Just noticed something after alignment...
Apr 12, 2008, 07:12 PM
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Just noticed something after alignment...
***UPDATE***
I now have pics....
Ok I just had my car aligned after getting my coilovers on. I was concerned because the first shop I took my car too *cough* Firestone *cough* couldn't get the rear toe to zero. I brought my car to a local race alignment shop and they get everything exactly where it needs to be but I just noticed something. I had them max out the factory camber adjustment so that little tweeks could be made to the camber plates. The place who put my coilovers on accidentally flipped the eccentric bolt the wrong way on one side so after my first alignment at firestone one camber plate was off from the other by nearly 1.5 inches! However i just realized today that maxing out the stock camber puts the strut closer to the rim and i'm running 255/40/17 on stock rims. I just checked the clearance and it is tight, very tight! I would say that there is only 1mm between the top of the tire and the bottom of the first coil. I couldn't even fit my finger between it. What I did is take a small piece of poster board and checked for clearance. It does not rub but I really don't know if it ever will. I folded a 8x8 piece of poster board so it was 4 layers thick and I could wedge it between the two so that's how much space is in there. Should I take it back and have them lessen the stock camber adjustment or am I just overreacting? I don't see how anything could rub even under hard cornering. Under cornering the outside front wheel should actually pull away from the strut ever so slightly. Any help would be appreciated...
I now have pics....
Ok I just had my car aligned after getting my coilovers on. I was concerned because the first shop I took my car too *cough* Firestone *cough* couldn't get the rear toe to zero. I brought my car to a local race alignment shop and they get everything exactly where it needs to be but I just noticed something. I had them max out the factory camber adjustment so that little tweeks could be made to the camber plates. The place who put my coilovers on accidentally flipped the eccentric bolt the wrong way on one side so after my first alignment at firestone one camber plate was off from the other by nearly 1.5 inches! However i just realized today that maxing out the stock camber puts the strut closer to the rim and i'm running 255/40/17 on stock rims. I just checked the clearance and it is tight, very tight! I would say that there is only 1mm between the top of the tire and the bottom of the first coil. I couldn't even fit my finger between it. What I did is take a small piece of poster board and checked for clearance. It does not rub but I really don't know if it ever will. I folded a 8x8 piece of poster board so it was 4 layers thick and I could wedge it between the two so that's how much space is in there. Should I take it back and have them lessen the stock camber adjustment or am I just overreacting? I don't see how anything could rub even under hard cornering. Under cornering the outside front wheel should actually pull away from the strut ever so slightly. Any help would be appreciated...
Last edited by DSMEVOLUTION; Apr 13, 2008 at 02:53 PM.
Apr 13, 2008, 07:18 AM
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Clearance is clearance. If something is not installed correctly you NEED TO GET IT FIXED. Take it back to the original place and have them do it for free as it was their fault in the first place or do it yourself and have the car realigned.
Apr 13, 2008, 09:06 AM
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Ok well that really doesn't answer my question. There is clearance and there is no rub but is that ok because the clearance is very minimal? I know there are people running much wider rims and tires so i'm sure that they also have close clearance. Even with 1mm or less clearance is that ok or will it actually rub?
Apr 13, 2008, 05:09 PM
#6
That's enough. The bottom of the coil moves together with the tire.
BTW, if it's a continuous adjustment in the stock location (i.e. not the stock '+/- 1 degree and nothing in between') you're better off from a suspension geometry standpoint maxing the camber on the plates and then adjusting the stock adjustment. Even if it is the stock bolt, if you can get the camber you want with the plates alone, I'd flip the bolts back around.
BTW, if it's a continuous adjustment in the stock location (i.e. not the stock '+/- 1 degree and nothing in between') you're better off from a suspension geometry standpoint maxing the camber on the plates and then adjusting the stock adjustment. Even if it is the stock bolt, if you can get the camber you want with the plates alone, I'd flip the bolts back around.
Apr 13, 2008, 05:38 PM
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That's enough. The bottom of the coil moves together with the tire.
BTW, if it's a continuous adjustment in the stock location (i.e. not the stock '+/- 1 degree and nothing in between') you're better off from a suspension geometry standpoint maxing the camber on the plates and then adjusting the stock adjustment. Even if it is the stock bolt, if you can get the camber you want with the plates alone, I'd flip the bolts back around.
BTW, if it's a continuous adjustment in the stock location (i.e. not the stock '+/- 1 degree and nothing in between') you're better off from a suspension geometry standpoint maxing the camber on the plates and then adjusting the stock adjustment. Even if it is the stock bolt, if you can get the camber you want with the plates alone, I'd flip the bolts back around.
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Apr 13, 2008, 06:58 PM
#8
Nope. Other way around. Moving the mounting point for the top of the strut inboard with camber plates modifies the vehicle roll center similarly to how the Whiteline front roll center correction kit does, if not to the same degree. (Technically the method is different, but the result is the same.) I would flip the bolt back, as long as you can get enough negative camber with it in that position.
Apr 13, 2008, 07:04 PM
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Hmm, I don't know. I've heard from numerous people to max out the stock camber and then make little tweeks with the top camber plate. I may be wrong but I think GTWORKS gave that advise too. Needless to say I think we've got off topic. I just want to know if the clearance I had would be fine or if it's pushing it such as rubbing under any load.
Apr 13, 2008, 08:43 PM
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Good write up but I think I'll have to read it a few times through to fuly understand. Will my car handle that much better if I less then the stock camber bolts to -1 degree and then make adjustments with the camber plate. I can't max out the camber plates because The stock camber bolt does have more than a degree of range. With my car being daily driven I have my front camber set to -1.7 and the rear to -1.1 with zero toe all around.
