[girard.k]

has anyone heard of having a spring alignments i was told i needed one if i changed my springs to lower my car

fact or fiction?

[kamilk69]

its not called a spring alignment, you need to adjust your camber. whena car gets lower the camber changes.

[focusonthis_88]

If you go lower than 2" it's a good idea to do it.

[installman]

girard.k,Mar 26 2007, 08:27 AM Wrote:has anyone heard of having a spring alignments i was told i needed one if i changed my springs to lower my car

fact or fiction?
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I think what they meant is after you drop the car, get a wheel alignment done as it may be out. When I did mine it was needed.

[girard.k]

focusonthis_88,Mar 25 2007, 07:13 PM Wrote:If you go lower than 2" it's a good idea to do it.
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why is this tho i have adjustables and i plan on 2" or 1-1/2

necessary and cost?

[kamilk69]

when you lower your car the tops of your tires move into the car, this causes a - camber. you can drive your car but your tires will wear unevenly and you will chew them up.

people that drift, have extreme -cambers, less tire contact, wheels break lose in the rear easier.

[girard.k]

kamilk69,Mar 25 2007, 11:23 PM Wrote:when you lower your car the tops of your tires move into the car, this causes a - camber. you can drive your car but your tires will wear unevenly and you will chew them up.

people that drift, have extreme -cambers, less tire contact, wheels break lose in the rear easier.
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so i dont need any professional work done?

[FocusGuy7476]

if you are doing any suspension work you should have a 4 wheel alignment done to your car. its a lot cheaper to do the alignment then to replace tires due to uneven wear.

[ZX3TUNING]

wow?! :blink:


if you are getting coilovers there is no such thing as a "spring alignment"

you do not need an "alignment" after you drop your focus.
you need to get your "toe adjusted"!

you cannot do anything else from an alignment on a focus unless you purcahse additional parts which you DO NOT need!

I have lowered a lot of Focus' and even with 2.75" drops the camber(assuming you do not have problems before the drop) still falls into the factory spec range.


-camber is not something for drifters so they can break away faster... it helps but it's more of a style factor for them.
on a focus you need a camber kit to get to the required -camber for optimum handling. drifters use much more than just camber to get fast breakaway and they run upto 10° of -camber! Your focus wont see more than -2° without the use of an aftermarket camber kit in most cases... and between -3° to -4.5° is ideal for a focus for optimum handling on the track and at the AutoX (street too but i do not suggest driving like that on the street). ;)




back to your questions, there is no such thing as a "spring alignment".
you ONLY need your "toe adjusted" when you drop your focus.
with a correct toe setting and -2.5° camber = very nice for handling on a Focus.

[kamilk69]

well that just throws my entire theory out the window.

atleast i tried

[ZED_not_zee]

Think of it this way.. you just took your suspension apart.. and put a new one in... you should get an alignment to make sure every thing is back to spec...

and remember if you lower your car for handling,,, set it up with the control arms flat... not perched up from uber drop!!!

this will keep your axils at a half way descent angles and not stress the CV's as much

[ZX3TUNING]

the suspension on the focus is pretty idiot-proof.
if it goes back together like it came apart, chances are there will be nothing wrong with the alignment settings other than the toe.

if something was damaged during install getting your toe corrected will show this.
if the suspension was installed incorrectly then it probably would have other issues as well!



good point on the control arms... that is where drops of over 2.25" come into play.

also, when i say don't get an "alignment", it's more important NOT to ask for an alignment as some shady shops will charge you more for an alignment than a toe adjust if you do not ask for a toe adjust.


oh and little information is worse/more dangerous than no information at all!

[thenorm]

I agree complety with ZX3tuning, after i got my suspension install i went to get a 4 wheel alignment. After all that I found that the only thing they changed was the 'toe' on the rear wheels. everything else was in spec. So when you do go it, just ask for a toe adjustment.

And for a ~2" drop, i had about -2º camber on all for wheels. no camber kit needed.

Norm

[girard.k]

thanks guys im only looking at getting a 1.6" or a 2" drop so i may look into getting a "toe adjustment".

How much does this sort of thing cost if i were to go to the standard shop? And sorry but im interested in what they actually do to inspect this... What do they actually look for in this inspection?

[ZED_not_zee]

OMG your from windsor I just noticed this.. got Alchin brake and steering on tecumseh near howard...

there amazing... they set my car up nicly after I put the coil overs on....

[euro]

Mitch, still have those FS rear toe kit in stock?

Mitch is right, I installed my springs two years ago and had the toe adjusted. For racing you what toe out, when you lower a focus you get negative camber and toe in. Toe in sucks, racers set-up the toe out for better response in turn and more contact to the tarmac when the wheel is turned. :P