Lower your car? GET AN ALIGNMENT

[NXRacer]

i know this has been covered, but it needs to be re-itterated from time to time. After lowering my car this weekend, i thought that even though i still need to install a camber kit and change out my front bearings, i should get an alignment done to help save my tires. Boy was i glad i did. The toe was out 2 INCHES! That would have chewed up my tires in no time flat.

So boys and girls, dont procrastinate to get an alignment. Or else you'll be wishing you did when you eat through a set of tires every 3 months.

[Bryan]

And remove your power steering too! Don't want to be all over the place when you barely tap the wheel.

[keruhas184]

What do you mean? Does powersteering change on a lowered car?

[AZmike]

What do you mean? Does powersteering change on a lowered car?

Not really.

If you want to increase the steering effort increase your caster angle. With additional caster the steering will tend to self-center more and you'll get a little steering-induced camber when you turn.

[Busted_Blue]

Anytime you REMOVE suspension parts and put them back, it is HIGHLY reccomended to get an Alignment. When I did my rear disc brakes, my rear toe was completely screwed up. The passenger rear tire was facing the driver side while the driver side was sticking out the same way. basically it was like this
| |
\ \

Well, I got an alignment today but I got a flat tire...Need to get a new tire soon.. :(

[AZmike]

When I did my rear disc brakes, my rear toe was completely screwed up. (

Did you move the rear toe adjuster yourself during the swap (inside of middle lower link) or was there enough difference between the two spinles to require the alignment?

[Busted_Blue]

There was enough difference between the two hubs to make a difference. Either way, anytime you mess with suspension it should be aligned. Toe = main culprit of tire wear.

[NXRacer]

before i lowered my car i had a really bad vibration up front that i thought was due to my front bearings going out, but after i had the alignment done it went away almost completely.

[ElementRacer]

I heard that if you lower your car less that 2inches you dont need to get cambers. is that true?

[AZmike]

I heard that if you lower your car less that 2inches you dont need to get cambers. is that true?

Most people agree that lowering more than 1.5" requires camber correction on our cars. The stiffer your tire's sidewalls are the worse the wear on the inside of your tires would be.

[smufguy]

LIike mike mentioned, its usually either 1" or 1.5" lowering that does not require any camber corrections. with 2" lowering and after it setteled, my camber was -2".

Along with the steeper caster, a little negative camber helps to get faster turn ins and exits on a turn. I wish i could be a drifter and run -3" camber. hehehe, that would be cool.

[Ludi Mali]

on a related topic, how much camber can a prelude arm correct versus a camber kit.

[smufguy]

on a related topic, how much camber can a prelude arm correct versus a camber kit.

pretty close to 1degrees of camber, i suggest that u get a real camber kit from ingals at Tirerack, which is only about 70 bux, for a side. compared to ingals other 100 a side weird ass kit. Either way, hope that helps. I still have to go about an inch more.

The stock specs on the camber is -1 to 1 degrees

camber kits can correct camber -3/4° to +1 1/2° and thats for this one and its on tire rack under alignment kits.
http://www.tirerack.com/images/suspension/search_susp/large/ing_35730.jpg

[Ludi Mali]

then do they also have rear camber kits?

[Vinny]

I heard that if you lower your car less that 2inches you dont need to get cambers. is that true?

With a 1.5" drop using H&R springs and new stock upper control arms my rear camber was -1.2° just a bit out of spec, but never the less still out. Any lowering will change the geometry and thus effect camber.



pretty close to 1degrees of camber, i suggest that u get a real camber kit from ingals at Tirerack, which is only about 70 bux, for a side. compared to ingals other 100 a side weird ass kit. Either way, hope that helps. I still have to go about an inch more.

The stock specs on the camber is -1 to 1 degrees

camber kits can correct camber -3/4° to +1 1/2° and thats for this one and its on tire rack under alignment kits.
http://www.tirerack.com/images/suspension/search_susp/large/ing_35730.jpg


kit shown above (PN 35730 (http://www.ingallseng.com/parts/35720.html)) fits
Acura 2.2 CL 1996-97
Acura 2.3 CL 1998-99
Acura 2.5 TL 1995-98
Acura 3.0 CL 1996-99
Acura 3.2 TL 1996-98
Acura 3.5 RL 1999-02
Acura 3.5 RL 2003-04
Acura Integra 1990-01
Acura Vigor 1992-94
Honda Accord 1990-97
Honda Accord Wagon 1990-93
Honda Accord Wagon 1994-96
Honda Accord Wagon 1997
Honda Civic 1988-91
Honda Civic 1992-95
Honda CRX 1988-92
Honda Del Sol 1993-97
Honda Odyssey 1995-98
Honda Prelude 1992-96 Front
Honda Prelude 1992-96 Rear
Honda Prelude non-SH model 1997-02
Honda Prelude SH model 1997-02
Isuzu Oasis 1996-99

corrects +1.25° to 3°




WILL NOT fit a 3rd gen

Ingalls kit 35500 (http://www.ingallseng.com/parts/35500.htm) will fit a 3rd gen as will Beck/Arnley 1014421 (http://www.partsamerica.com/PartDetails.asp?SourceArea=&SourcePage=SEARCHRESULTS&MfrCode=BAR&MfrPartNumber=1014421&PartType=129&PTSet=A) Both IMHO from using them....... SUCK Lude arms are a much better way to go. My Ingalls kits are on a shelf where they will stay until I throw them in the trash :D



then do they also have rear camber kits?
Yes they do Ingalls PN is 38600 or 38620 or Beck/Arnley 1014424

[NXRacer]

i will agree 100% that the ingals kits SUCK. I installed a set on my ex g/f's car and they are a joke.

[Ludi Mali]

wow vinny, your are a fountain of knowledge, thanks for lookin that stuff up, they're weird about me using the internet at work. Do you still have any of those prelude arms for sale?

[smufguy]

i guess the Tirerack got their pictures wrong now huh? That blows. i have seen the ingals kit for the 3g in person and it does not resemble it at all. Besides, we can make this thing fit our 3g no problem. the 3g and the 4g shaft bolt size is the same i guess. 14mm bolted shafts. .

[Vinny]

i guess the Tirerack got their pictures wrong now huh? That blows. i have seen the ingals kit for the 3g in person and it does not resemble it at all. Besides, we can make this thing fit our 3g no problem. the 3g and the 4g shaft bolt size is the same i guess. 14mm bolted shafts. .

I'd like to see someone modify those to fit. The 4th gens and up dont use anywhere near the same control arm setup as the 3rd gen. The upper arm bolts are actually 2 shorter bolts and the control arm is NOT one long piece where the anchor bolts go through

As you can see

THIS
http://www.3geez.com/images/uploaded//Lude%20arm%20how%20to/1861Lude_Arms_6.jpg

Looks nothing like
THIS
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/18614th_gen_control_arm-med.jpg

[smufguy]

vinny, i said the shaft botl size is the same diameter, i did not say they were the same long shaft bolts. I have a 4th gen and i have changed it and i know they are not the same. besides, anchor bolts dont really have anything specific about them, as long as they can fit under there flush. Cause i know the lude anchor bolts hit the flat mating surface of the 3g and so does the 4g (the curved top of the control arm, rather than the flat one) and also their width.

My point was referring about the RUbber bushing. i have metal washers on my control arm as per the old How-to and it just knocked my strut tower to bits. I have a steel plate welded on the control arm support. Im in the process of looking to use some rubber bushing with the PRELUDE control arm, since the stock 3g control arm bushing wont work.

you get it bro? :)

[bullard123]

Hey Vinny did you sell all of those sets of prelude arms you had earlier?? If not Ilike to buy a set from you for my front. And as for a alignment I can't find anyone in town to do one. They all say my car is too low (dropped 2.25'') so the machine won't fit under it. Anybody know a company that can align lowered cars??

[Busted_Blue]

you need to KNOW someone to help you out. Im glad i only got a 1inch drop, it looks stock so they don't really say anything except that when they see the camber is a little more than usual, they look at the springs and see black new ones they ask. Of course they are already on the alignment rack so they cant use that lower car excuse on me.

There is a way to do your own alignment. I would do it that way..since you cant get anyone to align your car.