Alignment & Aftermarket Suspension

[mikebike357]

Question: Do stock alignment specs still apply when using aftermarket springs?

 

[redlinerally]

I would say yes. The aftermarket springs (if they adjust ride height) will make it necessary to get another alignment after settling so you can be sure you're good to go.

I wouldn't see why aftermarket springs or struts would cause the specs to be altered...

 

[Pedro]

Question: Do stock alignment specs still apply when using aftermarket springs?

Lowering the car will change the Caster as it is fixed on the subaru's. Not a big deal since the specs will most likely be similar to the vehicle that the ride height is closest to.

The Camber and the toe will change when you drop the car. For stock specs along the lines of Toe and Camber.. I would go max factory, or Inskisharp alignment since I think you are there right now.

 

[seph]

now I read somewhere that there are settings that you should ask for when getting an alignment, that are better than the factory specs. I'm going to be getting an alignment once my (correct) tires come in...what should you get for specs...??

 

[Pedro]

for stock heigh, max neg camber, 0toe front and maybe a smige of toe out in the rear.

 

[Trainable]

Max neg camber up front and 0 toe all the way around for street. Caster and rear camber are not adjustable.

Some people mess with toe to help turn in and help get more rotation, but if you aren't doing the work yourself it could get expensive if you don't like the results.

 

[Rightseat]

here are our basic rally-car alignment specs, arrived at after many many spearmints with more and less aggressive settings. full autox alignment is nice for bashing cones, not so great for street (tends to accelerate tire wear and cause weird handling in normal driving)

-1.5 camber front is plenty. you can sometimes get -2 or more, but that much neg camber makes the car hunt all over the place on crowned roads

quarter degree of toe in at front. zero toe tends to make you have to steer in a straight line--not so great on the highway!

-1.5 camber rear, that's usually about all you can get with stock stuff (there's often a good bit of play in the "non-adjustable" rear struts). more is not necessarlily better, see front camber notes

zero toe at rear. even a leetle rear toe out makes the car very tail-happy, probly more than most want to deal with on the street

 

[Shorty]

I went with .06+ toe in the front and I love the results. It's much more stable at higher speeds. Does this make sense Nigel?

Should try a little toe in and see how that works?

Remember, I ain't on slippery surfaces.

 

[Rightseat]

surfaces must make the dirrerence. tried half degree positive toe and though car turn in like mad, it was trying to turn all the time. mebbe on tarmac izz feefernt.

 

[Trainable]

quarter degree of toe in at front. zero toe tends to make you have to steer in a straight line--not so great on the highway!

seph on a highway.

-1.5 camber rear, that's usually about all you can get with stock stuff (there's often a good bit of play in the "non-adjustable" rear struts). more is not necessarlily better, see front camber notes

What do you loosen to get the play? And from that point is it just a matter of a little rubber mallet persuasion?

 

[Pedro]

quarter degree of toe in at front. zero toe tends to make you have to steer in a straight line--not so great on the highway!

seph on a highway.

-1.5 camber rear, that's usually about all you can get with stock stuff (there's often a good bit of play in the "non-adjustable" rear struts). more is not necessarlily better, see front camber notes

What do you loosen to get the play? And from that point is it just a matter of a little rubber mallet persuasion?

loosen the bolts on the strut

Ratchet strap works well. or have someone push in on the top of the caliperwhile you tighten the bolts back up.

 

[Shorty]

I wonder????

I might try it just to see next week.

 

[mikebike357]

Here's what I got:

Front Left ______Front Right

-0.9 _____Camber___ -0.7

3.0 _______Caster____ 3.4

0.01 _______Toe_____ -0.03

Rear Left _________Rear Right

-1.8 ______Camber___ -1.4

0.07 ________Toe_____ 0.09

When the dude put it on the rack the rear left camber was at -1.9 degrees.

 

[inski]

are you chewing up all the tires or just one? Or rotating them caused 2 to get chewed up?

For some unknown reason Forester tires dont enjoy as long a life as other subaru tires. I dont know why, but seemingly getting the alignment as close to spec helps, but I haven't owned a Forester to keep good records of tire wear. To get the left rear camber "in spec" you could use camber/eccentric/crash bolts in the rear struts.

 

[mikebike357]

All 4 are wearing on the insides, but all 4 are wearing even down the middle. It's just the inner band of tread that is going bald faster. The left rear is wearing a bit faster than the others.

I've rotated them fairly religiously at around 7k. I have directional tires so I can only do straight front to back... none of that new fandangle cross rotation stuff.