Alignment PROBLEM
#1
Alignment PROBLEM
I have on my Civic TOKICO Blue aftermarket shocks + lower spring.
I bought the kit 4 shock and 4 spring from e-bay.
Before I bought them I was reading in this forum, and the guys tald me that I dont need camber plates or adjustable control arms in front, because this Tokico kit lowrs the car in the range of no more than 1.5" to 2".So for that much lowering I don't need additional mods.
Recently I replaced the OEM upper front control arms s new after marke, but OEM specs, so the same design.
And the guys in the alignment shop now cannot make my alignment right.
I have too much negative camber, which is O.K. for racing, but the camber is not even on both sides of the car.
Here is the result after the alignment:
What the hell, those guys said they cannot do better than this?!?
I bought the kit 4 shock and 4 spring from e-bay.
Before I bought them I was reading in this forum, and the guys tald me that I dont need camber plates or adjustable control arms in front, because this Tokico kit lowrs the car in the range of no more than 1.5" to 2".So for that much lowering I don't need additional mods.
Recently I replaced the OEM upper front control arms s new after marke, but OEM specs, so the same design.
And the guys in the alignment shop now cannot make my alignment right.
I have too much negative camber, which is O.K. for racing, but the camber is not even on both sides of the car.
Here is the result after the alignment:
What the hell, those guys said they cannot do better than this?!?
#3
Thanks!
But I have driven the car with this set up for a long time, and even with new tires they look to wear equally, I mean right.
They did my alignment in the same shop 7 months ago with the same set up. Nothing chaned.
I just replace the old control arms with new one, and also replaced a inner tie rod.
That's it.
Yes, the car is lower on one side compare to the other.
I don't have idea why.
Probably after an accident from the previous owner.
I did not have alignment problems in the past until now.
But I have driven the car with this set up for a long time, and even with new tires they look to wear equally, I mean right.
They did my alignment in the same shop 7 months ago with the same set up. Nothing chaned.
I just replace the old control arms with new one, and also replaced a inner tie rod.
That's it.
Yes, the car is lower on one side compare to the other.
I don't have idea why.
Probably after an accident from the previous owner.
I did not have alignment problems in the past until now.
#4
Your camber is fine. You don't need a camber kit. The uneven camber on the car is being caused by the car being higher on one side than the other. The camber is a side effect. To make the camber even, you need to find out why one side of the car is higher than the other and correct that problem. The camber will correct itself after you make the car an even height.
Are you sure that you installed the front springs in the front and the rears in the rear? If you had installed even just one spring in the wrong spot, this could happen.
Are you sure that you installed the front springs in the front and the rears in the rear? If you had installed even just one spring in the wrong spot, this could happen.
Last edited by trustdestruction; 07-29-2009 at 10:00 PM.
#5
Thank guys.
The problem is that the car was tilled even before the replacement of the shocks and springs.
That's why I decided to buy a new kit, and to lower it just because they were on a good price.
So now with the time goes on the one side gets lower and lower.
Yes, I installed all the shocks and springs correctly.
I don't know what to look for anymore?!?
Is it possible that I have bought fake product I mean the suspension kit.
It was saying TOKICO made in Japan. Got 'em from ebay.
After 2 years driving around Chicago all four shocks and spring are hell rusty.
Is it normal for brand new kit?!?
The problem is that the car was tilled even before the replacement of the shocks and springs.
That's why I decided to buy a new kit, and to lower it just because they were on a good price.
So now with the time goes on the one side gets lower and lower.
Yes, I installed all the shocks and springs correctly.
I don't know what to look for anymore?!?
Is it possible that I have bought fake product I mean the suspension kit.
It was saying TOKICO made in Japan. Got 'em from ebay.
After 2 years driving around Chicago all four shocks and spring are hell rusty.
Is it normal for brand new kit?!?
#8
Judging by those alignment results, the alignment came out BETTER than before. The front actually remained the same but the rear camber turned out closer to spec(but still out of spec). IF anything is wrong, my guess would be there is something wrong with the right rear section of the car. before AND after the alignment, it is furthest away from spec and the difference between the right and left rear is substantial. They should be close to the same number like the front is, especially since there is hardly any weight on either side in the rear.
Your initial(before any changes were made) for camber was
Front Left: -1.1
Front Right: -1.7
Rear Left: -0.8
Rear Right: -3.2
After the alignment was done your camber changed to
Front Left: -1.1
Front Right: -1.7 (same as before)
Rear Left: -0.6 (went from -0.8 to -0.6)
Rear Right: -2.9 (went from -3.2 to -2.9)
If you are sure the shocks/springs are installed correctly and are functioning properly, I would start checking out other components like bushings and bent arms. A bad shock bushing can drastically change ride height and in turn camber.
Your initial(before any changes were made) for camber was
Front Left: -1.1
Front Right: -1.7
Rear Left: -0.8
Rear Right: -3.2
After the alignment was done your camber changed to
Front Left: -1.1
Front Right: -1.7 (same as before)
Rear Left: -0.6 (went from -0.8 to -0.6)
Rear Right: -2.9 (went from -3.2 to -2.9)
If you are sure the shocks/springs are installed correctly and are functioning properly, I would start checking out other components like bushings and bent arms. A bad shock bushing can drastically change ride height and in turn camber.
#9
I really don't remember how was the car before the replacement of the suspension.
Forgot to take pictures.
But after the replacement, yes, the left side was about 0.5-1" lower than the right one.
I think it was like that with the old suspension too, that's why I decide to reaplece ot,because I thought the shock on the left side is gone.
Now with the time goes by I thing the gar gets lower for no reason.
And only on the left side. The rear left end also became lower. Before the rear was even.
Forgot to take pictures.
But after the replacement, yes, the left side was about 0.5-1" lower than the right one.
I think it was like that with the old suspension too, that's why I decide to reaplece ot,because I thought the shock on the left side is gone.
Now with the time goes by I thing the gar gets lower for no reason.
And only on the left side. The rear left end also became lower. Before the rear was even.