I have a shop that I use for things here and it's more of a mom and pop shop. They will do my alignment for a good amount less than anyone else but I question if they can get it correctly done or not.

Is an alignment pretty much straight forward even for lowered cars or should I go to a more reputable shop like Sears or an actual performance shop?

If they don't get it right it will cost me tires!

 

lol..." like Sears" don't ever take your car to Sears, pep boys, jiffy lube, etc.

anyway, an alignment is an alignment. They'll know what they're going for. They won't be able to align it properly tho, unless you have the right aftermarket parts.

 

well I mean people that do alignments more often.

I have a camber kit for both front and rear so hopefully that's enough to get them close. I'm really hoping I don't need a toe kit as well, but we will see.

 

If you're dropped more than an inch you'll likely need toe bolts. Good news though the whole kit's less than $40 and with a Dremel it's a super easy DIY.

 

Ok so I know this might sound stupid but can I keep the camber and have it aligned just to fix toe?

How can I get it aligned with the current setup while fixing the tire wear issue? Or is it not possible without an aftermarket to arm?

 

You can get it aligned to bring the car as close as possible back to OEM specs. This usually means spinning the camber adjustment all the way to one side to remove as much camber as possible.

I am lowered at least 1.5 inch but my toe in the rear is within spec on stock arms.

 

great! Thanks. I'm taking it in tomorrow.

Rear took longer than expected, but it's done.

 

Brad, be sure to divulge your camber settings, cuz I'm only dropped 0.8" in the back and I was not able to get my toe in spec with -1.8 degrees camber. To is also the last thing that you set the, so the fact that you were able to get it into spec could have to do with your camber angle. What camber numbers do you have and what spacers/wheels offset do you have? All of this plays a part in whether or not your toe will get into spec.

also, just cuz you can get into spec with the toe doesn't mean it's necessarily "all's well that ends well". If you're maxing out the toe cams, that's not good, cuz it can slip over time and then you'll start eating tires even though you were in spec after your last alignment. The spc toe bolts are like $27 I think; well worth it for the peace of mind and ease of adjustment.

 

I have something like -2.5 degrees camber - need to double check the printout - in the back but the toe is spot on though. The wheels in the rear are 20x10.5 et20 with no spacers.

It's the camber that's maxed out to one side to remove as much camber as possible, the toe cams are not maxed out. But of course they can still slip, and even the SPC have been known to slip occasionally. If I do change out parts I'd be getting adjustable arms and lockout the cam movement. But for now, it's alright.

 

Well fortunately the guy who did the alignment was a damn wizard and knew his ****. Toe was set perfect with a small amount of sacrificial camber. The issue with tire wear was out of specs toe after the drop.

so now the front actually lifted about 1/4" lol.

I guess this is my nudge to just get coil overs and call it a day.

 

not necessarily. I mean it's not a BAD idea to get COs, but if you know EXACTLY what you want, you can dial it in with springs if you know all your suspension specs, their limitations and don't really plan on changing em afterward.

 

Buy SPL adjustable a-arms that include the spacers needed to bring your front end back to OE specs. Once installed and aligned there's no worries about it changing! Available thru our Marketplace under vendor suspension. Like one member posted, never take your G to stores like Sears, Pep Boys! Find an independent brake/alignment shop in your area that know how to adjust modified suspensions...took me a while!
Gary

 

I'm guessing it didn't really raise 1/4" in the front. I think what happened is that the camber was reduced so it stood the tire up straighter so now the actual drop height is shown.

Yeah I took it to a small place that does alignment and wheel installs, the guys there were super knowledgeable. I didn't know the height diff until I got home, maybe I'll ask them.

Any different ideas on why the front would raise after a camber kit install and alignment?

Actually I just measured again and it's only 1/8". I guess they settled after being on a lift?