Is an alignment mandatory after lowering spring install?

WallyKilla

Member

Sep 28, 2009

154

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16

Feb 4, 2010

#1

• Feb 4, 2010

• #1

Should I get it aligned?

 

68stang351

Founding Member

May 16, 2002

850

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39

Savoy TX

Feb 4, 2010

#2

• Feb 4, 2010

• #2

Yes. Well unless you like wearing out your front tires unevenly, causing you to buy new tires when you would otherwise have 10's of thousands of miles left on them, but you wanted to save 50$ on an alignment.

Trust me, just go get it aligned.

 

bhuff30

Founding Member

Dec 11, 2001

6,037

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129

Olathe KS

Feb 4, 2010

#3

• Feb 4, 2010

• #3

Yes, you will need an alignment. Lowering gives you more negative camber and toe out. Great for running the auto-X course, but not good if you want your tires to last well and wear evenly.

 

SaleenGT2001

Well-Known Member

Jul 18, 2005

2,811

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58

Four Oaks NC

Feb 4, 2010

#4

• Feb 4, 2010

• #4

coming from someone who has been doing alignments and suspension work for the past 6 years.......YES it is 100% necessary

 

D

Deleted member 38176

Feb 4, 2010

#5

• Feb 4, 2010

• #5

Just get some CC plates

 

Sonic04GT

Member

Nov 1, 2009

844

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19

West Palm Beach, FL

Feb 4, 2010

#6

• Feb 4, 2010

• #6

Yes, give the springs a chance to settle and get it aligned.

 

J

jlds91389

New Member

Feb 1, 2009

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Orange Tx

Feb 4, 2010

#7

• Feb 4, 2010

• #7

I didn't align mine after putting my springs on been running about a month with no wear problems.

 

tag4car

Member

Nov 21, 2005

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16

Birmingham AL

Feb 5, 2010

#8

• Feb 5, 2010

• #8

make sure it gets Gt specs... lol

 

johnnyt03gt

5 Year Member

Mar 15, 2008

453

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29

dallas TX

Feb 5, 2010

#9

• Feb 5, 2010

• #9

Sonic04GT said:

Yes, give the springs a chance to settle and get it aligned.

Click to expand...

absolutely, true the same day i installed my sportline's it didn't look lowered the next day
ive seen a difference after about 2 weeks it looked slammed just drive it every day
they will never settle if unless u drive it

 

Winters98GT

Whoop...whoop-whoop-whoop-whoop...GANGNAM STYLE!!!

Founding Member

Nov 29, 1999

5,520

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H Town

Feb 5, 2010

#10

• Feb 5, 2010

• #10

make sure you get some new shocks/struts, if you have not already done so.

 

streethorse

15 Year Member

Oct 8, 2005

1,042

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58

Dallas Texas

Feb 5, 2010

#11

• Feb 5, 2010

• #11

I never got an alignment..... 3 years later no problem at all.
Tracking and wear has been perfect.

 

IIGood

Founding Member

Aug 1, 1998

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Churchton, MD

Feb 5, 2010

#12

• Feb 5, 2010

• #12

I put the Ford C-springs on mine and kept a feel on things for a few weeks after...I didn't need the alignment then. And I didn't need new shocks/struts. But the C-springs didn't drop the car a whole lot.

5 years later, I still have the C-springs on there and I changed out the shocks & struts. Once I swapped those, it *absolutely* needed an alignment. So much so that I ended up even having to get C/C plates...the shops that would do the alignment before the plates had to drill the rivets out of the factory strut plates and move that around.

 

Skidawg

Member

Nov 11, 2003

104

0

16

Feb 5, 2010

#13

• Feb 5, 2010

• #13

Yes. You should get it done.

You should have it aligned when the lowering is done and then once it settles. My cambers went to a -.9 and a -1.3 after it settled. They wanted them at -.8 or -.9.

Edit: I'm not saying it's "mandatory", but it's something you should do...

 

Kornnut

Founding Member

Nov 25, 2000

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108

Tulsa

Feb 5, 2010

#14

• Feb 5, 2010

• #14

Winters98GT said:

make sure you get some new shocks/struts, if you have not already done so.

Click to expand...

x2

With the h&r springs you have you will need them shortly afterwards. I put sportlines on my car and nothing else. I wish I would have waited and done it all in one shot. Get some c&c plates and the shocks and struts. It will cost more up front but the ride of you car won't be like a buck wagon.

 

SaleenGT2001

Well-Known Member

Jul 18, 2005

2,811

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58

Four Oaks NC

Feb 6, 2010

#15

• Feb 6, 2010

• #15

you want the camber at -0.50 for normal street driving

 

15GTrob

5 Year Member

Aug 23, 2015

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Jul 5, 2017

#16

• Jul 5, 2017

• #16

Without having added caster camber plates what exactly is being adjusted? Where are the adjustments made?

 

Noobz347

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor

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Jul 5, 2017

#17

• Jul 5, 2017

• #17

15GTrob said:

Without having added caster camber plates what exactly is being adjusted? Where are the adjustments made?

Click to expand...

that same places that you would without after market caster/camber plates. You have these plates. They are just OEM and don't allow the same range of adjustment or durability as GOOD aftermarket pieces.

 

15GTrob

5 Year Member

Aug 23, 2015

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Jul 5, 2017

#18

• Jul 5, 2017

• #18

I'll have to take your word for it I don't have my car at the house to look. I just didn't recall seeing any adjustability.

 

Noobz347

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Jul 5, 2017

#19

• Jul 5, 2017

• #19

This is where your aftermarket plates would sit. The OEM plate is beneath the shock tower. Arrows point to adjustment/securing bolts and nuts.




On your model year car(s), an installed plate might look like this:


An image of the MM plates:

 

15GTrob

5 Year Member

Aug 23, 2015

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Jul 11, 2017

#20

• Jul 11, 2017

• #20

Makes more sense now my fox body had fully adjustables but they sat on top the shock tower.

 

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