Notices
Evo X Tires / Wheels / Brakes / Suspension Discuss everything that helps make your car start and stop to the best of it's abilities.

Installed Swift lowering spring/ having problems

Old Apr 13, 2010 | 06:57 PM
  #1  
Madrican's Avatar
Thread Starter
Evolving Member
 
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 153
Likes: 0
From: Honolulu
Installed Swift lowering spring/ having problems

So I installed Swift lowering springs to my 08 Evo MR. After installing the springs I waited about a week to get the alignment done to let the springs settle in. When I went to the alignment shop my front camber was -2.8 on the left and -2.7 right. The tech said he maxed out my camber adjustment and the finally results were -2.1 on the left and -2.2 on the right.

I didn't think to much of this since I don't drive my car that much, but today I notice that the inside of my 2 front tires are bald. I did some research on here trying to find a fix for this problem before I get more damage to my tires. I found few topics on here about the top bolt being flip 180 to get -2. So I am trying to figure out if I did a mistake and turn this bolt the wrong way. The way the top and bottom bolts are, the point part of the bolts points to the front of the car.

example:

[]==[]=>


If I did install the bolts the right way, could someone point me in the right direction for a camber kit. I search for a kit but only came up with a kit that cost around $400.
Reply
Old Apr 13, 2010 | 09:01 PM
  #2  
Madrican's Avatar
Thread Starter
Evolving Member
 
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 153
Likes: 0
From: Honolulu
I just took off the rim and I notice that both red arrows are facing the rim. Is this what people have been talking about to get the -2? Because if so yet me know please so I could put it facing the engine to get the -1 back.
Reply
Old Apr 13, 2010 | 09:19 PM
  #3  
Clipse3GT's Avatar
Account Disabled
iTrader: (10)
 
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,185
Likes: 2
From: Cleveland, OH
Originally Posted by Madrican
I just took off the rim and I notice that both red arrows are facing the rim. Is this what people have been talking about to get the -2? Because if so yet me know please so I could put it facing the engine to get the -1 back.
-1 is typically facing towards the engine.
-2 to -2.5 is typically facing toward the wheel.

You can't just flip the bolts, you need to adjust toe as well. Otherwise your alignment will be off. More negative camber gives you better turn handling but uses up the tires more. You can try and flip your tires. So you have them taken off flipped on the rim so now you wear the insides, previously the outside.
Reply
Old Apr 13, 2010 | 09:36 PM
  #4  
Madrican's Avatar
Thread Starter
Evolving Member
 
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 153
Likes: 0
From: Honolulu
Thanks I will flip the bolt tomorrow and get an alignment done again.

How could the bolt adjust the camber? By looking at the bolt it does not make sense to me. Could some one clue me in,
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2010 | 12:52 PM
  #5  
Madrican's Avatar
Thread Starter
Evolving Member
 
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 153
Likes: 0
From: Honolulu
Just talked to the alignment shop and they told me facing the wheel will give me less negative than facing the engine. Which is the way my car is set-up right now giving me a -2.1 on the front. Wow, now I am totally lost. Am I the only one having this problem?
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2010 | 03:31 PM
  #6  
Madrican's Avatar
Thread Starter
Evolving Member
 
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 153
Likes: 0
From: Honolulu
I guess I am stuck with -2 in the front. I drove to 4 different alignment shops and all 4 told me the arrow pointing towards the rim is the max positive the alignment could go.

Which makes sense in a way since my first alignment I went in with -2.8 and left with -2.1. I guess the MR struts doesn't ready like to be lowered.

I also found only one camber kit online for the evolution x at Maperformance, but it cost around 400.
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2010 | 09:43 PM
  #7  
stokEd's Avatar
Evolved Member
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,271
Likes: 1
From: Denver, CO
Originally Posted by Madrican
Just talked to the alignment shop and they told me facing the wheel will give me less negative than facing the engine.
Toe is what ate up your tires. Make sure to have the shop zero it (toe) out after they dial in your camber. I'm on Swifts running -2.2 in the front with no noticeably uneven tire wear after more than 5k miles.
Reply
Old Apr 15, 2010 | 06:19 AM
  #8  
murlo26's Avatar
Evolved Member
iTrader: (9)
 
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,119
Likes: 1
From: Minnesota
Yea, they probably didn't zero out the toe, you need to get that done. The car stock has -1.4 or so negative camber up front so that isn't the problem. Get your toe figured out.
Reply
Old Apr 15, 2010 | 06:23 AM
  #9  
mifesto's Avatar
Evolved Member
iTrader: (58)
 
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,119
Likes: 0
From: Princeton, NJ
you got -2 camber in front, thats fine
Reply
Old Apr 16, 2010 | 05:34 PM
  #10  
Madrican's Avatar
Thread Starter
Evolving Member
 
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 153
Likes: 0
From: Honolulu
I will like to say thank you guys for all the help.

I went ahead and rotated the camber bolt just for the hell of it and lord be hold the rim was upright more. When to the alignment shop right after and everything is good now.

Left front: -1.0 with +0.04 toe
Right front: -0.8 with +0.04 toe

Mits for some reason didn't mention the camber bolt alignment for the EvoX. The alignment shop info showed no adjustment for the Evo X, but showed the -1 and -2 on the camber bolt for the Evo 8 and Evo 9.
Reply
Old Apr 18, 2010 | 01:55 PM
  #11  
BlitzkrgCT9A's Avatar
Newbie
 
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: San Bruno, CA
the alignment shops were probably not informed properly.
Reply
Old Apr 22, 2010 | 06:19 AM
  #12  
CC16's Avatar
Evolving Member
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 409
Likes: 0
From: Roanoke, Va, USA
Ok. I just got my swifts on and ran into the same issue with the red arrrow. I got it pointed back to the engine and got the front to 2.1 on both sides. While that's ok I was wanting to get them in a little more. Is there any other adjustment on the bolt? Our alignment machine here at work too specified "no adjustment". If it wasnt for this forum we never would've got the red arrow figured out. Also, I need to completely zero out toe correct?
Reply
Old Apr 22, 2010 | 06:55 AM
  #13  
prodigy1210's Avatar
Evolving Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 161
Likes: 1
From: Manchester, UK
I was havign the same problem but with the stock suspension and springs.

I had aligned my car with -2* up front and then I couldn't get it back to -1* ..

I just bought a $16 camber bolt from NAPA and was able to fix it..
Reply
Old Apr 27, 2010 | 04:52 PM
  #14  
fattytoofat's Avatar
Newbie
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
From: US/Canada
how u guys liking the ride on the swift springs and the handling?
Reply
Old Apr 27, 2010 | 11:09 PM
  #15  
Madrican's Avatar
Thread Starter
Evolving Member
 
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 153
Likes: 0
From: Honolulu
Originally Posted by CC16
Ok. I just got my swifts on and ran into the same issue with the red arrrow. I got it pointed back to the engine and got the front to 2.1 on both sides. While that's ok I was wanting to get them in a little more. Is there any other adjustment on the bolt? Our alignment machine here at work too specified "no adjustment". If it wasnt for this forum we never would've got the red arrow figured out. Also, I need to completely zero out toe correct?
Your negative camber is what I had with the arrow pointing to the rim.
Reply

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

All times are GMT -7. The time now is 08:43 AM.