got an alignment today, and have a couple questions

[PRO®]

Last week I got some new rims in a trade with some basically new tires, so I decided to go an alignment today at Kauffman tires. The guy told me 1. springs are the incorrect way to drop a car, lol and 2. in order to get maximum life out of my tires rotate them(directional) every 3000 miles.

this is the spec sheet i was given. not too sure what it all means, lol but I was wondering if a camber kit or the washer trick would fix any areas where it is out of bounds(if not, then what?). Also, do my current specs look bad?

I am dropped on Neuspeed springs--1.75 in the front and 1.5 in the back(...i think)

here is my sheet:
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j113/staysikwitit/1220081324.jpg

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j113/staysikwitit/1220081324a.jpg

[Sir_Christopher]

i alwas put the bigger springs in the back. but let me see if i can find my sheet when i got mine and we can compair!!

[Barefoot]

camber kit asap. u passed on toe so thats good.

[j0nbunklah0m]

how much u pay for the alignment

[BABY J]

Also - what are the original rim sizes/width vs what you have on now. Your car isn't dumped that low (unless your shocks are blown and/or there are other suspension bits that are not right) to where they can't zero you properly.

[tdurr]

^^ ur sig makes me laugh. repz

[Barefoot]

Also - what are the original rim sizes/width vs what you have on now. Your car isn't dumped that low (unless your shocks are blown and/or there are other suspension bits that are not right) to where they can't zero you properly.his shit is low

[PRO®]

camber kit asap. u passed on toe so thats good.
front and rear? or just rear? Will the "washer trick" work just as well?


how much u pay for the alignment

$72.95 out the door. (told em honda said they'd do it for 69.99)


Also - what are the original rim sizes/width vs what you have on now. Your car isn't dumped that low (unless your shocks are blown and/or there are other suspension bits that are not right) to where they can't zero you properly.

stock=99-00 civic si rim 15x7
current=16x7 rim
don't think any shocks are blown....lol:thinking:
and no, it isn't dumped...i still have like 1.5-2 finger wheel gap

[PRO®]

his shit is low

according to the spring, i googled it and it said 1.75 front and 1.5 rear, lol.

[00CelicaGT]

all they did was set toe. so just like no more hondas said get a camber kit ASAP!

[TypeRPersonality]

As mentioned before, you need both front and rear camber kits. For the rear, you could ghetto rig it with washers. 1 washer per degree IIRC.

And don't rotate the tires every 3000 miles. That's quite unnecessary. Every other oil change is sufficient.

[Barefoot]

front and rear? or just rear? Will the "washer trick" work just as well?
yup front and rear. get a omni or skunk2 camber kit. for the rears the washer trick will work just fine.



don't think any shocks are blown....lol:thinking:
your shocks arent blown.

[PRO®]

As mentioned before, you need both front and rear camber kits. For the rear, you could ghetto rig it with washers. 1 washer per degree IIRC.

And don't rotate the tires every 3000 miles. That's quite unnecessary. Every other oil change is sufficient.
aaight thanks man!


yup front and rear. get a ingalls onmi skunk2 camber kit. for the rears the washer trick will work just fine.

your shocks arent blown.
thanks daron. ill prolly be hitting you up within the next month or so, lol.

[Barefoot]

aaight thanks man!


thanks daron. ill prolly be hitting you up within the next month or so, lol.lol np

[Kaiser]

As mentioned before, you need both front and rear camber kits. For the rear, you could ghetto rig it with washers. 1 washer per degree IIRC.

And don't rotate the tires every 3000 miles. That's quite unnecessary. Every other oil change is sufficient.

No, every 6k miles is sufficient. If he goes 9k-11k miles (4.5-5.5k between oil changes, pretty common for most people) Then he will notice some pretty significant camber wear.

[Init2winit]

Why is there almost 1* less camber on the passenger side front? Did they do a loaded alignment or unloaded?

[Thighs]

somethings not right... the camber shouldnt be THAT far off. and how the fuk else are you supposed to lower a car???

either way, camber plates ftw.

[Kaiser]

somethings not right... the camber shouldnt be THAT far off. and how the fuk else are you supposed to lower a car???

either way, camber plates ftw.

Loaded alignment would have the opposite result.

[TypeRPersonality]

No, every 6k miles is sufficient. If he goes 9k-11k miles (4.5-5.5k between oil changes, pretty common for most people) Then he will notice some pretty significant camber wear.

So supposing he waits 4.5-5.5k between oil changes, he should get an oil change, wait 1500 miles and go back for a tire rotation? Seems like a hassle.

And camber wear isn't supposed to be an issue which is exactly why he is asking if he should get a camber kit. Tire rotation isn't meant to even out tire wear due to toe and camber, but because tires don't wear evenly due to which wheels are driven.

[wwli]

Them idoits in Kauffman tire are the worst man. Don't listen to any of them.

I had some new tires and alignment done on a '03 accord stock and the tires wear out quick with a feather edge on them. Took it back to them and they said the the speed rating on it is what is causing it to do that plus not rotating.

I have staggered wheels on another car and never rotate them and you don't see any feather edge wear on them....then I have lower speed rating tires on the Civic hatch before and don't see any feather edge wear.

Take it to someone that knows how to work on a car and not someone telling you that you cannot lower a car with springs.

Oh yeah the reason why these companies give free rotations is because when you bring it back to them they will give you the so called free inspection and then tell you that you need this and that when you don't.

[Kaiser]

You're an idiot. An idiot who cannot grasp how many variables go into causing tire wear.

What kind of tires did you put on the accord? What kind of tires did you put onto the civic hatch? Civics are much lighter and don't need nearly the speed or load rating to do the same job, whereas an accord, especially if it's 10 years newer than your hatch, weighs quite a bit more and to perform the same way will need much stiffer tread and sidewalls, thus the higher speed rating. Secondly, different tread patterns feather in different ways. Specifically Toyo Spectrums are TERRIBLE about feathering BADLY unless you CROSS rotate them EVERY rotation. Without rotating every 6k miles with a modified X rotation you will get nasty feather even if you front-to-back rotate every 3k miles. Toyo has even acknowledge it and replaced tires under manufacturer defect when it was actually customer ignorance that caused the problem.

Also, your "Staggered wheels" that you "never rotate" often require a very specific load and speed rating along typically with being a size that with the right load and speed rating has a reinforced edge with a tread design that helps to prevent feathering.

Lastly, just so you know they do not give away free rotations because they give you the "so called free inspection" (Which by the way IS free, not just called free) since with a rotation there IS no under-the-hood or under-the-chassis inspection. Will they tell you if they find a CV-axle has sprayed it's grease all over your wheel and hub? Yeah, they will, because they see that, AND your brakes, when they take the tires off. Do they go out of their way to find stuff? No. Moron. The only time you get an "inspection" is when you get an oil change, which, PS. Is $40 at Kauffman. Second, they tell you things you need based on either their experience (Which considering someone decided it was a good idea to pay them to do it, they must have) or what your manufacturer recommends. Are there idiots out there? Sure. There are also people like you who like to blame people who're just doing their jobs for having absolutely ZERO information on a subject and somehow believing themselves to be smarter than people who spend 40 hours a week at their job doing it day-in, day-out as their living.

Also, just using lowering springs is NOT the "correct" way to lower a car. I'm assuming the OP has stock shocks or stock looking shocks with aftermarket lowering springs. This is not only bad for your shocks, but also your control arms, steering knuckles, hub bearings and tires. Matched shock-and-spring are the absolute minimum. If you have LESS travel because of shorter springs, you must have STIFFER shock/strut to compensate. Basic suspension knowledge.