Alignment Help: Car is pulling to the left bad

JamRWS6 · 09-25-2009, 11:57 AM

Ok, you can see below what is on the car. Strano springs & 1LE front LCAs were just installed.

Went to get it aligned and afterwards it is pulling to the left pretty badly. The tech said the RF (passenger side) was the problem child and to my understanding he is saying he can't get the camber more positive.

This was aligned at my local dealer which has aligned the car before at stock height and the tire wear and tracking of the car was great. (35,000+ on the tires right now w/ even wear and more miles left). However, they seem to be having issues w/ the car after being lowered as its not what they see normally as far as keeping in spec.

To me, it looks like the cross camber is causing the issue w/ pulling to the left as well as the caster I think should be more + on the passenger side.

This is the second set of specs as we took it back after the car pulled left. He said he has tried to compensate for it pulling left but it looks like we are compensating the wrong ways to me.

Here's the specs:
Camber LF .1 RF -.7 Spec is -.1 to .9
Caster LF 5.5 RF 5.4 Spec is 4.5 to 5.5
Toe LF -.03 RF .03 Spec is -.1 to .1
SAI LF14.5 RF 15.1

BTW: It is a daily driver and I want it to track straight and have good tire wear.

Ideas are much appreciated.

Thanks

Ironhead · 09-25-2009, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamRWS6

Ok, you can see below what is on the car. Strano springs & 1LE front LCAs were just installed.

Went to get it aligned and afterwards it is pulling to the left pretty badly. The tech said the RF (passenger side) was the problem child and to my understanding he is saying he can't get the camber more positive.

This was aligned at my local dealer which has aligned the car before at stock height and the tire wear and tracking of the car was great. (35,000+ on the tires right now w/ even wear and more miles left). However, they seem to be having issues w/ the car after being lowered as its not what they see normally as far as keeping in spec.

To me, it looks like the cross camber is causing the issue w/ pulling to the left as well as the caster I think should be more + on the passenger side.

This is the second set of specs as we took it back after the car pulled left. He said he has tried to compensate for it pulling left but it looks like we are compensating the wrong ways to me.

Here's the specs:
Camber LF .1 RF -.7 Spec is -.1 to .9
Caster LF 5.5 RF 5.4 Spec is 4.5 to 5.5
Toe LF -.03 RF .03 Spec is -.1 to .1
SAI LF14.5 RF 15.1

BTW: It is a daily driver and I want it to track straight and have good tire wear.

Ideas are much appreciated.

Thanks

Find another shop. This "tech" has your alignment all jacked up.

You DO NOT want positive camber. Get the left side to match the right.

You want the toe to match as well. The left side is toe out and the right side is toe in. Bad. No wonder it pulls like hell to the left.

It's funny. I can set my own alignment in my garage using nothing but string and basic measuring devices and the car tracks dead straight down the road while set at significant toe out, but all too often we hear of "technicians" who do far worse with lasers and computers.

Run in the opposite direction of that shop and do not look back.

96blackz28 · 09-25-2009, 02:54 PM

Yes find another shop, some places jsut suck, as I have found out. Never take it to a dealership however, they don't like altered suspensions

spy2520 · 09-25-2009, 04:07 PM

The spec for our cars actually does call for positive camber but if it were my car...

And you are correct, looks like he compensated and made it pull harder to the left. The car will pull to the most positive camber side, and to the least positive caster side. Your caster split isn't enough to cause and issue though. Nad imho havin your toe out 3 hundredths of a degree on one side and the opposite on the other probably wouldn't be all that noticeable if everything else is straight. I'd do it perfect though.

Sam Strano · 09-25-2009, 07:34 PM

This really has nothing to do with the springs, except for the fact they are stiffer and you get a more direction reaction to the road and it might pull more on crowns.

If you have a pull to the left and you can't get rid of it, drop the RF caster down. But I think the alignment rack is out of whack.....

JamRWS6 · 09-28-2009, 01:43 PM

Had a chance to drive the car this weekend and I must correct what the title says...I wouldn't say it pulls hard but it is a noticeable pull to the left and shows road drift.

The way it is aligned it will do different things on different roads which leads me to believe the way it is aligned it will act very odd.

A few of you guys have PMed me offering help and I really appreciate it. Will probably getting a members help on here to get it aligned the best we can within the available range of motion.

Anyone have any ideas or opinions on grinding the K member for more adjustment??

I feel like we could probably get the car in the -.4 ish camber range and this is going to put my caster in the 4 ish range. Anyone have any experience w/ doing this?

transwiz · 09-29-2009, 01:33 AM

A dealer did mine about a year and a half ago and the car never felt quite right.I took it to a suspension specialist and told him that it never felt right and pulled to the right a little.He checked it and said that they screwed it up.The camber was not negative enough and the toe in was wrong.After he set it up it feels like a million dollars.He drove it before and after the alignment.A lot of places can't do this stuff for shit.Find somebody that knows their stuff.

Major_Lee_Slow · 09-29-2009, 09:13 AM

On average, and I mean average cause you car will probably vary the average max alignment specs that people get without changing upper control arms or using offset bushings from Sam are:
Camber: -0.8
Caster +4.5
Toe: Whatever you want within reason.

I ran into an issue where I couldn't get more (not less) caster on my car and it was no where near the "average" settings and it was just on one side. I thought it was an issue with GM build tolerances, but when I took the front suspension apart that winter I found that the caster bolt and bushing spacer had become one because they rusted together. They were so rusted together that when the caster bolt's nut was removed the tension on the bolt didn't relax so it was holding onto the top plate very tightly and couldn't be moved. I ended up cutting the bolt off with a sawzall using diamond tipped blades (2 per side).

JamRWS6 · 10-01-2009, 10:26 AM

Just wanted to send a huge thanks out to Hugo (MEZA TA) for helping a fellow LS1techer out.

We got the car on the rack and in no time Hugo had everything exactly how I wanted it. The car is actually in factory spec now for all measurements (-.1 camber I believe and +5.4 L caster and +5.5 R caster, and slight toe in -.03ish).

Once again, Thanks. I appreciate it big time.

I'll post some pics w/ the Strano springs when I get a chance to take some. The car looks great.

Major_Lee_Slow · 10-01-2009, 10:35 AM

Glade you got it worked out, and even cooler is that a fellow LS1tech member was able to lend the assistance. It's threads and results like this that make my proud to be a moderator on this forum.

MLS

MEZA TA · 10-01-2009, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamRWS6

Just wanted to send a huge thanks out to Hugo (MEZA TA) for helping a fellow LS1techer out.

We got the car on the rack and in no time Hugo had everything exactly how I wanted it. The car is actually in factory spec now for all measurements (-.1 camber I believe and +5.4 L caster and +5.5 R caster, and slight toe in -.03ish).

Once again, Thanks. I appreciate it big time.

I'll post some pics w/ the Strano springs when I get a chance to take some. The car looks great.

No problem man. Let me know if you need any assistance with alignments in the future. BTW Good looking WS6, Love the stance.