Do I even need C/C plates?

The Green GT

No 13 year olds are safe around me.
10 Year Member
Jan 8, 2006
1,269
19
99
Louisiana
I just lowered my car a few weeks ago. I got it aligned afterwards and told them to get the C/C as close to perfect as they could w/ the stock plates casue I was getting some adjustable ones soon. Well yesterday I was getting a price for my exhaust and the guy who did the alignment was telling mew that he dosent think I need them becasue he got the drivers side perfect and the passenger side in the good area. He dosent think Ill need them, what about you?
 
You've got H&R Supersports, so I'd think you would be lowered around 1.75" to 2". That usually requires aftermarket C/C plates to get the alignment set dead on.

However, your shop said you were really close on one side and good on the other. For me, I would want both front tires dead on. A good alignment can help in many ways which may be worth the $$$ for new C/C plates: tire wear, bumpsteer, trameling (sp?), gas mileage, street handling, etc.

MM has C/C plates for $199.95 and they've worked well for me. Just depends on how accurate you want to be. You could have your alignment checked at another reputable shop in a couple months and see what they say. I found out where a lot of local Vettes in my area go for alignments and that shop has been good.
 
How low did you go? My understanding is that 1/2" to 3/4" don't require CC plates. Did he get it close to stock settings which by the way would not be good if the car is very low. I ask this because when I first lowered my car, the alignment guy said he got it close to stock parameters. But the negative camber was very noticeable to my eye and my pockets after I had to buy new tires. For me stock setting would not be good. But I'm over 2"s down. Eyeball the tire from the front to see if they have very noticable negative camber (i.e. top of tires tilt towards engine bay). You can get away with negative 1* of camber. To me if it's really noticeable with the nacked eye, then it needs attention. Better safe than sorry.

Peace
 
Im more than likely still going to get them. I could literally see the passenger wheel was slanted when was done lowering it. I was going to gett the C/C plates next but I think Ill get the gears first :D
 
Methodical said:
How low did you go? My understanding is that 1/2" to 3/4" don't require CC plates. Did he get it close to stock settings which by the way would not be good if the car is very low. I ask this because when I first lowered my car, the alignment guy said he got it close to stock parameters. But the negative camber was very noticeable to my eye and my pockets after I had to buy new tires. For me stock setting would not be good. But I'm over 2"s down. Eyeball the tire from the front to see if they have very noticable negative camber (i.e. top of tires tilt towards engine bay). You can get away with negative 1* of camber. To me if it's really noticeable with the nacked eye, then it needs attention. Better safe than sorry.

Peace
I cant notice anything, except on the passenger side I can notice it in the right light, its not bad at all.

Im dropped about 2 inches so thats why Im confused as to how they got it so straight w/o notching the plates.
 
I would get C/C plates if my end game was a tighter overall suspension, regardless of spring capacity and drop.

The "street" says you only need them when you drop over 1 inch and other suspension mods are not in your plans.
 
I kinda agree (this is why I only have a Prokit drop). The thing is that even the stock suspension settings were bland and could be improved upon when in stock form (dialing in some caster, etc). So if you just want decent tire wear, you might be alright (if your alignment guy said things were copacetic). But for optimal handling, you'd want the plates.

I like your plan to get them, funds allowing (had I the funds, I've have them on both stangs).

Good luck.
 
HISSIN50 said:
I kinda agree (this is why I only have a Prokit drop). The thing is that even the stock suspension settings were bland and could be improved upon when in stock form (dialing in some caster, etc). So if you just want decent tire wear, you might be alright (if your alignment guy said things were copacetic). But for optimal handling, you'd want the plates.

I like your plan to get them, funds allowing (had I the funds, I've have them on both stangs).

Good luck.
They were going to be the next thing on my car, but since I wont destroy my tires by not getting them, and it handles great right now, Ill get the thing I really need next. I cant wait for the gears. :D
 
If they wear then get them, if not don't worry about it. With my C springs it wasn't really necessary since the drop is minimal. I have Pro3i 4 bolt plates now but only swapped to those when I changed the struts, bump steer kit and k-member.
 
GET THEM...im on sportlines which are a very simliar drop to the supersports, and i ate through my front 2 tires in a matter of months...then i installed them and got an alignment, and the uneven wear ceased....

fwiw, become a member of corral.com (free) if your not already, and u get a member discount on MM c/c plates which i have...i think i got them for like $179 shipped....
 
I had a '99 that was dropped about 2- 2 1/2 " and it ****ed tires up left and right... i lowered my '95 that i have now, and it's dead on, and never got it aligned, as for the '99, i had the shop i worked at do the alignment, and got it as close to good as i could, sold it before i got CC plates, I plan on getting them for the '95 just because i plan on installing Coilovers, and lowering it more later than it is now... i would do it, just to be safe down the road. in my case anyways, if your shops says it's good, get the alignment paper work and look for yourself.
 
Problem is that if the tires wear uneven, you have to throw them away. Once they wear uneven, they will not straighten back out once the alignment is fixed.

You can't adjust caster with the stock plates, which is why you need the CC's if it's off. And you may be reaching the limits to the adjustments in the camber/toe department, which necessitates the cc plates again. Do it once and be done with it.
Scott
 
If you are considering C/C plates.
The Steeda and Maximum Motorsport C/C plates are both good choices. :nice:
Afterall aftermarket C/C plates make for the perfect alignment on
a lowered car.
 
I would get a set. If he got it within acceptable range then the plates really won't help any. Because all they can do is try to set it to factory specs. There are no specs for lowered vehicles.

But i would still do everything as "right" as possible.

When I got my truck it was lowered 6'' in the front with cut springs. The wheels sat like this / \ it was bad. I decided to fix it whenever I wore a tire threw on the inside edge.

Now I have 3'' belltech springs and 2'' spindles. Rides really good now. And I got a pretty decent alignment. But you can get a lot more camber adjustments on s10's because of the "shim" setup.
 
The Pro3i plates will do more than allow you to align the car. The benefits are increased caster for straight line control and better cornering with less static negative camber. You also eliminate the big mass of rubber on top which will help with predictability and better and quicker turn in as well as your alignment not changing during hard cornering. They will also allow you to raise the strut in the bearing which gives you more suspension travel on a lowered car. These are the ones I would get http://www.partshopper.com/shop/Pro3...9-04-m134.html.