If most of you are like me, setting up the suspension with an aftermarket set up is beyond my capabilities. So when I bought my X from South Coast, I had Rob Fuller (Robispec) install a K&W V3 suspension package for me before shipping to east coast.
At that time he set the Front camber at -2.5 and rear at -1.9 with zero toe all around.

After 11K mi I noted that the inside tire wear was almost gone relative to the outside of the tires. Obviously, you say, given the initial alignment settings. So after I bought new rims and rubber, I decided to use the OEM rims for AutoX and the new rims for DD; so when they arrived I went in for a less aggressive alignment change to -1.5 camber all around with zero toe. Now the shop I go to is capable of setting and checking alignment to the hundreth of a degree; I was told a $58K machine. This alignment shop provides the alignment settings prior to adjusting your suspension to the new settings requested. Those settings were: camber left front=-2.73 and right=-2.11 with rear left= -1.85 and right=-1.58. And the toe was: front left=-0.14, right=-0.18 BUT rear left=0.23, right=-0.21. Now the front camber differential is off by half a degree but the toe is way off of zero and in the opposite direction!
The tech was unable to achieve -1.5 camber on the left rear, rather -1.97. He said I would need adjustable control arms to achieve this setting.
Thanks to SMGevo suggestion, I bought a set, designed for the X, and had them installed ~1 week later. When I saw the before settings this time around, I was completely surprized by the settings: Camber Front left=-0.61, right=-2.59; Rear left=-2.33, right=-2.56! These settings are way off of the -1.5 set a week earlier. The toe up front was ok, very close to zero, but the rear was: left=0.81, right=1.15. Now just to set the record straight, I did not go rally racing and make jumps during the 7 day interval; rather just normal driving on highway and around town. So my question, at long last, is this: How in the hell did the alignment change so far from the -1.5 camber (with the exception of the left rear so noted) setting 7 days earlier; same question for rear toe?

Really need some input here as to cause and what to do next for I have zero faith that the readjustment to -1.5 and zero toe will stay that way.

Later, Ken

 

Interesting! I nstaled KW 3 coilovers yesterday and do alignment today. Front: -2.0 and Rear: -1.5. No problem at all with alignment. We'l see after some time what's going on with setup.

 

Are these bolts not being torqued to spec and moving? Seems very odd to get such wildy different readings within 7 days. Are there murderous pot holes in your area or is it possible the alignment machine is acting up and not reading properly? Maybe the bodywork is too low, Aero Kit? I know quite a few things can change meassuring the car loaded and unloaded and if a person is in the car or not as well. Just some things to think about.

 

Thanks Chris for comments and no cavernous potholes or the like were encountered. After some 12K mi even Robi settings where off, not as badly as that after one week; measurements were made the same; nobody in car on the alignment lift. I do not know how repeatable these machines are i.e., align then drive around the building and remeasure. My car is lowered and is very stiff but again Robi set it up and the compression/rebound was not touched so I am confused with these large differences realized after little to no miles of mild driving.

Later, Ken

 

You need to be sitting in the car when they do the alignment so that your body weight is calculated into the equation. See, when you sit in the car, your body weight will put more weight on the front left wheel, compressing the suspension and reducing camber on that side. A good alignment shop will always have you sit in the car while they perform the alignment, and if they don't offer, then you need to insist. Beyond that being a reason why your alignment is off, I don't know. Maybe they didn't torque the bolts down tight enough, but if that's the case, I wouldn't go back there.

 

Thanks Dave. Going in Tuesday to recheck and see if settings have held from last week. I understand if I am in or or out of the car will affect camber but if done w/o me in the car and then repeat in same way, should still get the same settings. Correct?

Later, Ken

 

Correct. Weird tire wear and wind if the shop is open can also make weird things happen... depending on how ghetto the shop it

 

Well, went back and had the alignment rechecked and can discount lack of tightening and hurricanes indoors as possible explanations. Rather than bore you with numbers the bottom line is this: For Camber, the absolute deviation from the last setting was as high as 0.6 degrees with a low of 0.01 degrees; For Toe, it changed from as much as 0.37 to as little as 0.04.
Two observations: First, I do not know what the range in variation is for a car aligned and then rechecked in 7 days of normal (no AutoX, massive potholes, etc) driving. So it may be possible that 1/2 degree change in camber is within something one will see due to variations in the chassis at rest OR the alignment instrument's (Hunter) inherent variation; same point for toe.
Second, the right front strut has a terrible squeak, so loud that it exceeds my exhaust which is loud, very loud. Upon inspection it looks like the top rubber "cap" of the strut is misaligned, i.e., cocked to the side. Perhaps this rubber piece is interfering with this strut from settling at the same position at rest. The squeak could also be from this struts bushing which could also result in vertical variation on that side. So if the car is not settling vertically the same each time, then this may account for the variation in alignment from one measurement interval to another.
To test the second possibility, will remove the right front strut, realign the cap and see if the squeak goes away. If yes, then realign and check again in 7 days. I am already 3-4 bills into this but like Big O, I am going to be persistent

Later, Ken

 

You should have gotten a lifetime alignment

I just had my car realigned this weekend and most of my settings were off. The weird part is that the rear toe was out -0.21 on one side and 0.21 on the other. I asked the tech what could have caused it and his reply was interesting: lazy tech putting the car on the rack incorrectly.

My rear camber was -2/-2 when I left last time and it was -1.9/-1.6 when I pulled up this time. Obviously that would be impacting/impacted the toe.

So I'm at a loss, but I'm going to keep a closer eye on it.

 

Definately reinstall the front strut. What machine are they using? Laser or infrared? What rubber cap do you have? Have not seen the KW's but with camber plates and spherical bearings I am not familiar with any rubber pieces with coilovers. Could you post a pic?

 

Steve, can't take any pics at this point; will have to wait until next Tuesday. From my recollection, this "cap" is positioned at the top of the strut and acts as a cushion upon rebound, I think. At present it is cocked off of center and it is either rubber or plastic. When the tech takes it off of the car I shall get some pictures. The alignment unit is a Hunter but I do not know if it is laser or just light beam.

Goofy, so you are getting what I have been getting: variations/deviations from desired settings and the deviations are in the same ball park as mine. So this may not be confined to my X but endemic to others and, as indicated earlier, may just reflect both alignment machine errors and/or variations in chassis deflection when placed on the rack. I forgot, but do you have OEM suspension? And what does being "lazy" mean when putting the car for alignment on the rack? Weighting all four corners before setting alignment? This is what my tech did but because the car is so stiff, one person really cannot move any corner at all unless , of course, you are Big Al, >300lbs by his own admission. Where the hell is Big Al when you need him?!

Later, Ken

 

I'm on Stance GR+Pro SSD coilovers (14/14kg, not the 12/14 they do now), so you can't really move the car much.

I guess that the car should be on the rack straight and if it's not then something can be off.

 

Ok, just got back from alignment shop to establish the source of the squeaking and its relationship, if any, with the alignment fluctuations.
Well as it turns out (https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ev...ant-3-a-2.html), the plastic bump stop had slipped down between the spring and upon compression would rub against the plastic stop resulting in squeaking louder than my exhaust. The chassis is now noise free! I am going to go another week of driving and then return to see if alignment settings are being maintained. For it is possible that the stuck bump stop could easily hold that affected side of the car in different vertical positions thereby resulting in varying/fluctuating alignment settings. In short, check your bump stops prior to making alignment changes/checks.

Later, Ken

 

what about suspension bushings, trailing arm bushings, bump stops, etc? would sloppy OEM bushing attribute to the setting differences?

Also, is the alignment shop you're going to cool about u coming back every week? I hope theyre not charging you every single time!

You are like me. When you get focused on figuring something out, you dont give up and become obsessed in finding the answer! I like your persistence. Tell us what u discover!