Looking for a little better handling...
04-08-2012, 08:20 AM
#11
Less travel in suspension (shorter springs) requires more resistance when travel is absorbed (stiffer).
Sorry to say but it will be tuff to satisfy your goal without addressing the other part of your statement.
Only toe can be adjusted, true.
Waste of money???...tell that to the guy that just wore out his inside edge and has to buy 2 new tires, because he made suspension changes and did NOT get an alignment afterwards. Don't think of the alignment as "a fix", but more like a benchmark to see if the new components installed made any changes that need to be addressed.
just my 02.
hope it helps
04-08-2012, 09:06 AM
#12
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Missouri
Posts: 77
You guys are breaking my bank account.
I started off by just wanting to do axle backs and nothing else engine wise - now cat backs, cai, and tune.
I was gonna leave the 3.31's gears alone as they were good enough for me. Now i have a box of ford racing 4.10's on the kitchen table.
I was just gonna put some better tires and wheels, now it doesnt look right without lowering, so now its time to drop it down, lol.
I'm no mechanic, but from looking at those directions posted, it looks like something i could do.
I think im going to just piece together some stuff from strano:
Koni str.t shocks and struts
steeda lowering springs
strano sway bars
gt500 upper strut tower mounts
i will run 275/35zr/20 tires. which would be the better steeda springs for handling - the steeda sport springs or steeda ultralight springs?
sport - 1" drop in front and 1.25" drop in rear
ultralights 1.25 drop in front and 1.5" drop in rear.
I started off by just wanting to do axle backs and nothing else engine wise - now cat backs, cai, and tune.
I was gonna leave the 3.31's gears alone as they were good enough for me. Now i have a box of ford racing 4.10's on the kitchen table.
I was just gonna put some better tires and wheels, now it doesnt look right without lowering, so now its time to drop it down, lol.
I'm no mechanic, but from looking at those directions posted, it looks like something i could do.
I think im going to just piece together some stuff from strano:
Koni str.t shocks and struts
steeda lowering springs
strano sway bars
gt500 upper strut tower mounts
i will run 275/35zr/20 tires. which would be the better steeda springs for handling - the steeda sport springs or steeda ultralight springs?
sport - 1" drop in front and 1.25" drop in rear
ultralights 1.25 drop in front and 1.5" drop in rear.
04-10-2012, 12:07 PM
#13
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: state of confusion
Posts: 7,635
Funny how one thing leads to another in this game . . .
If you're shooting for better handling, get the Steeda Sports. And just because I can spend your money as freely as I can my own, Koni Yellows and Steeda HD strut mounts (for the camber adjustability at least).
Be a little careful with the offset on your wheels if you're going to lower the car and go with 275/35-20's.
Norm
If you're shooting for better handling, get the Steeda Sports. And just because I can spend your money as freely as I can my own, Koni Yellows and Steeda HD strut mounts (for the camber adjustability at least).
Be a little careful with the offset on your wheels if you're going to lower the car and go with 275/35-20's.
Norm
04-13-2012, 11:24 AM
#14
Cut & Paste Expert
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NW Arkansas
Posts: 13,322
Yeah the $125 I'm spending on Monday for a front end alignment is a waste of money. Its not like I installed lowering springs and steeda HD mounts that changed the front end alignment settings...
Ohh wait, I did!
The fact of the matter is that people do things that drastically change the alignment in the front of these cars that don't want the negatives associated with it, like eating tires. I welcome negative camber, but I don't want the toe out to be too excessive and eat tires faster than I eat dinner. I also want MORE negative camber than just dropping the front end allows, and I also want my camber to be equal in race trim on both sides.
Is an alignment a waste when swapping struts? Yeah, it is, but lowering should always come with an alignment and those that don't want the added negative camber can have it turned back to the average alignment specifications from the factory. Those of us who want the settings to be equal can.
Ohh wait, I did!
The fact of the matter is that people do things that drastically change the alignment in the front of these cars that don't want the negatives associated with it, like eating tires. I welcome negative camber, but I don't want the toe out to be too excessive and eat tires faster than I eat dinner. I also want MORE negative camber than just dropping the front end allows, and I also want my camber to be equal in race trim on both sides.
Is an alignment a waste when swapping struts? Yeah, it is, but lowering should always come with an alignment and those that don't want the added negative camber can have it turned back to the average alignment specifications from the factory. Those of us who want the settings to be equal can.
and tell you whats wrong but other
than adjusting TOE, its all unadjustable
OEM.
Now if you have caster/camber plates,
of course it is adjustable.
The OP didnt mention using CC plates.
Just paying for an alignment he really didnt need.
Toe can be set at home with two straight edges
and a quality tape measurer.
But if paying someone to do nothing just for
the peace of mind that your tires wont wear
is just wrong. Cus your tires will wear unless
you address the Caster/Camber situation
when lowering the front end with struts/springs
only.
And dont even get me started with the excessive
bump steer you will now have unless you address
that problem as well.
04-14-2012, 08:15 AM
#15
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Missouri
Posts: 77
The shop can CHECK the alignment
and tell you whats wrong but other
than adjusting TOE, its all unadjustable
OEM.
Now if you have caster/camber plates,
of course it is adjustable.
The OP didnt mention using CC plates.
Just paying for an alignment he really didnt need.
Toe can be set at home with two straight edges
and a quality tape measurer.
But if paying someone to do nothing just for
the peace of mind that your tires wont wear
is just wrong. Cus your tires will wear unless
you address the Caster/Camber situation
when lowering the front end with struts/springs
only.
And dont even get me started with the excessive
bump steer you will now have unless you address
that problem as well.
and tell you whats wrong but other
than adjusting TOE, its all unadjustable
OEM.
Now if you have caster/camber plates,
of course it is adjustable.
The OP didnt mention using CC plates.
Just paying for an alignment he really didnt need.
Toe can be set at home with two straight edges
and a quality tape measurer.
But if paying someone to do nothing just for
the peace of mind that your tires wont wear
is just wrong. Cus your tires will wear unless
you address the Caster/Camber situation
when lowering the front end with struts/springs
only.
And dont even get me started with the excessive
bump steer you will now have unless you address
that problem as well.
on the adjustable cc plates. are those something the alignment shop needs to adjust, or is that something you adjust at home?
04-14-2012, 10:55 AM
#16
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: state of confusion
Posts: 7,635
Once you figure out how to measure (or calculate) the various alignment angles, you can adjust pretty much any alignment mechanism. The rest is basic wrench-work (but having a fair amount of patience and a willingness to re-measure and re-check everything helps).
Norm
Norm
04-19-2012, 02:27 AM
#17
Sorry to hi-jack but I was gonna make a new post and this seems to address some of what I was going to ask. I'm going to replace my 2 front tires due to inner tire wear now I've added the CC plates already so that issue is taken care of. Along with that I'm gonna install Koni Str. T's all around. Is an alignment needed?
04-19-2012, 04:21 AM
#18
Sorry to hi-jack but I was gonna make a new post and this seems to address some of what I was going to ask. I'm going to replace my 2 front tires due to inner tire wear now I've added the CC plates already so that issue is taken care of. Along with that I'm gonna install Koni Str. T's all around. Is an alignment needed?