DASHOCKER

iTrader: (2)

Here are my alignment specs after install and initial alignment. The front being out of spec on a lowered car even with front RCA's installed is a given. I am more concerned with the toe in the rear being way out of spec and the SAI up front being out of spec. I hope my tech will be able to get these areas within spec next week with the install of the adj toe arms. Glen what do you think?

PHML

iTrader: (33)

I think you need to move your center setting on the rear RCA to the most inner (more towards the coilovers).

GS300ToM

iTrader: (32)

how low are u?? got pics

RMMGS4

iTrader: (5)

Our cars are not set up EXACTLY the same, so we can compare notes, but let everyone be aware that no SOLID conclusions can be drawn since there are several variables and unknowns. In some ways we may be comparing apples to oranges, but at the same time the info we share will allow us to shed some light and from the data we should be able to glean some possible answers.

Well your Total rear toe is definitely a concern. Negative Toe in the rear can be DANGEROUS and wear out tires faster than out-of-spec camber. Not sure on the reason for you being maxxed out on the toe.

In my original post using Exact rear RCAs, I was able to drop my car and maintain OEM spec on rear camber and toe https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sus...gs98-05-a.html .

I recently dropped my car roughly another 1/2", plus I hit a pot hole which screwed up my front toe, so since I was due for an alignment, I went there yesterday to have it done and the results are posted below.

1. I have the Exact RCAs and you have the Sage. Not sure how the two are similar or differ. Whether your rear toe issue is related to design differences is neither here nor there, so this is the first unknown.

2. I highly suspect that the three spacer adjustment settings between Sage and Exact are probably not the same. The adjustment range and the initial camber angles between the two brands could be different. We would have to put the parts side by side to find out. Unknown #2.

3. I am using the #1 spacer setting (outer most) which is the least aggressive/minimum camber adjustment. I'll post photo's below of my rear ride height and drop. Are you even lower than me? I don't see a need to go to the #2 or #3 spacer unless the drop is more than me.

4. Now with my additional drop, my toe is very close to max. The TOTAL rear toe is technically within "OEM SPEC". If I dropped further or used the #2 spacer, I don't know if my toe would still be ok. I can't really confirm if this possibility unless I change out my spacers and get another alignment.

5. As I mentioned earlier, I was easily in spec when my car was 1/2" higher. Do also note that my front and rear left side camber is slightly more positive then the right side. Some alignment techs do this alignment tweek "intentionally" to compensate for road crown and to factor in driver side weight.

6. Since the camber on the right side is just a tad out of spec, I decided to leave the #1 spacers. This was really a concious decision on my part to maintain a bit of rear camber, versus what I had before which was closer to zero camber. If had gone to the #2 (middle) spacers I'm sure my rear camber would easily be in spec. A lil rear camber is actually good for cornering, so I thought I'd test it out and see how I like it.

6. I show my drop height from the fender lip to the ground at 24.5". Let me know what you measure out at. Until we compare variables such as this between our two cars, I don't think we can deduce much.


7. Given your current settings, it does appear that you will need to install the adjustable toe arms. Before you do this, it would be interesting to swap out your spacers from middle #2 to inner #3 to see if the toe condition gets better or worse. That would be some valuable info for us to find out.
















Drop using Tein CS, Exact RCAs with 295/25-20 Tires on 20x11 rims.










24.5" measured height from the center of the fender lip to the ground.

RMMGS4

iTrader: (5)

Here's a pic of the rear Exact RCAs for those who want to DIY make their own.

DASHOCKER

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the post & pics Glen. I feel that this thread will assist those who are considering RCA's on their Lexus GS. Your specs are not too far apart from mine with the exception of the rear toe specs. The Sage RCA's is a quality product & I do not believe my toe being out of spec is attributed to this product. I recall the reason why my toe specs could be way out of spec. On or about December of last year, my car fishtailed while exiting a gas station. Immediately after this incident, my rear end felt unstable and the car would drift slightly to the right when the steering wheel is centered. The toe adjustment on the GS is very limited due to the stock toe arms adjusters. To get the rear toe within or close to specs, the tech has to use force & muscle the rear wheels beyond what the adjusters allow. This is not good imo and one would need constant aligments. As a result, the rear toe will not be locked in & can be easily knocked out of spec by a pot hole, bump, or fishtailing as in my case. With the aftermarket adjustable toe arms, you have unlimited adjustment & you can dial-in the toe angles of your choice without forcing the issue. With adj toe arms in place, the toe angles will be locked in & the likelihood of being knock out of spec due to road defects & hard cornering/fishtailing is diminished. My rear end drop is similar to yours G or slightly lower by a hair... I am tucked in the rear. I will take pics when all is said and done.

RMMGS4

iTrader: (5)

Agreed, the info is valuable to all. I'll probably need to go back to this thread for reference myself. So if you have slight suspension damage/bending/looseness, etc, that would explain things. The stock toe adjusters are def limited in range, so atleast you've identified a solution if that becomes an issue for others. I'll monitor my rear toe to see if the alignment drifts over time. Looking forward to pics and your final settings. If you can do a ground-to-lip measurement like mine that would be great too. Approximating drop using fingers to measure and viewing pictures taken from different camera angles is just too vague.

AristoKing

very, very nice man I love how the car looks.

The height is perfect....... so your wheels don't rub?

DASHOCKER

iTrader: (2)

I posted this link on another thread
(alignment fundamentals) http://www.spcalignment.com/PROD_DIR...ndamentals.pdf


Any alignment shop can get your car to track straight & true. Does this mean that your car's alignment is proper? The answer is no.. Improper alignment will adversly affect ride, handeling, braking, acceleration & overall safety of the vehicle..

RMMGS4

iTrader: (5)

I assume this question is directed to me or the OP?

Rears don't rub at all, since the lip is shaved. Do an advanced search on shaving. I prefer shaving over cutting since a cutting wheel can leave a sharp edge that will shred tires if not cut smooth and if you still rub.

Here's a vid I posted on shaving: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=035C7...e=channel_page

RMMGS4

iTrader: (5)

Yup a very good Alignment 101 tutorial.

sam430

iTrader: (10)

Thanks for the alignment PDF... will read to expand my knowledge.

cpone

So even AFTER installing the RCA's 'Shock' you are not within spec in the front?
I thought the whole purpose of the RCA's in the front was to get you within factory spec so that your tires aren't disintegrating.

I am about to do the fronts like in 20 minutes and am upset that after your install you are not within spec. Otherwise, what is the point of buying these?

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

cpone, it depends on how low you are at the moment. If you're slightly dropped, these RCAs may get you back up acceptable camber spec if you have coilovers. Keep in mind that DASH also lowered his car a bit after putting the RCAs. Now if you're severely slammed to the ground, these RCAs will obviously not get you back to less than 1 degree of negative camber.

The correction depends on how much higher you raise your car, and how thick the RCAs are.

RMMGS4

iTrader: (5)

Read post #11 and #12
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sus...gs98-05-a.html



See post #21

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sus...gs98-05-a.html


or partial paste below.