I just had new tires put on and the tire shop tried to upsell me on an alignment (i.e. authorize the alignment before it has been checked and then do it if necessary). I didn't let them do that since they wanted $150 for the alignment, but they did check it anyway and gave me a print out.

So their print out shows that I obviously need an alignment, but what strikes me as weird is the camber:
Front Left: 0.1
Front Right: -1.8
Rear Left: -1.3
Rear Right: -0.8

This is a totally stock Evo IX MR. My understanding is that the camber adjustment in the front only has 2 positions: -1 or -2. How could my Front Left be at 0.1? Is there that much adjustment in it? Is it possible that something is damaged or bent? Or should I just go get it aligned?

Also, the tire shop claimed I needed a "specialty alignment" based on the make/model/year. Was this just some BS to justify $150 for the alignment or is there something special about the Evo? I called another shop I've worked with before and they said it's just $60.

 

First, find a better shop.

Original owner? Was the car ever curbed? Rear looks OK, out of spec, but OK. Front, even with one side being on the -1 camber bolt setting and the other on -2, should not be where its currently at.

I would check that sides control arm and go to another shop.

 

nav06mr, in this case you would need alignment done, and I'd go to a shop know what they are doing, I am not saying the shop you went don't know what they are doing, it's just they want too much $ for alignment. $150 is what those race preparation shop charges.
Some shop they don't even realized that by alternating evo's front camber bolt will change 1 degree of camber.
When I used to have my evo lowered on the spring, I took it to STS and the guy say I need camber kit on one side of my car, why just one side?? b/c he didn't realized that evo has special camber bolt.
BTW I see you live in San Francisco, I will be there again end of Sept. if you can wait, I can eye ball your alignment and we can go to a shop together. I have robispec kw setup, i go nuts about my alignment. The other night my car will drift to the left as soon as I let go the steering wheel, and right away I suspect I might have a flat tire on the left side. Alignment don't go off that easily, unless it hit something HARD!!

 

I had the same issue on mine with the drivers side having a full degree less camber. Purchased the car new with 8 miles so it was definitely not a curbed car.

I went with the Megan Street Coilovers and used the camber plates to dial in equal camber. Not too many options for you other than perhaps some aftermarket camber bolts.

 

Obviously. These guys were just one of the Tire Rack recommended installers and were nearby.

This is what I was afraid of. I'm not the original owner; I just got the car a few months ago.

However, now I'm not sure what to think:

 

Camber bolt on backwards?

 

So I pulled out my old alignment sheets.

DS was -2.1deg
PS was -0.8deg

This was roughly the same alignment I saw at both shops that aligned my car. We Removed the camber bolts and made sure they were rotated correctly. We also tried to force the alignment by moving the strut in the desired direction before tightening the camber bolts.

Again, I purchased the car new with 8 miles on the odometer. Car has always driven well so I suspect this may happen to more cars than you think.

 

Pull the front wheels off and make sure the eccentric bolt's are both pointing inwards. Don't know why they wouldn't be but its worth checking...

An alignment is always a good idea when you get new tires. I would find a reputable shop in the area and take it there.

 

I was able to do it without pulling the wheels off, but yeah, both eccentric bolts are pointed inwards.

Can somebody explain to me how setting the camber is even supposed to work? I mean if there are only 2 settings (-1 and -2) and nothing in-between... how is one even supposed to correct the camber? It would seem that you have to rely on the manufacturing tolerances of the suspension and hope that there's no cross-camber? I thought the main reason for having adjustable alignment on the average passenger car was to make up for manufacturing slop so that you can get the exact right alignment on each wheel.

Neither wheel is actually at the setting the camber bolts indicate it would be. Is there something else that adjusts the camber besides the eccentric bolt? If not, then isn't the front camber effectively non-adjustable? The service manual says "note: the difference between the right and left wheels must be less than 30'"... but if it's more than 30', then what do you do?

Heh, hilariously the FSM also says "allow" for "arrow"

 

You're specs from the factory actually aren't all that bad. You shouldn't worry about something being damaged.

Secondly, there is not '2' settings for the stock adjustment.

The upper bolt on the lower front shock mount (eccentric bolt) should be pointing toward the back of the car. You will notice that this bolt has a flat shape around the edge of the head, unlike the bolt below it which should be totally round. WHen you loosen the nut on the eccentric bolt, you can put your wrench on the bolt end and turn it. This adjusts your camber. You can move it between -1 and -2, but when my 03 was stock, I could only muster about -1.9.

I've done my own alignments in my garage with string, a digital camber gauge, and a toe gauge. You can certainly have a regular alignment shop get your alignment in spec without paying for a premium alignment.

Feel free to PM me, I can give you some pictures that may help.

 

Excellent thanks. PM Sent.

When looking from the rear of the front wheel, I could see the head of the bolts and see both arrows pointing directly inwards.

My understanding of the camber adjustment comes from the attached image from the FSM. If I understand what you're saying... one could in fact adjust the upper bolt so that the arrow is pointing at anywhere between 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock? Like one could set the arrow to be pointing upward? I thought the flat spots are supposed to make it so the arrow can only point directly at 9 or 3?

 

Welp, this turned out to be it. I had the car aligned at another shop and they found the camber was totally within spec (near -1 on both the left front and right front). The toe was a little off so they corrected that.

I'm guessing the first shop just flat out screwed up the measurement or didn't know how to work their fancy machine.

 

or wanted to take your money? thats upsetting, it's cool everything worked out

 

Heh, yeah. You know what they say about not ascribing to malice what can easily be explained by incompetence, but sufficiently advanced incompetence being indistinguishable from malice.

 

Question--- So the head of the bolt should be facing the rear of the car?? Any further pics would be helpful....