I'm planning on lowering my coupe with the Tein S-tech springs. From posts I've read this can mess up the alignment to a point where you can't get it back to stock without replacing some of the suspension components. In particular there appears to be adjustable rods for the rear and new A-arms for the front.

The replacement parts aren't cheap so I'm wondering if I really need them.

The info I've seen about alignment after lowering is saying that the camber is going to end up around 2 degrees, which isn't too bad, and that the caster is going to be off.

I expect the camber will wear the inside of the tire faster and the caster will cause a little less high speed stability. Both which are livable if not too bad.

So if you've lowered your car how has the alignment effected the car and have you thought about replacing the supsension components to get it back to stock?

 

Nobody with the S-tech's willing to comment on their alignment after installing the springs?

I'm sure I'm not the only one here with this question.

Your knowledge and experience is requested.

 

I want to know about what others have done/experienced also, I'm thinking of lowering my Sedan, but I don't want to go through tires every 3 months...

Mize
Silver 03 6 Speed Sedan/Willow/Premium

 

Does that mean if you install coilovers such as the tein flex you won't run into alignment problem?

 

How low your car goes depends on how much cambre you will have. the fact taht you have coilovers will not make you have no more camber, unless you have the car at stock height. 2 degrees camber you say is something you can live with. 2 degrees camber is what you will ride on only in a straight line. When you turn your car, (i'm no physicist so don't quote me on the terms) gravity, intertia, centripital force, pull the opposite side of the car down from the direction you are turning, basically lowering one side of your car. In other words when you make right turns, your car leans to the left, and in the turn your car is lower on the left. The car's suspension is designed to camber the wheels during a turn for more sideways traction. So when you are making that right turn, your left wheels are cambering. When you go back to straight line driving, the camber goes back to normal. The more the car leans, the more the suspension cambers for turning traction. Now you've lowered your car. The car's suspension is reacting as if you were in a turn and the car was leaning, except now on all four wheels. So your 2 degrees more camber is added on top of what the suspension will further camber your wheels on the turns that you will make while your car is lowered. Also, when your car is lowered, you get the improved handling from the center of gravity of the car being lowered. Now (hypothetical situation) you think to yourself " I can make 90 degree angle turns at 50 mph" Your right turn at 50mph drops the left side of your car another 2 inches in the turn, cambering the tires even more on the turn, and wearing the inside of your tires out. Your 17 or 18 inch sport tires are expensive.....get the camber kits, its well worth it in my opinion. If you really dont want to get the camber kits....pay your tire rotation guy to flip yoru tires, meaning right 2 tires get put back onto the left 2 rims, and vice versa, so that the balding inner portion of the tire is now on the outside where less road contact is occuring.


www.1911forum.com
www.calguns.net

 

i lowered on the 350Z suspension, and my camber is ok. its been more than 3 months and my tires have been wearing pretty evenly IMO. But camber kit is still good IMO. since i want to lower my sedan to 1.5 in front and 1.7 in back. think that might be too low though? super bump steer... oh well.

G35S 6MT
Technosquare ECU
350Z Springs & Struts
6-wire ground kit

 

I didn't lower my car and I'm planning on getting a camber kit. My car was at -2.2 and they could only get it to -1.6. I want something closer to -1.0 to help in tire life. It's worth the price of the kit to get 2 or 3 thousand miles out of set of rears, to me at least.

Russ

Black 6MT Coupe
Jax, FL
PS2 and Headrest Monitors Thread

 

From what I've read at some of the 350Z forums, I should be able to get the alignment closer to stock than I had orginally thought. I've ordered my springs and will just install them without the camber adjustment pieces.

If I drive it for a few thousand miles and have a problem, I'll install them then. I don't think it'll be that big of a deal after all and even if they do wear quickly, it'll give me an excuse to upgrade to 19's!

Don't worry, be happy!

 

I installed my S-Techs last week and had the car aligned the same day. My alignment didn't completely come back into specs but it is very close. I'll keep an eye on my tire wear and if it gets excessive I'll get the adjustment kit then, but I really don't think it will be a problem. If I get a chance tonight I'll post my alignment sheet.



G35C Blk, 6MT, Lthr, Aero, Prem,

 

How much will an Alignment cost me?


Twilight Blue G35 Coupe 6MT
Premium - Nav - Aero - Trunk Mat
Injen CAI

 

I had it done at the dealership because they installed my springs and it was $129 which is a little steep. You can go to a local place and get one for around $70.



G35C Blk, 6MT, Lthr, Aero, Prem,