Last edit by: IB Advertising
See related guides and technical advice from our community experts:
Browse all: Tire Repair and Maintenance
- Camaro and Firebird: DIY Poor Man's Wheel Alignment
Important information to help you understand your Camaro or Firebird
Browse all: Tire Repair and Maintenance
Front End alignment for a lowered 02 trans am, is there a special kit for camber?
#1
Teching In
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Lake Havasu City, AZ
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Front End alignment for a lowered 02 trans am, is there a special kit for camber?
I took the trans am to the shop today to get it aligned, and my passenger side is out of spec making my car pull to the left. The car was lowered before i bought it, i'm not sure what drop springs they used, i'm not even sure they ever had changed the shocks. Anyways, do they make a kit so you can adjust the camber ? I'm not sure what to do, usually there's kits for a lowered car, like i had an srt4 i had to get a special camber kit for that was lowered. I'd appreciate anyone who could point me in the right direction or advise on what needs to be done. Thanks!
#2
TECH Addict
iTrader: (15)
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 2,062
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Most cars can be realigned fine after being lower with just stock parts. If you have to have extra adjustment Sam Strano was selling offset bushing. But other then that there is no kit
#3
TECH Senior Member
I took the trans am to the shop today to get it aligned, and my passenger side is out of spec making my car pull to the left. The car was lowered before i bought it, i'm not sure what drop springs they used, i'm not even sure they ever had changed the shocks. Anyways, do they make a kit so you can adjust the camber ? I'm not sure what to do, usually there's kits for a lowered car, like i had an srt4 i had to get a special camber kit for that was lowered. I'd appreciate anyone who could point me in the right direction or advise on what needs to be done. Thanks!
You should be able to get it aligned no problem, but I would suggest getting a more aggressive alignment then stock, the stock one tends to wear the outside of the front tires.
Check out this page for some general alignment specs:
http://www.angelfire.com/my/fastcar/suspension.html
And while you are on the subject take a look under the car and tell us what color springs you have and what color your shocks are.
#5
11 Second Club
iTrader: (10)
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Sterling Heights, MI
Posts: 2,215
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
sounds like eibachs and stock decarbons to me.
My cabmer is a bit negative after i dropped my car, but i slammed it to the freaking ground and was expecting it to happen. under WTF when the fron suspension is unloading and lifting the tire sits flat on the road
My cabmer is a bit negative after i dropped my car, but i slammed it to the freaking ground and was expecting it to happen. under WTF when the fron suspension is unloading and lifting the tire sits flat on the road
#6
Launching!
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Humble, TX
Posts: 284
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
^Yep, red springs are more than likely the Eibach sportlines. Orange shocks would be the stockers.
I heard that there's a camber kit you can buy? Don't know....
You can get the adjustable lower control arms, but they're pricey
I heard that there's a camber kit you can buy? Don't know....
You can get the adjustable lower control arms, but they're pricey
Trending Topics
#8
Teching In
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Lake Havasu City, AZ
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
well the first thing i'll probably do is change out the shocks, before i try and get it aligned again. Any suggestions on reasonable priced shocks that have good performance? I'm not at the track, or race my car, just some good driveable shocks that won't cost an arm and a leg.
#9
TECH Senior Member
The springs could also be BMR.
Can you post a good side view picture of your car so we can see how low it is?
Well heres the deal, if you do indeed have sportline springs you might as well swap them out as well for something else while you have the shocks out, unless you are willing to sacrifice ride quality and handling for the completely slammed look (sportlines can literally have you resting on the bumpstops).
A bare minimum shock that will be (hardly) adequate for lowering springs would be something like SLP Bilstiens, or Bilstien HDs, or KYB AGXs.
All could be found here:
http://www.stranoparts.com/searchbym...D=20&ModelID=7
The bilstiens will probably ride better but leave some handling/control on the table while the AGX's are adjustable (but adjust rebound and compression with the same ****) so you may get better handling but really hurt ride quality, and the AGX's are not built very well (you can search and see that a few of the rear ones have actually broken in half at the "neck" area by where the mount to the rear axle).
Koni single adjustables (also available at same site) have plenty of dampening for lowering springs, adjust rebound independently from the fixed compression setting, have good built quality and a lifetime warranty, but you are going to pay more for them (IMO its WELL worth it).
Can you post a good side view picture of your car so we can see how low it is?
well the first thing i'll probably do is change out the shocks, before i try and get it aligned again. Any suggestions on reasonable priced shocks that have good performance? I'm not at the track, or race my car, just some good driveable shocks that won't cost an arm and a leg.
A bare minimum shock that will be (hardly) adequate for lowering springs would be something like SLP Bilstiens, or Bilstien HDs, or KYB AGXs.
All could be found here:
http://www.stranoparts.com/searchbym...D=20&ModelID=7
The bilstiens will probably ride better but leave some handling/control on the table while the AGX's are adjustable (but adjust rebound and compression with the same ****) so you may get better handling but really hurt ride quality, and the AGX's are not built very well (you can search and see that a few of the rear ones have actually broken in half at the "neck" area by where the mount to the rear axle).
Koni single adjustables (also available at same site) have plenty of dampening for lowering springs, adjust rebound independently from the fixed compression setting, have good built quality and a lifetime warranty, but you are going to pay more for them (IMO its WELL worth it).
#10
Hi, new guy here. if the car is pulling to one side, its most likely a castor issue. did the alignment shop give you any alignment #s as to where it was at? for a street car, there is usually enough adjustment to get the car where u want it, but the factory specs suck. i usually like to set them with as much + castor as possible, around -0.5 camber, and 0 to the most 1/16 toe in. hope that helps, and nice to meet everyone!
#11
On The Tree
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Dayton, OH
Posts: 132
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You shouldn't need a kit, the camber is adjustable stock and should have enough adjustment to get in specs.
If a shop is talking about a kit, they might be talking about the tools needed to adjust the camber. The first shop I brought mine to didn't have them and referred to needing a "kit", it took me a minute to realize what they were talking about.
If a shop is talking about a kit, they might be talking about the tools needed to adjust the camber. The first shop I brought mine to didn't have them and referred to needing a "kit", it took me a minute to realize what they were talking about.
#13
Launching!
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Humble, TX
Posts: 284
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi, new guy here. if the car is pulling to one side, its most likely a castor issue. did the alignment shop give you any alignment #s as to where it was at? for a street car, there is usually enough adjustment to get the car where u want it, but the factory specs suck. i usually like to set them with as much + castor as possible, around -0.5 camber, and 0 to the most 1/16 toe in. hope that helps, and nice to meet everyone!
You shouldn't need a kit, the camber is adjustable stock and should have enough adjustment to get in specs.
If a shop is talking about a kit, they might be talking about the tools needed to adjust the camber. The first shop I brought mine to didn't have them and referred to needing a "kit", it took me a minute to realize what they were talking about.
If a shop is talking about a kit, they might be talking about the tools needed to adjust the camber. The first shop I brought mine to didn't have them and referred to needing a "kit", it took me a minute to realize what they were talking about.
When you lower the car, that changes the game as I've discovered, because it tilts the front wheels in so much, that there's just not enough adjustment there to get them all the way back out to where they're supposed to be again, so you have to look at other options at that point.
When i had my car aligned, he got them as far out has he could, and he told me that they were so close to being right that I shouldn't have a problem, but I'm planning on getting a complete tubular suspension with this round of upgrades anyway, so hopefully I can go back and get it spot on
#14
On The Tree
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Dayton, OH
Posts: 132
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was talking about lowered cars. My car is lowered with Strano springs and I didn't have a problem with camber.
It's towards the extreme end of the adjustment, but it is at a good angle. Even if you can't get it to stock specs it might not be a problem, I believe many people prefer negative camber for performance anyway.
It's towards the extreme end of the adjustment, but it is at a good angle. Even if you can't get it to stock specs it might not be a problem, I believe many people prefer negative camber for performance anyway.
#16
Launching!
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Humble, TX
Posts: 284
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was talking about lowered cars. My car is lowered with Strano springs and I didn't have a problem with camber.
It's towards the extreme end of the adjustment, but it is at a good angle. Even if you can't get it to stock specs it might not be a problem, I believe many people prefer negative camber for performance anyway.
It's towards the extreme end of the adjustment, but it is at a good angle. Even if you can't get it to stock specs it might not be a problem, I believe many people prefer negative camber for performance anyway.