack, from the top of the spring to the bottom was approximately 10 1/2 inches on both sides. I took the oddy of the jack and both springs still measured 10 1/2 inches. I couldn't get the tape measure to fit so I could measure center to center of mounting bolts.

CSI before sending the shocks out.

If you send your shocks to WORKS for a rebuild they will charge you out the ass ask around what it cost others.... its not cheap.

Make sure you have pin pointed the problem before send off the shocks, make sure none of the rear suspension parts are bent or straighten, trailing arms will straighten when you hit a tree with the rear tire.

Remove all parts and inspect compare to the other side.

Well if your shocks are the same length on both sides, compressed or not compressed, then shocks are not your issue.

Check this.....

Are your axles mated to the splines on the transmission output shaft correctly? In other words are both ends of the axles held in place be the two Allen head keeper bolts?

Try this.....

A) Mount both rear tires (tightened at the proper torque).

B) Check to see the there is an equal distance on both sides between the tire and the top of the radius arm.


Rand

The axles both have the retaining screws on the end closest to the Engine is that the only place that should have them? As far as measuring the distance between the tire and radius arm, I already know it will be different because the left tire is leaning out.

Does anything look bent or obviously wrong to you in the pictures I posted?

The axles both have the retaining screws on the end closest to the Engine is that the only place that should have them?
Yes. If the axle is not mounted in it's proper position, it will cause a positive or negative camber issue like you have.

As far as measuring the distance between the tire and radius arm, I already know it will be different because the left tire is leaning out.
If there is a difference in the measurement, then the radius arm or the swing arm is bent. You need to attach them and measure just how far out they are.


Does anything look bent or obviously wrong to you in the pictures I posted?
It's really hard to tell by the pictures because they weren't taken at the exact same angles on both sides. It may be an optical illusion but it looks like the left side radius arm is spaced farther away from the tire where the upper link attaches. Again it's hard to tell by just pictures.

Rand

Let me start by admitting I didn't read the whole thread, hell not even the whole first post..lol BUT it looks like the left tire is bigger than the right? Maybe just an optical illusion.

The other thing I noticed from the first picture is the left axle seems to be closer to horizontal than the right axle. Almost as if the buggy were leaning to the left. That would explain the tire leaning, imagine taking a fast right turn.

It would also explain why the tire lean would go away when you jacked it up.

Even in the air it doesn't look even to me.
The left looks "compacted" on the ground and in the air.
In both situations it appears that the Left rear is closer to bottoming out/closer to the fender.
Take the shocks out of the equation, make two identical supports to take place of the shocks and take another look. I used some strapping to do this years ago.
Just a humble opinion.
I agree the camera angles are not identical and tires secondary to possible illusion could be identical but certainly don't appear to be.
Best of luck, keep posting we will figure this out.
Regards GO

And that battery is blocking a considerable view as well.

Now that you mention the tire looking bigger I thought the same thing so I checked the side wall and both say 24x11x10.

So I stood them up next to each other and sure enough the left one is about 1.5 to 2 inches taller than the right. Both have 6 psi in them.

That wouldn't cause the issue I am having though? I would think it would cause the right side to have the lean out not the right side.

In some of the pictures the oddy does look uneven (leaning to the left) even on the jack. I think it was because the left front tire was flat.

Could the frame be bent? I have check everything I can see and there is nothing that stands out as abnormal or obvious.

Would it cause issues to adjust the camber links to fix the lean? I adjusted the left camber link on the top and it helped with the lean. I would think that's why they are adjustable. Any thoughts?