Alignment after Steeda Adjustable Rear Toe Links

[jacknifetoaswan]

Just got the car aligned after installing the Steeda adjustable rear toe links and going to 285/35/19 Conti ExtremeContact ECS02s on 10" wheels with a 25mm spacer. Other suspension/chassis mods are Steeda vertical links, diff bushings, alignment dowels, subframe bushing support kit, and subframe connectors. Stock ride height on stock PP struts/shocks and springs.

The shop works primarily on higher end European cars. After about 20 minutes, they came out and said they couldn't align the car and that I'd need to take it to Charleston Supercars for an unloaded alignment. They were going to get it as close as possible, but no promises. Something about the camber being too difficult to adjust and throwing the toe off in the rear. So I'm in the waiting room, researching adjustable camber arms and the Steeda rear alignment bracket.

A few minutes later, they come out and say they've figured things out and it wasn't a big deal.

How did they do?

JR

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[kz]

That's a lot of toe for the rear - and yes, toe changes when you adjust the camber which is pain in the ass to do on the stock camber arms (since they slide in slot). Difference between left and right wheel camber would bother me personally.

 

[Southview]

Heck no. First , put .03 toe in up front. No more needed. 0 will give your car floating feeling on straight roads.
left rear camber is great. Right not so. Rear toe should be .10-.13 max per side.

 

[Steeda-Sergio]

I think something is off here. Front Camber is a tad aggressive for street, but at least matching.
Rear is way off, plus front and rear Toe is off (no Toe up front, too much in the rear)
Here is what we set alignment to in house.

Street
Front camber -1.03 degrees on both sides (Performance and Handling Pack)
Front toe +0.01 degrees per side total toe of +0.02 degrees, this is toe in

Rear camber -1.5 degrees on both sides
Rear toe +0.115 degrees per side, total toe of +0.23 degrees, this is toe in


I know it's not the easiest thing, but the camber arm hole is slotted, they need to loosen the bolt and knock it around to get your alignment in.
Your going to feel a twitchy car with this set-up plus burn up tires in the rear.

 

[jacknifetoaswan]

Damn. Well, I'm

I think something is off here. Front Camber is a tad aggressive for street, but at least matching.
Rear is way off, plus front and rear Toe is off (no Toe up front, too much in the rear)
Here is what we set alignment to in house.

Street
Front camber -1.03 degrees on both sides (Performance and Handling Pack)
Front toe +0.01 degrees per side total toe of +0.02 degrees, this is toe in

Rear camber -1.5 degrees on both sides
Rear toe +0.115 degrees per side, total toe of +0.23 degrees, this is toe in


I know it's not the easiest thing, but the camber arm hole is slotted, they need to loosen the bolt and knock it around to get your alignment in.
Your going to feel a twitchy car with this set-up plus burn up tires in the rear.

Thanks Sergio. I actually spoke with Rodney via email on Friday, and he recommended the Mach 1 HP settings, which I tried to get them to match.

Do you think I'd be able to get closer if I went to the rear camber adjustment kit? Or is this just a skill issue?

JR

 

[Steeda-Sergio]

The Camber Adjustment kit would make it easier to adjust but not needed.
I think this is a knowledge issue. They may be too unfamiliar with the Mustang Platform.
I can see someone missing the Camber adjustment in the rear since the bolt car cover up the slot, but the Toe is wild.

 

[jacknifetoaswan]

The Camber Adjustment kit would make it easier to adjust but not needed.
I think this is a knowledge issue. They may be too unfamiliar with the Mustang Platform.
I can see someone missing the Camber adjustment in the rear since the bolt car cover up the slot, but the Toe is wild.

Good to know, and thanks for not selling me a part I don't need. I'll give them a call and ask them to take another look at it. Maybe if I show them the video of the installation of the rear camber adjustment kit, they'll get a better understanding of the setup of the rear of the car.

I'm a bit of an idiot on alignment and how one setting/measurement changes with the other, but I'd think they'd be able to dial in the rear toe pretty perfectly with the adjustable rear toe links. Could the rear toe just be a product of them not using the slotted hole for camber adjustment?

Edit: Why do y'all have to be 5.5 hours from Charleston???

JR

 

[Steeda-Sergio]

Good to know, and thanks for not selling me a part I don't need. I'll give them a call and ask them to take another look at it. Maybe if I show them the video of the installation of the rear camber adjustment kit, they'll get a better understanding of the setup of the rear of the car.

I'm a bit of an idiot on alignment and how one setting/measurement changes with the other, but I'd think they'd be able to dial in the rear toe pretty perfectly with the adjustable rear toe links. Could the rear toe just be a product of them not using the slotted hole for camber adjustment?

Edit: Why do y'all have to be 5.5 hours from Charleston???

JR

Front and rear toe is them not trying IMO.

All they need to do is loosen 1 or both of the jam nuts, and turn the center as needed. Short of your car being previously in an accident, I don't see how they wouldn't be able to adjust this.

 

[jacknifetoaswan]

Front and rear toe is them not trying IMO.

All they need to do is loosen 1 or both of the jam nuts, and turn the center as needed. Short of your car being previously in an accident, I don't see how they wouldn't be able to adjust this.

Worth it to try to get them to correct it, or should I just be looking for a better shop and chalking this up as a loss?

JR

 

[Steeda-Sergio]

Worth it to try to get them to correct it, or should I just be looking for a better shop and chalking this up as a loss?

JR

That will depend on how receptive they are. If they want to make it good, give em another shot.

Shoot them an email with the install instructions as well as a video link or 2 showing where the adjustment points are and how to correct the issue. Also provide them with the numbers you are trying to achieve.

 

[tj@steeda]

Sergio FTW!

 

[Southview]

Damn. Well, I'm

Thanks Sergio. I actually spoke with Rodney via email on Friday, and he recommended the Mach 1 HP settings, which I tried to get them to match.

Do you think I'd be able to get closer if I went to the rear camber adjustment kit? Or is this just a skill issue?

JR

Skill issue.
Do my alignment specs for great long lasting even tire wear. Only other thing, if paying for another person to redo alignment I would be going for - 1.1/-1.2 front camber. Not a big deal if you can’t. I had to get camber bolts for the front to get that camber.
The rear. -.08 and what I had previously listed is doable with stock set up. I run that on my BMR lowered convertible. Tires last forever and car handles great.

 

[jacknifetoaswan]

Well, I went back to the shop this morning after talking to them last week, sending them the videos and the Steeda install instructions for the rear camber adjustment. When I got there, they said they had just looked at the videos (after a week) and they did what they could. They were happy to put it back up on the rack and show me but not change anything.

Bottom line, I told them I didn't understand how they couldn't achieve stock camber angles on a stock ride height vehicle.

@Steeda-Sergio Should I spend the $180 and put the rear camber adjustment kit and another $40 for the front camber bolts, or just find a better shop? Either way, I'm going to have to spend another $200 to get the car aligned.

JR

 

[NHMach1]

Sorry you’re having to deal with this but find another shop. They should have no problem getting it to what you are asking for. I took mine to a specialty shop after installing rear camber arms. Was able to get exactly what I wanted. The tech told me that he could get it to that even without the camber arms. It is more difficult using just the cams back there but it’s not that difficult. I went with .5 negative in rear, could have gone more either way but wanted a balance between a strip and street setup. I’m on stock ride height as well, Steeda sport springs next. Good luck!

 

[jacknifetoaswan]

Sorry you’re having to deal with this but find another shop. They should have no problem getting it to what you are asking for. I took mine to a specialty shop after installing rear camber arms. Was able to get exactly what I wanted. The tech told me that he could get it to that even without the camber arms. It is more difficult using just the cams back there but it’s not that difficult. I went with .5 negative in rear, could have gone more either way but wanted a balance between a strip and street setup. I’m on stock ride height as well, Steeda sport springs next. Good luck!

Yeah, it's just annoying. Charleston doesn't have a shop that specializes in Mustangs, so being a platform that has more in common with modern BMWs than with previous gen Mustangs, I figured a Euro shop would be safe. They swore they'd have no issues with it.

I'm willing to spend the money to put adjustable camber arms on it, but I think they're just way overkill on stock ride height.

JR`

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