Help! Alignment issues
#1
Help! Alignment issues
I have a 99 lowered on koni/gc with isc top hats. Ride height is at about tire all the way around so im not super dumped or anything. So the issue is, my local alignment shop cant seem to get anywhere close to my desired settings. i was going with the flyin miata suggested numbers since they seemed like something mild and good to start off with. Here are the flyin miata numbers that i requested
Front
Caster: 5.0 degrees
Camber: 1.0 degrees negative
Toe-in: 1/16" total (1/32" per side)
Rear
Camber: 1.5 degrees negative
Toe-in: 1/16" total (1/32" per side)
And here is the closest that they could get to those numbers...
FL: -1.1 camber
6.2 caster
.03 toe
FR: -1.1 camber
6.3 caster
.02 toe
RL: -1.9 camber
.29 toe
RR: -2.7camber
.34 toe
Obviously the right rear tire is the worst, 3 months of daily driving completely shaved my falken azenis in the rear, especially on the right though. Theyre telling me thats the minimum camber they can pull out of it and thats the best they can do on the toe. Theyre trying to tell me that i may have a bent spindle. The car has never been wrecked so i highly doubt that, but im running out of options and need to resolve the issue so i dont shred my new tires. Does anyone have any suggestions at all? Thanks!
Front
Caster: 5.0 degrees
Camber: 1.0 degrees negative
Toe-in: 1/16" total (1/32" per side)
Rear
Camber: 1.5 degrees negative
Toe-in: 1/16" total (1/32" per side)
And here is the closest that they could get to those numbers...
FL: -1.1 camber
6.2 caster
.03 toe
FR: -1.1 camber
6.3 caster
.02 toe
RL: -1.9 camber
.29 toe
RR: -2.7camber
.34 toe
Obviously the right rear tire is the worst, 3 months of daily driving completely shaved my falken azenis in the rear, especially on the right though. Theyre telling me thats the minimum camber they can pull out of it and thats the best they can do on the toe. Theyre trying to tell me that i may have a bent spindle. The car has never been wrecked so i highly doubt that, but im running out of options and need to resolve the issue so i dont shred my new tires. Does anyone have any suggestions at all? Thanks!
#6
Can you get different size cam bolts?
Having done more than a few alignments, I'd say either they have the wrong cams in that right rear or you do indeed have something bent back there. How was the RR tire wearing before the new springs?
Anytime you adjust ride height, your alignment will be out of whack and the stock specs won't help.
Check to see if the FM specs are for a stock ride height miata, maybe try contacting koni and see if they have different specs to work with?
-Flounder
Having done more than a few alignments, I'd say either they have the wrong cams in that right rear or you do indeed have something bent back there. How was the RR tire wearing before the new springs?
Anytime you adjust ride height, your alignment will be out of whack and the stock specs won't help.
Check to see if the FM specs are for a stock ride height miata, maybe try contacting koni and see if they have different specs to work with?
-Flounder
#10
If you look at the final readings from the printout, you can see that rear 'toe in' on both sides it almost the same, but on that RR side there's way too much negative camber which will produce tire wear on the inside of that particular tire. Where exactly is that tire showing wear?
Both camber and toe angles are capable of wearing tires unevenly, caster in not.
-F
Both camber and toe angles are capable of wearing tires unevenly, caster in not.
-F
Last edited by flounder; 06-12-2010 at 04:00 PM.
#11
If I was to guess, I'd say the rear of the two rear lower arm adjusters is close to all the way out, and they're only messing with the front one, or something dumb like that.
I've seen guys with "years" of experience aligning cars do things that dumb. Been told, "This isn't adjustable" and I walk up and point to the adjuster.
I like zero toe or 1/32" total toe-in better, but I'm no Keith Tanner.
I've seen guys with "years" of experience aligning cars do things that dumb. Been told, "This isn't adjustable" and I walk up and point to the adjuster.
I like zero toe or 1/32" total toe-in better, but I'm no Keith Tanner.
#14
well soulspeed got my alignment settled...at the price of my ride height. they were showing me that at the ride height it was at, either camber or toe was going to be wayyyyy off. so they raised the car about an inch and everything aligned perfectly. the car drives great, but im not so stoked on my newfound fender gap. i really thought my previous ride height was pretty damn mild, but i was on bumpstops and the car wouldnt align. pretty frustrating, im definetly function>form but an inch of fender gap is going to drive me nuts
#17
Just to put it out there, if you lower a car 1 inch you gain around -1.0 to -1.2 degrees of camber, as a general rule for alignment. The Miata's rear suspension adjustments effect both toe and camber at the same time. IF you have too much camber you can't have the toe anywhere close to 0 degrees.
Both toe and camber wear tires, but toe is worse than camber. Caster indirectly wears tires as well.
Both toe and camber wear tires, but toe is worse than camber. Caster indirectly wears tires as well.
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