AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! Alignment woes!

jlisle01 · Aug 1, 2005

Eibach Alignment woes!

I lowered the car this weekend useing an ebach pro kit and then took it to ford for an alignment check. They're telling me the car is so far out of alignment that they need to install "eccentrics?????" to bring it back to specs. Now, I expected the camber to change and I'm ordering the steeda camber adjustment kit to bring that back in line. My problem is that ford says my caster is at - 8.8 degrees and they need to slot the strut towers to fix that. My question is, how did the caster change and is there a way to fix it that doesn't involve custom made arms or grinding away on sheet metal? Is 9 degrees of caster really that bad? I took the car up to 120 today and it tracks staight as an arrow both at speed and under hard braking. I'm thinking of installing a steeda camber kit and leaving the caster the way it is.

stanmckinney · Aug 1, 2005

I'm surprised that Ford will touch it since you lowered it. My dealer said lowering the car would void the warranty and they would not service it.

bronco78 · Aug 1, 2005

stanmckinney said:
I'm surprised that Ford will touch it since you lowered it. My dealer said lowering the car would void the warranty and they would not service it.

Your dealer is full of ****.. But never the less can refuse to service it if related to non factory parts. No single thing you add can void the entire warranty. Adding aftermarket parts does not void the warranty. Warranty claims can be denied if the aftermarket part can be proven to have caused the failure of the warranted part. ie. install larger, wider tire and wheels,, and have a hub or axle bearing fail while the car is under 3/36.. Dealer can say the failure was do to the aftermarket parts,, and they would probable be right.

Install lowering springs and have the alternator fail.. The warranty is still valid.
Lastly, the warranty is only as good as the dealer. And your attitude counts for a lot.

jlisle01 · Aug 1, 2005

I'm in pretty tight with the dealer. They'll work on it fine, although they won't do the alignment under warranty. My problem is not getting them to work on it but in understanding why the caster has moved at all and what to do about it. I expected the toe and camber to change and although I was hopeing to avoid it, I don't mind coughing up the dough to make it right. I'm not a suspension expert but just looking at it, I don't see how the caster could change unless either the uper strut mounts were moved or the Suspension ams were moved. I hate the idea of anyone, even a dealer, grinding away on the strut towers. Oh, and while I've got a place to vent it, just exactly who was the moron who built a car without camber and caster adjustability? How the haities does ford set these things at the factory!? Seems like they just screw 'em together and hope everything comes out ok.

bronco78 · Aug 1, 2005

jlisle01 said:
I'm in pretty tight with the dealer. They'll work on it fine, although they won't do the alignment under warranty. My problem is not getting them to work on it but in understanding why the caster has moved at all and what to do about it. I expected the toe and camber to change and although I was hopeing to avoid it, I don't mind coughing up the dough to make it right. I'm not a suspension expert but just looking at it, I don't see how the caster could change unless either the uper strut mounts were moved or the Suspension ams were moved. I hate the idea of anyone, even a dealer, grinding away on the strut towers. Oh, and while I've got a place to vent it, just exactly who was the moron who built a car without camber and caster adjustability? How the haities does ford set these things at the factory!? Seems like they just screw 'em together and hope everything comes out ok.

OEM spec is + 7.10 deg +/- .50 deg.with no more then .70 deg split... So assuming yours was in spec to start with and now really is at -8.8.. it some how moved almost 16 deg Umm, Wilbur,, I don’t think so.. not from just a set of 1 inch lowering springs.

I'd get a second opinion,, before you start buying,, or modding anything.

bigcat · Aug 1, 2005

What Ever You Do-- Do Not Let Anyone Grind On Your Car Or Ream Out Any Holes!!!!!! This Is A Hack Job!!!!!!!

RICVA05 · Aug 1, 2005

You should carry it to a custom alignment shop I have the eibach sportline mine was out 1 degree they had no problem with it. One other thing did you get the rear panhard bar and upper panhard support. If you did not your rear could be out.

afixer · Aug 1, 2005

http://forums.stangnet.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=36788
i posted this weeks ago. i installed the steeda sport kit 1" drop toe and camber was out my bud installed the 14mm camber kit about 30 bucks and the alignment is better than stock. and it was installed a a 4 wheel lazer alignment rack at my ford dealer. but if you check out the pdf file i posted ford alowes elongating of the lower hole. but i wouldnt do it.

lostsoul · Aug 2, 2005

RICVA05 said:
You should carry it to a custom alignment shop I have the eibach sportline mine was out 1 degree they had no problem with it. One other thing did you get the rear panhard bar and upper panhard support. If you did not your rear could be out.

I have the sports line too.. this might might be sumb to ask but can the alignment shops adjust the car without any kits?

Motorhead6T5 · Aug 2, 2005

Something is wrong,when I had my alignment done they didn't even need to adjust caster. It was 7.4*(left) 7.4*(right) before they aligned it,so they didn't touch it. Specified range is 6.6*-7.6*. The only thing that was out of adjustment was toe and camber.Specified range for camber is -1.3*to -0.3* and mine after alignment was -1.0*(left) and -1.3(right) So that is barely in spec. There should be no change in castor! Take your car somewhere else. Either the dealership has a messed up machine or there is somthing seriosly wrong with your suspension. How could the castor even change that much without moving the suspension arms? I don't think its even possible to be that far off. Did you install the coil spring retainers with the arrows pointing out? thats the only way I could see it happening,but even then I don't think the 4 bolts would go through the shock tower if you try to install it arrow forward. Get a second opinion!!!!

jlisle01 · Aug 2, 2005

Sorry guys, the Caster I gave was wrong, it's positive, not negative. The specs came out: Camber: left -1.3, right -1.8 Caster: left 8.9, right 9.0 Toe: left -.12in, right -.08in
Ford calls for a range on the caster of 6.6 to 7.6 degrees with the optimum setting 7.1 degrees. So mine is only off 2 degrees from optimum. I did take the car to another shop and they charged me 25 bucks to confirm the readings Ford gave me. They are right. And yes, I did install the struts with the arrows out, so that can't be it. I'm leaning toward either the car was sent this way from the factory, or maybe the struts are bent. I suppose I could just replace the struts with some aftermarket ones. I read a coilover install article in 5.0 magazine and noticed that the supplied struts had an elongated hole on the lower mount for camber adjustment. That would solve my camber problem for not much more than the steeda camber adjustment kit and give me better struts that I know are straight to boot. Does anyone know of a aftermarket strut with this feature? Would it be worthwhile to go that route?

Alec · Aug 2, 2005

The car may not be "square." Have it checked on a frame machine to make sure the crossmember isn't pushed back. I curbed my 91 notch, and let some ass talk me into elongating the holes in the strut tower Frame machine could have fixed it right the FIRST time.

jlisle01 · Aug 2, 2005

I could take the car to a frame shop but there isn't one in this town I would let touch my car and all the good ones in Tulsa are backed up for weeks. The thing is, I've never curbed, jumped, bottomed out, or otherwise abused my car. Haven't even hit a good size pothole, so I don't see how the car could not be square. I wish I had taken the car in for an alignment check before installing the springs.

chunkachunk · Aug 5, 2005

wow i didnt know homos could have allignment issues..just set him infront of you and push in SLOWLY

jlisle01 · Aug 5, 2005

That what I love about Stangnet....all that useful info. Thanks Chucka.

krang00 · Apr 20, 2006

What are the factory default specs for caster/camber/toe ?

REDFIRE 05 GT · Apr 20, 2006

RICVA05 said:
You should carry it to a custom alignment shop I have the eibach sportline mine was out 1 degree they had no problem with it. One other thing did you get the rear panhard bar and upper panhard support. If you did not your rear could be out.

Nice looking REDFIRE, what did you wax with or put on the paint? Looks like you have no orange peel at all!

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! Alignment woes!

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start with the upper hole, and if more traction is

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