Greg5OH

hhad my car aligned thi past weekend. Pulls just the same, although nwo my left front tire is wearign crazy fast (incorrect toe).
The caster is 2 more negative on right side. (7 right 9 left).

I aligned the car previously by test n tune method and the toe wear was acceptable for having -3deg camber in the front. Now its horrid, heel0toe wear is very bad. (other side is fine).
Obviously the car will pull to the right because of the more negative caster.


Is caster adjsutable using the stock components on these cars? Does anyone make an adjustable caster arm?

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

yes caster is adjustable, but i would suspect your strut rod bushings are shot which is why you are seeing bad tire wear despite an alignment. double check those bushing and replace as this is very common.

Shmee

iTrader: (3)

Where did you have it aligned?
Can you post the alignment sheet?


Did the shop have a lot of experience with aligning slammed cars?
Did they align it at your normal ride height or?

Have you gone over the suspension and checked that every bushing and joint is in good shape? An alignment is impossible and a waste of money if you have sloppy bushings and/or worn joints.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

get a proper shop to align your car...

Greg5OH

the dude just sucks. all bushings are fine. almost everythign is afermarket I crawled under today and see that infact there are massive eccentric bolts.
He aligned this car for the PO so I figured he cant be too bad...
all garbage i tell you.
Ill stick with what I know, aligning it at home by test n tune. Did it for all my other cars. The iphone level app is decent for caster. Its not accurate but its precise, and it suggests 2 degree difference as stated on the printout.

Shmee

iTrader: (3)

Man, there should be shops out there that deal almost exclusively with motorsport alignments. find an Independent Porsche shop that is endorsed by the local PCA chapter and ask them who they recommend for a performance alignments.

I suggest this because they will likely have a lot of experience with adjustable links used extensively in Porsche track suspensions... Shops not used to such parts have a hard time adjusting them and often revert to factory adjustment points.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

only home alignments that work are string alignments, and only when done right.

if you're using an app to try to get precise measurements and alignments, you're doing it wrong.

Greg5OH

^say what you want, I know what works for me.

You know what never works for me? Other people doing work on my stuff. Never ever had a positive experience. Always some dingbat somewhere that say s"oh im a certified mechanic in this and this-sure, but they cant use their brains. Go by, "this is what the computer tells me, the computer is always right. "

I have aligned all my cars by toe plates. Yes string method is good too. This is my first car with adjustable rear suspension.
I set it pretty well with the toe plates, then ride around a bit and fine tune it. Feels great, tires wear great.
The rear is aligned well, just the front needs to be re-done.


Like i said, I know by how much the caster is out (2.1 degrees). the iphone app is not ACCURATE however is very PRECISE (those accelerometer sensors are quite good).

Its telling me the caster is out 22 degrees one side 20 on the other.
very inaccurate, but quite precise.

numbers can tell you whatever they want, but at the end of the day, how does the car FEEL.
Is is a skill maybe people arent in tune with, cant feel or hear certain things when they are obvious to others.

LScowboyLS

This.

Generally speaking, uneven tire wear, or alignment issues, or a car failing to retain its alignment, is due to failed components or a collision or modding. Cars tend to stay in alignment if the parts are not worn out, so caster or camber or toe shouldn't need an adjustment, unless a part (strut rods, ball joints, etc.) is worn out. People like to make adjustments, rather than fix their car, never understood that one, actually

Greg5OH

all bushings are fine and recent. it was determined the caster is out by 2 degrees.

Shmee

iTrader: (3)

I have always found that when people say "they cannot find a good mechanic and always get crap work," the problem is always the person is not asking the write questions or interpreting the situation correctly.

Just sayin....



Also, using toe plates works fine, but you will need a reference point out side of the car that serves to equalize your measurements.

You can get your toe zero'ed but your wheels could be out to the sides like this:

/ /

Or

\ \

That would give you an nice pull....

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

also keep in mind that the tires may have worn to that bad alignment if you ran a bad alignment for awhile. so in reality, the alignment has been corrected and the tires need to wear back to the new alignment before it can track straight again. i hope i explained that clearly .