Hey All. So i put in new Prokit springs and ball joints (along with used lower control arm and spindle) last week and yesterday i went to get my '91 Z28 aligned (at "Just Tires"). I got the suggested specs for street use from this site and gave it to them:

Caster Camber
L: +4 R: +4.5 L: -.5 R: -.5
Toe Total (in): 3/32

After they were done they said the got the alignment 'dead on', but it now has these specs:

Caster Camber
L: +4.4 R: +4.3 L: +.4 R: +.3
Toe Total (in): +.1 degrees

When i asked the alignment guy he said the most positive he could get on the R Caster was 4.3, so i asked him why he didn't go .5 less on the left side to compensate for road crown (as i had read here). He said that it was as far as he could go while still being in the "green" and that if he lowered the left side Caster, the car would 'wander' all over the road. He strongly advised against doing the camber and toe settings as specified in my printout.

So where do i go from here? I can't afford to go to another shop for a while - girlfriend paid for this one 6 months ago and it's still under warranty, so i think i have to stick with these guys. They did say i can come back for a readjustment if i'm not happy with it. Should i go back and tell them to make the left Caster 3.8 and do the Camber and Toe as specified regardless of what their machine says is 'aligned', or just leave it or what?


thanks much!!!

 

They didn't use your specs. On the machine, they punch in the year,make, and model of your car and it programs in the stock settings. You have to make it clear to them that you don't want the stock settings at all. If they ask why, tell them the the springs have an increased rate and the ride height is lowered(plus the stock settings really suck). The settings you have are going to wear out the outside edge of the tires--too much camber. The caster isn't a 'huge' issue, it's offset .5 to compensate for the crown in the road causing a slight pull toward the right--if you bring it back, have them change it.

 

Thanks. When i brought in there i watched the guy punch these specs into the machine. He must have changed it when i walked away. I thought i made it clear that these specs were what i wanted (i said i got them from a GM tech), but i guess i'll have to stand over the guy the whole time when i bring it back.
So on the Caster, if they set it L: + 3.8 and R: +4.3 that'll be ideal, right?
Are most Camaro's able to get to +4.5 (or even +5) Caster on the right side, does it mean something's bent in my case?
For the toe, what's 3/32 (in) -> in degrees?

thanks again!

 

the guy is a moron. i own an alignment shop. i got my camber to -.5 no problem. the caster he is a moron on also. it won't wander. on my 86 Ta i have the left at 2.69 and the right at 3.21 on the toe set it to 0.06* total. that is 1/32 per side or 1/16 total. as far as getting the 5* caster, it depends on year of car. on the early year cars, the slots weren't as far back as the later years. you can get more, but you would have to take the strut mount off and elongate the holes towards the firewall to do so.

 

I just had mine set at:

Caster- L/ +4.66 R/+5.30
Camber- L/ -0.78 R/-0.90
Edit: (not 1/8" )sorry + 1/16"

I'm about maxed with camber on the left side both caster could go past +6 on both sides(close to +7 we check for curiosity). Mines an '87 Camaro - I do have the aftermarket HMS mounts that could be giving me slightly more because of possibly being welded to the rear slightly more than the stock position of the bearings. I am also lowered quite a bit which will give me a better angle.

That is also with me sitting in the drivers seat- 238lbs

Edit: was going off of memorywith the first specs I wrote, I've edited it with the exact printed specs. as much as I know how to set suspension- I don't deal with verbal specs daily when it comes to taking the talk- just give me the car and the stock specs and i know which way to tweak it for better handling (toe + and - always confuses me I, forget the + is not out

 

that's alot of toe in. you might be seeing some outside shoulder wear even though you have negative camber.

 

Crap, sorry I put down 1/8" instead of 1/16" sorry my mistake. Actually the caster is +4.66 So more closer to 4.7 on the left than 4.6

 

ok that's better.

 

I know stock is 3/32" and I wanted to give it just a slight better turn in but not too much to increase tire wear, so we opened it up 1/32"- I know I will have to watch the outer edges with that camber unless I drive it hard all the time- the wife drives this car mostly(she loves it but isn't too aggresive of a driver). My thought is (and I'll have to monitor this) is that the HMS mounts have no flex compared to the stock mounts that flex over under hard cornering. I figure the stock units produce more neg camber from flex( but of course less neg camber at static). Since the HMS's don't flex I am trying to go with a slightly more agressive camber setting and hopefully maintain the same tire wear since I do balance out the wifes driving(she wears the insides, I wear the outsides )

 

negative camber you'll need t owatch the INSIDE of the tires. usually anything past 0.50 will start to wear the tire on that side.

 

Yes I know -its late and I'm tired wrote the wrong thing again- Looks like amatuer hour. At least I did get it right at the bottom when I said she wears the insides

 

yep it's tomrrow for me now.

 

Hey guys. So i took it back and watched over the guy when he did it and got this:

Caster
L: +3.8 R: +4.3
Camber
L: -.5 R: -.4
Toe Total (in): +.05* (machine rounds to the nearest .05, from the visual printout it looks like the majority of toe is on the right side - does that matter?)

So am i all set?
thanks!

 

Looks much better. I'm not too fond of the difference in camber, but it will work. Total toe is all that matters, as long as the steering wheel is straight. If toe isn't equal while you are driving, you are turning

 

thanks much!