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View Full Version : Alignment help :(


MicroHB
03-27-2009, 10:28 PM
Just got my alignment dot at a local shop
I got coilover and camber bolts installed.
So i drop the car off to get it aligned and i get a call from the shop saying my toe is fine but my camber is off and not "correctable"

front left side front right
-1.8 -3.5!

can someone explain?? he said he was unable to adjust anything and charged me $50 for his time

this is the kit i got on the car now

http://shop.microimageonline.com/product.sc?categoryId=4&productId=72

supmet
03-27-2009, 10:31 PM
Did you tell the mechanic you bought ADJUSTABLE camber bolts?

Also, -3.5 is farther than the bolts list they go on the microimage site. 15mm Adjustable Camber Bolts +/- 1.75 degrees. Did you hit a curb or something? You might have broken a bolt?

MicroHB
03-27-2009, 10:35 PM
Did you tell the mechanic you bought ADJUSTABLE camber bolts?

Also, -3.5 is farther than the bolts list they go on the microimage site. 15mm Adjustable Camber Bolts +/- 1.75 degrees. Did you hit a curb or something? You might have broken a bolt?

i did he said to contact the manufacture and i did not hit anything he blamed it on my coilovers

1NZYaris1
03-27-2009, 10:44 PM
i did he said to contact the manufacture and i did not hit anything he blamed it on my coilovers

What incorrect instalation , :iono:.

YarisSedan
03-27-2009, 10:51 PM
What kind of alignment machine is he using the kind where you still have the comp the heads or the laser kind. Maybe the guys a idiot and dosnt have the adaptors installed on your wheels correctly.

MicroHB
03-27-2009, 10:51 PM
What incorrect instalation , :iono:.


are you saying my coilovers are installed incorrectly?

MicroHB
03-27-2009, 10:52 PM
What kind of alignment machine is he using the kind where you still have the comp the heads or the laser kind. Maybe the guys a idiot and dosnt have the adaptors installed on your wheels correctly.

he said its laser machine i didnt see the shop area

1NZYaris1
03-27-2009, 10:54 PM
are you saying my coilovers are installed incorrectly?

Sounds that way , or the guy doesn't know what he is doing ,
ie camber bolts required to correct problem . :respekt:

Loren
03-27-2009, 11:05 PM
Explanation: You need to take your car to a more performance-oriented alignment shop.

Better yet, just do your own alignment. There's nothing to adjust in the rear, and only two simple adjustments to make in the front.

Invest in a cheap construction level to check camber. Roughly 1 degree of camber for each 1/4" the top of the wheel is in more than the bottom of the wheel... you can do some trig if you want to be more accurate, but what's most important is that you're even from left-to-right. Within 1/4 degree is plenty close enough.

Check toe with a tape measure. Getting zero toe is easy, measure from tread-groove to tread-groove on the front side of the tire and the back side of the tire. If the measurement is the same, you're at zero. Ideally, you'll want maybe 1/16-1/8" of toe-in.

All you need is a level driveway or garage, some common hand tools, and a little patience.

Oh, and if you have a proper coilover kit, you shouldn't need camber bolts. The lower hub mounting bolt hole should be slotted for adjustment.

MicroHB
03-27-2009, 11:17 PM
Explanation: You need to take your car to a more performance-oriented alignment shop.

Better yet, just do your own alignment. There's nothing to adjust in the rear, and only two simple adjustments to make in the front.

Invest in a cheap construction level to check camber. Roughly 1 degree of camber for each 1/4" the top of the wheel is in more than the bottom of the wheel... you can do some trig if you want to be more accurate, but what's most important is that you're even from left-to-right. Within 1/4 degree is plenty close enough.

Check toe with a tape measure. Getting zero toe is easy, measure from tread-groove to tread-groove on the front side of the tire and the back side of the tire. If the measurement is the same, you're at zero. Ideally, you'll want maybe 1/16-1/8" of toe-in.

All you need is a level driveway or garage, some common hand tools, and a little patience.

Oh, and if you have a proper coilover kit, you shouldn't need camber bolts. The lower hub mounting bolt hole should be slotted for adjustment.

I ended up buying a D2 coilover kit thanks for the help he got my toe to 0.10 degrees on bth sides caster is at -5.5 on the left and 5.3 on the right

Loren
03-28-2009, 12:18 AM
Caster is non-adjustable on the Yaris, so you can't credit your alignment tech for that. It is what it is.

Shroomster
03-28-2009, 12:27 AM
I don't get what happened with this outcome...you bought another set of coilovers?

MicroHB
03-28-2009, 12:32 AM
I don't get what happened with this outcome...you bought another set of coilovers?
i bought D2 coilovers and camber bolts went in to get aligment and this is the result

Shroomster
03-28-2009, 12:35 AM
i bought D2 coilovers and camber bolts went in to get aligment and this is the result

sooo you got the idiot who told you he couldn't align the car in the first place to align it anyways?

MicroHB
03-28-2009, 12:41 AM
no he told me that after he "did the job and dedicated his time"

Shroomster
03-28-2009, 12:44 AM
well the car is driving straight and you now have a better handling yaris...so hey

MicroHB
03-28-2009, 12:47 AM
well the car is driving straight and you now have a better handling yaris...so hey

driving straight
yes

better handling yaris...
no that's the purpose of this thread to see what can i do now

Loren
03-28-2009, 10:34 AM
Um... you didn't really ask "what you can do", you asked for an "explanation". The explanation is that your alignment tech is afraid of aftermarket parts. Doesn't understand them, doesn't want to.

As I said last night, find a shop that is more performance oriented or just do it yourself. Take the wheel off, loosen the two strut-to-hub mounting bolts and see what you can do with it. Check your strut assembly and see if it has slotted holes like it should. If it does, I'd put stock bolts back in rather than the (thinner and weaker) camber bolts.

Unless something is bent, you should be able to get both sides to the same amount of camber.