Is this alignment OK?

[MustangVelocity]

Just got an alignment done on my GT and want to make sure these numbers are ok. Seems odd to me since I've never seen such a discrepancy between each side. Tech said there isn't a way to adjust rear oem camber but I thought I read somewhere it's possible? I'm told the tech is very experienced and works on a variety of different sports cars etc.
Front camber: left -1.57 right -1.99
Rear camber...left -1.7 right -2.3

Suspension mods:
BMR performance springs, drop 1.2" F 0.5"R
BMR front lower 4 point chassis brace
Steeda IRS subframe support braces

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[Norm Peterson]

Experienced or not, it looks like all the tech did was adjust toe. Rear alignment on these (and many other cars with any sort of multilink arrangement) can become a matter of chasing one's own tail going back and forth between toe and camber adjustments.

On the rear suspension, adjusting toe will change the camber readings, and the toe adjustments there indicated by the toe numbers (including sign where + = in and - =out) do make the before to after camber readings look reasonable. I don't trust the graphic for RR toe using standard toe conventions.


Norm

 

[NightmareMoon]

Yeah, you can absolutely adjust the rear camber (but not the front without additional parts). The bolt is not marked like a normal alignment adjustment but its in a slotted hole and it can be adjusted.

As Norm says there is crosstalk between toe and camber adjustments in the rear so its a little annoying to fiddle with.

 

[o-man]

I think there was some laziness going on. Rear camber is a major pain to do! Theres info in the alignment program that tells you what to adjust for camber and toe

 

[bankyf]

Per the Ford shop manual, the upper hole in the strut can be elongated to allow for front camber adjustment. I wouldn't expect that to be included in the regular cost of alignment. The easier method would be aftermarket camber adjustment bolts, a the best method would be adjustable camber plates. He definitely got lazy on the rear camber, but I'm also not sure that's within the scope of the basic alignment cost.

 

[NightmareMoon]

Per the Ford shop manual, the upper hole in the strut can be elongated to allow for front camber adjustment. I wouldn't expect that to be included in the regular cost of alignment. The easier method would be aftermarket camber adjustment bolts, a the best method would be adjustable camber plates. He definitely got lazy on the rear camber, but I'm also not sure that's within the scope of the basic alignment cost.

Elongating the top front strut hole shouldn't be recommended. The strut to spindle bolts may slip in a slotted hole. Speaking from experience I'd go so far to say they probably will slip. If you do choose to do that, definitely use new fresh bolts.

Camber plates or bolts for front camber. Plates are a lot nicer.

 

[bankyf]

Elongating the top front strut hole shouldn't be recommended. The strut to spindle bolts may slip in a slotted hole. Speaking from experience I'd go so far to say they probably will slip. If you do choose to do that, definitely use new fresh bolts.

Camber plates or bolts for front camber. Plates are a lot nicer.

Plenty of vehicles come from the factory with this hole elongated as their camber adjustment and don't have any issues. Ford does recommend new bolts as well, but that is typical of most suspension related bolts.

 

[NightmareMoon]

Plenty of vehicles come from the factory with this hole elongated as their camber adjustment and don't have any issues. Ford does recommend new bolts as well, but that is typical of most suspension related bolts.

I"ve slotted two sets of struts and I've run tens of thousands of miles with the mod. My opinion is that its not a great option. One alignment slipped within 20 miles of the alignment shop. The car weighs nearly 4000 lbs.

 

[Norm Peterson]

Plenty of vehicles come from the factory with this hole elongated as their camber adjustment and don't have any issues. Ford does recommend new bolts as well, but that is typical of most suspension related bolts.

I've modified strut fastener holes in pretty much the same fashion.

I also figured out a way to shim the space created when the bolt is bottomed out against the opposite side.


Norm

 

[NightmareMoon]

I've modified strut fastener holes in pretty much the same fashion.

I also figured out a way to shim the space created when the bolt is bottomed out against the opposite side.


Norm

mine is shimmed with a welder.

 

[TeeLew]

I"ve slotted two sets of struts and I've run tens of thousands of miles with the mod. My opinion is that its not a great option. One alignment slipped within 20 miles of the alignment shop. The car weighs nearly 4000 lbs.

2 things:

1. Like you've kind of said later, you can weld a washer on the strut clevis to make sure the bolt stays in it's place. A couple tacks go a long way.

2. Which way did the adjustment slide? Towards a less negative setting, right? That tells you which way the loads are on that fastener and why it's not necessary for the upper bolt and lower bolt to be the same size. They take significantly different loads.

 

[TeeLew]

I think there was some laziness going on. Rear camber is a major pain to do! Theres info in the alignment program that tells you what to adjust for camber and toe

It's really not such a pain. It acts like damned near every other suspension on every other street car. Work back and forth adjusting camber and toe while keeping some sort of chicken scratches for notes. 3 or 4 iterations is all it should take. If rear camber is taking 1/2 a day to set, then your problem is the mechanic, not the car.

 

[NightmareMoon]

2 things:

1. Like you've kind of said later, you can weld a washer on the strut clevis to make sure the bolt stays in it's place. A couple tacks go a long way.

2. Which way did the adjustment slide? Towards a less negative setting, right? That tells you which way the loads are on that fastener and why it's not necessary for the upper bolt and lower bolt to be the same size. They take significantly different loads.

I think yeah it slid to a less negative setting. Big loads on a camber setting will take place on the bottom of the wheel pushing inside on the loaded side of the car. The unloaded side of the car will be pushed the other direction (towards more camber), but not as strongly.

One time I had an upper strut to spindle nut entirely come off (I blame the alignment shop, but when things start shifting, I guess this is a risk). When that happened, it would flop in the slot with only a moderate amount of accel or decel. Good times that. The good news was that the strut to spindle bolt I was using was a stock one which are splined so the bolt didn't come out, which would have been a bad day. Makes me a little nervous around camber bolts, since those aren't splined and could fall out entirely if the nut backs off. Another couple reasons why camber plates are the best answer.

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