Lowering / Alignment question

I just installed Eibach 1½" lowering springs....

I took the car to have a 4 wheel alignment done and the alignment specialist said that he needed a larger / different adjustable cam bolt to properly align the rear tires.....

I have never heard of this......Is this true, or is he jacking me around?

the-big-e said:

I just installed Eibach 1½" lowering springs....

I took the car to have a 4 wheel alignment done and the alignment specialist said that he needed a larger / different adjustable cam bolt to properly align the rear tires.....

I have never heard of this......Is this true, or is he jacking me around?

Click to expand...

I had the exact same thing on my car. The alignment guy said there is a $45 kit which can be added to allow proper alignment. He said this happened on another Thunderbird earlier that week and that the kit was ordered for it. I will try to get more details from him once he has installed it.

If I understand correctly, he said the car probably came from the factory misaligned, and that you would only notice uneven treadwear after about 20k miles or so. If you rotate tires regularly, I doubt it would ever be a problem.

I don't have a problem with my rear tires, but I go through fronts in about 6 to 8 months. They can't seem to get the camber right.

the-big-e said:

I just installed Eibach 1½" lowering springs....

I took the car to have a 4 wheel alignment done and the alignment specialist said that he needed a larger / different adjustable cam bolt to properly align the rear tires.....

I have never heard of this......Is this true, or is he jacking me around?

Click to expand...

This is true. Several aftermarket maunfacturers make kits like this that allow for more adjustment then the factory setup. Lowering your car has changed the geometry of the suspension such that the oem camber adjustment is no longer sufficient to reach proper specifications. If your alignment guy is lucky enough to use a new Hunter alignment machine, it will tell him which kits are available for which cars. While we're on the subject of lowered cars, I am wondering if you guys have experienced any problems with bump steer?

I went through this on mine, and here is what I did.

http://members.tccoa.com/393bird/camber.htm

Thanks to all for this valuable information.....

I'll be taking it to the alignment shop later this week....

Scott Long said:

I don't have a problem with my rear tires, but I go through fronts in about 6 to 8 months. They can't seem to get the camber right.

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Camber shouldn't cause much extra tire wear unless you have upwards of +/- 2 degrees. It's a common misconception from what I understand. Scott you probably have an awkward front toe angle. That kills tires fast.