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Koni Yellow Struts
Poly LCA Bushings
Poly Sway Bar links
ProForged steering components and ball joints
Moog Rubber strut mounts
Moog factory height springs
General GMAX RS tires - standard size
Stock Wheels
A couple questions. First, what alignment specs do I want for good handling (street driving) with improved cornering? I don't want to sacrifice tire life or wear.
Second, will the Moog factory-style strut mounts get me the caster and camber settings I need? Do I need to get something like the Spohn adjustable Camber bolt kit? I don't want to go to a "performance" strut mount unless absolutely necessary.
Koni Yellow Struts
Poly LCA Bushings
Poly Sway Bar links
ProForged steering components and ball joints
Moog Rubber strut mounts
Moog factory height springs
General GMAX RS tires - standard size
Stock Wheels
A couple questions. First, what alignment specs do I want for good handling (street driving) with improved cornering? I don't want to sacrifice tire life or wear.
Second, will the Moog factory-style strut mounts get me the caster and camber settings I need? Do I need to get something like the Spohn adjustable Camber bolt kit? I don't want to go to a "performance" strut mount unless absolutely necessary.
I just installed a parts store pair of Mevotech stock mounts with some Koni shocks in my trans am today. I have complete 360 degree adjustability of camber and caster just by shifting the loose mount around on the shock tower. Aftermarket “performance” mounts may make it easier to adjust during the alignment, but going with a factory mount doesn’t hinder adjustability in any way. Camber is adjusted by moving the mount in or out away from the fender. Caster is adjusted by sliding it forward and back via the slots in the strut tower where the studs pass through.
I just installed a parts store pair of Mevotech stock mounts with some Koni shocks in my trans am today. I have complete 360 degree adjustability of camber and caster just by shifting the loose mount around on the shock tower. Aftermarket “performance” mounts may make it easier to adjust during the alignment, but going with a factory mount doesn’t hinder adjustability in any way. Camber is adjusted by moving the mount in or out away from the fender. Caster is adjusted by sliding it forward and back via the slots in the strut tower where the studs pass through.
Those wheels SHOULD have different fronts & rears. The rears are offset more outwards (look "deeper") even though the width is the same.
The factory alignment specs SUCK. They will make the car wander, have a vague center feel, and EAT tires.
A good street alignment is:
Caster +4° L, +4.5° R
Camber -0.5° L, -1° R
Toe .03" - .05" In
The caster & camber split is something you can tailor to the roads in your area. You can use more split if the roads you mostly drive on have a real high crown, or less split on both if your roads are more level.
NO alignment will keep the car from misbehaving in parking lots. That's something that's just part and parcel of what these cars are. In fact, a "better" alignment for driving will tend to make the binding and hopping and scrubbing WORSE. Don't bother complaining about it, nobody wants to listen to it. Best to just accept it and learn to drive in such a way as to avoid it.
Be aware that the more positive caster you add, the closer the wheels get moved toward the rear of the wheel opening. Depending on your tires you may experience rubbing at the bottom rear of the opening, esp when the steering is about halfway in one direction (say, to the left), and the same wheel is in the "rebound" condition of suspension travel. The outside edge of the tire will contact the bottom of the opening near the ground effects.
Those wheels SHOULD have different fronts & rears. The rears are offset more outwards (look "deeper") even though the width is the same.
The factory alignment specs SUCK. They will make the car wander, have a vague center feel, and EAT tires.
A good street alignment is:
Caster +4° L, +4.5° R
Camber -0.5° L, -1° R
Toe .03" - .05" In
The caster & camber split is something you can tailor to the roads in your area. You can use more split if the roads you mostly drive on have a real high crown, or less split on both if your roads are more level.
NO alignment will keep the car from misbehaving in parking lots. That's something that's just part and parcel of what these cars are. In fact, a "better" alignment for driving will tend to make the binding and hopping and scrubbing WORSE. Don't bother complaining about it, nobody wants to listen to it. Best to just accept it and learn to drive in such a way as to avoid it.
Be aware that the more positive caster you add, the closer the wheels get moved toward the rear of the wheel opening. Depending on your tires you may experience rubbing at the bottom rear of the opening, esp when the steering is about halfway in one direction (say, to the left), and the same wheel is in the "rebound" condition of suspension travel. The outside edge of the tire will contact the bottom of the opening near the ground effects.
Excellent. That was the last bit of info I needed. Many thanks!
The car is on the alignment rack right now. The garage just called and told me that they cant get the camber lower than +.1 degree. Any ideas why? Thoughts on how the car will handle at that setting?
Usual reason for that is, the car has been curbed, and the spindle is bent.
It will continue to have a somewhat vague center, and will eat the outer edge of the tires. Not as bad as the factory specs maybe, but still not really right.
Usual reason for that is, the car has been curbed, and the spindle is bent.
It will continue to have a somewhat vague center, and will eat the outer edge of the tires. Not as bad as the factory specs maybe, but still not really right.
Ugh.
Sounds like it was the driver's side. It's done and I'm going to pick the car up shortly. We'll see...
Usual thing that happens to a spindle when it hits a curb is, the part that the hub goes on, gets bent downward. Imagine the bottom half of the wheel getting shoved inward by the impact. Which of course adds positive camber, among other effects.
But, if he can get it that close to 0 and sets the other side to -0.5, it won't be too terrible. Gotta be better than however it was before even if it's still wacked somehow.
Ok, just got back from picking the car up and taking it for a... "spirited" drive.
Bottom line is I'm pretty happy.
They were able to get the camber a little closer than I anticipated.
Final measurements are:
Camber: 0.0 Left, 0.0 Right
Caster: +4.0 Left, +4.6 Right
Toe: 0.03 In Left, 0.03 In Right
The steering wheel is perfectly straight. The car tracks nice and straight even on roads with high center crowns. Sofa, you were right - I do feel a touch of vagueness in the center, but I realize now that it was there and even worse before I did the front end rebuild.
I'm happy with my choice of parts. The car hugs the road very nicely and cornering is more clean and tight than it was before. There are fewer rattles and soooo much more stability over bumps.
I currently have the rear Konis set to full soft and the fronts are on setting 2. I am going to play around with the settings to really dial in the handling as much as possible.
