Help with alignment please

[MONSOUN MOTORS]

The alignment on the front of my SHO is not where I want it and Firestone couldn't get it any better. I told them that I have adjustable strut mounts but they said that they do not know how to adjust them. I was embarrassed to say that I really didn't know either :idiot: . So I would like to know how exactly or where exactly do I rotate the mounts to get more positive camber? Right now both mounts are positioned at about 5 O'clock on the passenger side and 7 O'clock on the driver side. I would think that rotating it outwards on both sides would help but I am not 100% sure so I aske here first.
My alignment as of now is -2.30 camber, 3.11 caster and -0.11 toe for the fronts. I did a search on different alignment specs, here, and I am now trying to get -1.5 camber and zero toe for the fronts. I have intrax springs with the ingalls adjustable strut mounts and I am riding on 245/40/18 on 18x8 wheels. These tires aren't really cheap so I am trying to get them to wear more evenly but all of this negative camber is eating the insides of my tires. Thanks in advance because I know you guys always have teh right answers and sorry for not knowing which way to rotate these mounts .

 

[St Louis SHO]

the further the strut rod is toward the fender = more positive camber.

 

[MONSOUN MOTORS]

I kind of figured that much but how do much rotation would be needed to add a degree of camber? Is there anyway to measure how much rotations inward or outwards adds or subtracts? I guess I can just just put them to the farthest outward towwards the fenders and hope for the best but if anyone can chime in with some numbers that can go along with the different strut positions then that would be great. And are -1.5 camber and 0 toe all around good specs for a DD?

 

[St Louis SHO]

I personally set for DD, about -0.5 to about -0.8 camber, and factory toe settings. Its hard to tell by moving the rod to tell how much is how much, but .25" should be somewhere in the area of 0.3-0.4 movement.

- James

 

[MARTINSR]

I kind of figured that much but how do much rotation would be needed to add a degree of camber? Is there anyway to measure how much rotations inward or outwards adds or subtracts? I guess I can just just put them to the farthest outward towwards the fenders and hope for the best but if anyone can chime in with some numbers that can go along with the different strut positions then that would be great. And are -1.5 camber and 0 toe all around good specs for a DD?

Well, first off, Firestone is a tire store, period. Sorry, but before I get attacted by some Firestone employee, this is generization, but true. Yes, there are some quality techs at some of them, but realistically speaking, it is a tire store and nothing more.

If you bring it to a real alignment shop you will find people who would do this alignment without any trouble at all. You need to drill out the spot welds on the plate that the upper strut bearing mounts in and move it. Where do you move it? It is simple, you move it until it gives you the results you are after. It is very simple, you move it, and check the results, then move it again if needed. It is done right on the alignment rack and wham bam you are done.

Brian

 

[NJSHO]

Yeah I would get your money back and go to another shop. These guys are definitely incompetent. You should also try to make sure that your alignment is balanced from side to side. Say you can only get to -.5 camber on the drivers side and -1.5 on the passengers, you should put the passengers to -.5 as well. If you know any people that autox ask them who they use to set their alignment.

 

[38SHO]

wow -2.3 is way off lol

but your gonna come to a point where the lowering springs actually do effect your alignment, and there is a point where those adjustable parts only adjust so much...

even dedicated alignment shops don't mean they are badasses... they can be shiesters too

goto a few shops with alignment machines, tell em what you got, what you need, and ask them if they can help you... and what if they try and cannot.. do you still pay? or pay as much?

you can't really take it to a shop, let them work on it, and say you don't want to pay them, because they probably tried and set it all up, point is they spent time working on your car when they could be working on another money job... so everyone looses money, and mechanics gotta eat too

if they didn't do ANYTHING at all and charged you or did a real ****** job and wouldn't fix it like it should... then that would be grounds for asking for some money back or all of what you paid... but then again any halfway decent shop will realize that and say they can't fix it, no charge before you even ask them about getting a refund....

 

[MONSOUN MOTORS]

Thanks guys I would ask for my money back but there isn't any money involved. I have their lifetime alignment plan for about 8 years on the SHO. Every other time, while the car was stock, they had no problems getting it into spec. I know that -2.3 is bad and that is why I am trying to get it fixed before I run through a nother set of tires. If I did have some money to throw around i would take it to a dedicated alignment shop and they could adjust the alignment to my desired specs. I am going to rotate the mounts outwards and hope that this will remedy this issue, if not then I will just keep bringing it back to them until they can get it properly aligned. I mean that is what I paid for right. And I will be sure also that the alignment is balanced all the way around. All great advice thanks again.