I have H&R Sport Springs and KYB AGX shocks. Why would the right side be so much worse than the left? Plus, I guess you do need a camber kit with H&R sports after all.
The "Before" setting for the toe on the front right tire should be red.
I was hoping that if the camber was off, I would just get the SH UCA's. But, since the right side is much worse than the left, that won't do me any good.
PLUS, now the steering wheel is off. How come before the toe was fixed, the steering wheel and car rode straight as an arrow. Now, the car rides straight, but the steering wheel is to the left????
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-Dennis
Mein Auto ist sehr alt und langsam.
Last edited by Ludefahrer97 : 10-02-2006 at 10:35 PM.
It sounds like the shop didn't do a proper alignment. Usually the shop will put the steering wheel in the "center" then put a steering wheel locking tool on it to keep it from turning during the alignment.
As for the camber, the subframe can be shifted some. I'd look to see if anything is bent if shifting the subframe doesn't help.
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Billy - 98 Prelude
#27 H2 NASA TX HondaChallenge
#27 PTB NASA TX Performance Touring Racing makes heroin addiction seem like a vague wish for something salty. -- Peter Egan
mines the same way,right camber is off but left side is within spec,stock struts on suspension technique springs,not sure why that is,but as far as the steering wheel goes they need to readjust it,i did my own alignment and I forgot to set the parking break when i adjusted the front toe,what happened was when i was breaking loose the locking nut the car shifted back a little bit then went back forward and it shifted on the steering wheel lock,i just adjusted it to spec anyways and fixed it the next day by realigning it,so pretty much just take it back and tell them the steering wheel is off center
I can actually take it back as much as I want. I bought the $120 lifetime alignment package at Firestone. I'll ask them to adjust for the steering wheel.
Billy - Is shifting the subframe something I can do in my garage?
i wouldnt shift the subframe without an alignment machine,that affects your caster settings
Is this something that the alignment tech should have tried or is it something that most chain garages don't want to mess with? I just don't want to go back and have him tell me "don't you think I would have done that if it needed to be shifted?" - You know, the basic "don't tell me how to do my job" spiel.
shifting the subframe(engine cradle) isnt going to help with the camber adjustments,just the caster,hondas dont come with camber adjustments which is why you have to buy camber kits,and as far as the steering wheel being off center is because they probably didnt test drive the car afterwards,back when i was doing alignments,if something wasnt out of spec,i didnt mess with it unless it was very close to being out of spec then i would just adjust it a little bit to give it more tolerance range
the steering wheel sounds like the shop f*cked up man. why didn't they notice it when they drove it to check it?? because they didn't drive it... take it back and ask for a different mechanic.
The front subframe can very well affect camber. Don't confuse this piece with the front cross member that has the radius rods on it. This is the one that the lower control arms connect to. If it moves, they move, and it affects camber (among other things).
I can guarantee you that yours has moved some. No, this is not something an alignment tech will normally check, and most will tell you that this won't affect it or at least that they won't mess with it (not too fun to adjust). Insist or find a shop that will play with it. I can't guarantee you that something else isn't jacked on the car as well, but this is 95% likely your source of camber issues.
yea,but i doubt shifting the cradle from right to left is gonna correct a whole degree of camber,on the left front maybe just because its not that far off,but on the right front its gonna need camber kits,its easier just to get camber kits all around just so everything can be adjusted easily everytime,I do collision repair now but you would be amazed how easily a car twists and bends around,you can easily knock your camber out of spec just from speed bumps,imagine one wheel bottoming out,when it hits the shock tower moves in,metal wants to revert back to its undamaged state and does but if you knock it around hard enough its gonna stay where you hit it,thats why theres alignment shops and body shops,we're the guys who get the body and frame into spec so the alignment guys can fine tune it to mechanical specs,bottom line,save the alignment guy some time and get camber kits
Well if the differential is 1 degree, then you only have to shift it 1/2 degree because when you add camber to one side, you'll remove camber from the other because both LCAs are connected to the subframe.
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Billy - 98 Prelude
#27 H2 NASA TX HondaChallenge
#27 PTB NASA TX Performance Touring Racing makes heroin addiction seem like a vague wish for something salty. -- Peter Egan
that is true,but if this was your car,wouldnt you rather just put cambet kits on and be done with it,honestly you can have your car aligned,drive down the road not even a mile and have it aligned again and the specs wont be the same,the alignment heads are so sensitive that any little movement of the vehicle will cause a change,i hated the one i used because it just seemed so inconsistent
What about getting SH UCA's? That should move both front wheels into spec, and cost less than buying a camber kit, removing the UCA's anyway, having the factory ball joints pressed out, and finally the camber kit pressed in. Plus, I can change out the UCA's in my garage. I'm not too worried about the rear camber. The rear left wheel is w/in factory spec and the rear right is 1/10 of a degree out of spec.
What do you guys think? From what I've read on here, no one has tested the theory, but I'm willing to give it a try if enough people think it's worth it.
its up to you,but what if after time you go behind the positive camber specs that the sh uca's give you,you might as well do it right the first time and just shell out the money for the kits and save yourself the headaches,this way you have full adjustable range,plus alot of people prefer to have more negative camber as a preference for cornering
It will be a tough decision. I think Raleigh has more speed bumps than anywhere else in the world. I've read a lot of posts about people complaining about the camber kits banging into the inner fender.
Any idea how much it costs to have the old ball joints pressed out and the adjustable ones pressed in?
no clue,luckily i've got a press at my shop,so,i'm gonna do mine myself,if i were you personally i'd ask around and see if anyone you know or have connections with work at a shop or has the tools to do it for ya cheaper,then you just pay them a lil bit to press them in and the shop you went to will align it for free since u bought the lifetime alignment deal
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