Tein Flex Z Problems

[zussypoo]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

The difference in the front end camber/caster is unusual, I think that may be a symptom of your underlying issue. Most alignment sheets I've seen (mine included) are dead even left/right across the fronts unless an adjustable element is added and out of whack. Not sure if you already got that lifetime alignment deal but swapping back to OE struts and top mounts in the front would imo eliminate the front (and if you feel like doing the rears too) Teins as a potential cause. Then you'd be looking at the knuckle/hub, lower control arm, steering rack and rods, and subframe.

Again, good luck.

That is my next step. Should I put the stock sway bars back on as well in the front? Knuckle, wheel bearing, lower control arm, steering rack and rods have all been replaced.

[swarb]

Just throwing some more ideas out there-
Is the height even all around? Preload good? Even if they are adjusted evenly on the coilover, you may need to adjust according to chassis height.
Are the sway bars preloaded correctly? Maybe disconnect them and try to see if there is any changes? Be careful driving with no front sway bar connected.
Also check the rear, it might not be the front, it could be any corner really.

Can you describe or post pics of the damage in the accident?

What is weird is it drove fine with the other suspension. I would think it was the tein's causing the problem as that was the most recent change.

[zussypoo]

Originally Posted by swarb

Just throwing some more ideas out there-
Is the height even all around? Preload good? Even if they are adjusted evenly on the coilover, you may need to adjust according to chassis height.
Are the sway bars preloaded correctly? Maybe disconnect them and try to see if there is any changes? Be careful driving with no front sway bar connected.
Also check the rear, it might not be the front, it could be any corner really.

Can you describe or post pics of the damage in the accident?

What is weird is it drove fine with the other suspension. I would think it was the tein's causing the problem as that was the most recent change.

Height was measured and pretty even. Preload was left as is out the box. Sway bar endlinks were tightened after each height adjustment, if that's what you are asking? The only odd thing about the sway bar was that the passenger side subframe mount bolt that bolts onto the sway bar was almost impossible to put back into the mount, which is why I suspect the subframe may be tweaked.

I also thought it was a problem with the Tein coilovers, but I never got the alignment spec sheet post alignment for the stock ones, or post alignment for the Buddy Club coilovers.
Pics of the damage:

[strat61caster]

The right front is showing less caster than is usual (typically about 6degrees) if I had to pick where to start it's be there, maybe a bent control arm, strut, or even the top mount (chassis) or subframe could be bent out of position, in order from least expensive to most.

[zussypoo]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

The right front is showing less caster than is usual (typically about 6degrees) if I had to pick where to start it's be there, maybe a bent control arm, strut, or even the top mount (chassis) or subframe could be bent out of position, in order from least expensive to most.

Control arm can be eliminated as a factor since it's been replaced, strut is the same thing as the coilover correct? The Teins were put on there post-accident. How would the top mount be bent if it's sitting much higher up on the car?

[Ashikabi]

Control arm mounting point?

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by zussypoo

Control arm can be eliminated as a factor since it's been replaced, strut is the same thing as the coilover correct? The Teins were put on there post-accident. How would the top mount be bent if it's sitting much higher up on the car?

I meant to imply if the car chassis was actually bent such that where the top mount gets bolted to the car is not where it should be, that would put the suspension slightly out of position causing the difference in alignment and the pulling. That might total the car if true and I hope it isn't, odds are that it's fine those mounting points should be very strong.

Didn't know the Teins were post accident, that would reduce the likelihood that they are the problem significantly. Like akshi said above, front subframe (where the control arm bolts to) looks like your last shot (aside from the Teins maybe being built out of spec which does happen) at it not being a damaged chassis.

Best of luck, after this I'm pretty much out of ideas.

[Ashikabi]

If if the frame was bent, and then caster camber and toe were adjusted to normal numbers, wouldn't it still drive straight? The actual adjustments left to right would just be different

[zussypoo]

Update 3: Took the coilovers off but still kept the Whiteline sway bars. Got an alignment and everything was normal again. Car not pulling to the right unless road is severely crowned. Looks like it is the Tein Flex-Z's problems after all as the installation was checked multiple times by 5+ shops and various people. Alignment was also done a grand total of 6 times including the most recent one. I'm in contact with fteightysix now but it looks like they are going to present it to Tein and see what they say.
Picture of the alignment specs:

[Ashikabi]

Originally Posted by zussypoo

Update 3: Took the coilovers off but still kept the Whiteline sway bars. Got an alignment and everything was normal again. Car not pulling to the right unless road is severely crowned. Looks like it is the Tein Flex-Z's problems after all as the installation was checked multiple times by 5+ shops and various people. Alignment was also done a grand total of 6 times including the most recent one. I'm in contact with fteightysix now but it looks like they are going to present it to Tein and see what they say.
Picture of the alignment specs:

That's just plain weird...

[strat61caster]

My money is the left front top hat was wrong, either damaged, wrong part shipped, or bad manufacturing tolerances that slipped through QC, added an extra 1 degree of caster which caused the left front wheel to have more trail between steering axis and contact patch, the left side centered stronger than the right side, the right would follow the road more readily pulling the car along.

Last week I had one of my camber plates slip after hitting a pot hole, left side max camber ~-3.5, right side ~-1 degree, car definitely pulled to the left iirc.

[zussypoo]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

My money is the left front top hat was wrong, either damaged, wrong part shipped, or bad manufacturing tolerances that slipped through QC, added an extra 1 degree of caster which caused the left front wheel to have more trail between steering axis and contact patch, the left side centered stronger than the right side, the right would follow the road more readily pulling the car along.

Last week I had one of my camber plates slip after hitting a pot hole, left side max camber ~-3.5, right side ~-1 degree, car definitely pulled to the left iirc.

I wouldn't know what exactly is wrong with the coilovers, but all I know is that the car drove fine on stock post-accident, on Buddy Club Racing Spec coilovers post-accident, and everything was off as soon as the Tein Flex Zs were put on the car with incorrect alignment specs that are nonadjustable until the stock struts were put back on. Unfortunately I'm currently working with @fteightysix to resolve this issue, but Tein is saying that because my car had an accident, it is of course my vehicle's issue and not their product being defective.

[Brzerker]

Originally Posted by zussypoo

Update: Got a new steering assembly, steering feels more consistent between turning left and right now. The alignment shop this time double checked and verified that the steering wheel is centered as least on the machine. Car is still drifting to the right. If the steering wheel is tilted slightly to the left it no longer drifts right as quickly or just does not drift altogether. I'm thinking this may be the coilover's problem as the previous set of Buddy Club Racing Spec coilovers did not encounter this issue ever.

OP, I am having the same issue as you.

I have ran through multiple suspension setup (Taiwan stuff, koni shocks w/ springs, HKS GT, KW CS) yet whenever I get the alignment shops to do a 0 toe alignment on all fours it will still "pull" to the right and I have to tilt my steering wheel similar to your situation. I have went to multiple shops to try to see whether is it the fault of the last, however it was always doing the same no matter. Eventually I ran out of ideas and I have to manually tweak the toe to get the steering to align.

It's annoying as hell but sadly I've learned to live with it.

Coincidentally, I had the same fender bender as you at the same spot. I am not sure if that is to blame as well as I got it quite early into the ownership of this car.

[nickmerronesucks]

I'm not sure if it's been covered yet. but do you have a picture of how you bolted the camber plates to the car? Engine bay view? Possible you mounted them to where they would adjust caster and not camber? IE the opposite way they are supposed to be installed