i got 89 iroc convertible having trouble getting it in true alignment.
been to two shops the first one set it to factory setting and it pulled to the left bad , the second one adjusted it 3 times already and it drift to the right. they had every guy in the shop around it said they had to adjust it like that to allow for the brake pull. i have new rotors calipers pads !!! . the car has never been wrecked .i know that for a fact my parents were te first owner and im second. just got my umi package today need it in alignment before i put strut tower brace on . anyone out there with ideas ??? thanks for any advise.

 

First off:

THe factory alignment "specs" SUCK. I don't know who had their head up their what when they came up with that crap, or in what way they ever thought it would be "A Good Idea", but they laid an egg when they did that.

FORGET the factory "specs" altogether. They make make the car have a weak center, no feel of stability, and most of all will EAT the outside edge of tires so fast you can watch them go away from one day to the next.

The correct settings are:

As much positive caster as your particular car can get (they vary quite a bit), with about ½° more on the right than the left; shoot for about 4° L / 4½° R.

About 1° negative camber, again with a bit more on the right; about -½° L / -1° R.

Slight toe IN; about 1/32" - 1/16" (.030" - .060").

Alignment however does not cause, OR CURE, a "pull" in most cases. Have tehm set it RIGHT, as described above, and then search for the cause of that, SEPARATELY.

Most common cause is tires. Easy enough to troubleshoot; just exchange the 2 front tires. If the pull changes direction,,,, ... well, guess what.

Next most common cause is brakes. THis is especially a possibility if the car pulls one way as you drive, and slowly gets better and better; then when you hit the brakes, it pulls THE OTHER way violently; then when you let off the brakes it goes back to pulling the first way. This is caused by the rubber hose on the side it pulls TOWARD when driving and AWAY FROM when braking: the hose has steel fittings that the rubber part fits onto, and those have REALLY TINY holes in them, that rust, and the rust plugs them up. THen, brake fluid can be forced INTO the calipers by the extremely high pressure generated by using them, but the fluid can't get back OUT OF the caliper because the hole is so constricted. They're cheeeep anyway, and they ALWAYS fail like that in EVERY car, not just domestics and not just GMs and not just Camaros & Firebirds; might as well just buy a pair and swap em out as part of your "new rotors calipers pads" and move on.

"Alignment" and "put strut tower brace on" are not connected... you can do either by itself.

 

I always put my camber at equal numbers let and right.. For example I am at -1.2* or so for camber..

 

The "stock" settings aren't even close to these. Stock for my year is:

4.7° caster
+0.3 camber (Plus? WTF!)
0 toe in

Stock sucks, unless you like replacing worn out outer edge tires.

 

thanks for the help all after 7 times getting realigned i brought you post ( lol they didnt really care for that ) with me rolls dow the road fine thanks again

 

i think i'd be putting a strut tower brace on before an alignment..

 

I would think this depends on the style of STB you have.. If it's the one that bolts through the sheet metal in the strut tower then you should get your alignment first and then mount this so that you get the alignment you need before you install this and then this can be installed in the location where it will most likely not have to be moved.

If it's the one where it just bolts to the existing strut mount bolts, then you should get the alignment with the STB already installed on the strut mounts because if you install the STB after your alignment is done then you run the risk of moving the strut mounts which will put your alignment out of whack.