Lowering and Alignment Question
 

I installed the Eibach Sportline kit in my FRS.

Now besides the springs everything else is stock.


To get my alignment in spec for proper Camber, Caster and Toe


I was just going to get the SPC camber bolts and arms as I don't need a huge amount of adjustment and I'm cheap.


My question is do I really need these extra parts to get the alignment in spec?


Also what are the acceptable limits for these 3 measurements that Scion recommends?


Any help is greatly appreciated :thanks::thanks:. Thanks!

What camber and toe numbers are you looking to get from an alignment?

Just getting back to factory specs or better.

Balanced handling and tire wear.

You'll need LCA's to get rear camber back in spec, front should already be ok.

If you want better handling, add camber bolts up front and max out the negative camber, with zero toe.

Anyone else have some input on this? Im looking for exact measurement values.

Here are the factory specs.

The issue lies in that you'll gain a fair amount of negative camber just from the lowering springs. I have RCE Yellows and my rear camber is at -2, without any LCAs or adjustment bushings. Your Sportlines go lower, so you'll probably be around -2 to -2.5 in the rear. If you want to go anywhere other than what the springs get you, you will need LCAs.

In the front, I used camber bolts in the upper hole set to maximum camber, and ended up with -1.7. I could probably turn the bolts the other way and take the camber back down to OEM spec.

Next question is why do you want to go back to OEM spec vs. a more performance-oriented alignment?

Here's my 2 cents because you want an exact set of figures and not the factory ranges (which are huge).

front: 0 toe, -1* to -1.5* camber (max out camber bolts, make sure it's even side to side)

rear: ~1/16" total toe in, -0.5* to -1* camber, set based on how much front camber you can get.

You're going to need parts to adjust camber at both ends since camber isn't adjustable at all in stock form.

Ditto what he said. I lowered my car on Tein Monosports and set my suspension to:

Front
> Camber: -2.8 degrees
> Toe: 0

Rear
> Camber: -2.0 degrees
> Toe: 1/16th toe in

It handles so well now. Stable and it turns in easily, making it feel very agile.

Camber is a bit excessive for a daily driven car so I recommend -2.0 degrees up front for you and -1.4 degrees in the back.

With 1" drop on Hotchkis springs, and OEM camber bolts maxed out, I got -1° camber up front. No new parts in the rear, and i have -2° camber. Toe is 0 up front, and rear.

SPC Arms in the rear and Bolts in the front are what we use for any lowered cars. We also use these on our Spec86 Racecar and Project BRZ Track/Street car. Probably installed 50+ sets and no issues IF you have an aligner/installer who knows how to properly tighten down the bolts so they don't move.

-mike

I don't necessarily want to go back to OEM specs I just want them so I have a comparative.

I do daily drive this and tire wear is a bit of a concern as they are about $300 a tire here and my wheels are staggered so no rotating to reduce uneven wear.


I don't need it to handle like a track car as I don't use it for that.

Just trying to see how I want to set it up. First time lowering a car and I want to do it right without wasting money on parts I don't really need.

Thanks again for everyones input. I think I will be buying the SPC bolts and arms just to get everything to reasonable specs.

Pick up some SPC camber bolts and install them in the bottom strut hole on the front. That way you'll have some front adjustability.

Then go get an alignment and see where you're at. You want the front to be a hair more than the rear. E.g., -1.5f/-1r or -2f/-1.5r. That kind of thing. Either one of those pairs of numbers will be fine, without having uneven tire wear. Keep the front at 0 toe-in, have the rear toed in to ~1/32 to 1/16 each side.

This will give you an agile alignment that is reasonably stable on the highway and conservative on tire wear. You will possibly need rear LCAs, depending on what your rear camber is after the springs.

All of these numbers are changeable to achieve different purposes for the car. Different people will recommend different settings, but this is a good baseline to start from.

^^ top hole, not bottom hole. You'll get more adjustment range in the top hole.

Ok, I was just going off the instructions. Top hole it is.

Whiteline says top hole, same bolts. Consensus is that the bottom hole really limits how much adjustment you get.

Put in SPC bolts in the front and LCA's in the rear.

After coming off the alignment rack specs are bang on and didn't need to use toe bushings.

-2.0 front camber 0 toe.
-1.5 rear camber 1/32 toe on each side for total 1/16

Not to thread jack, but can the rear camber be adjusted at all without LCA's? I have hotchkis springs and havnt gotten anything aligned yet. You can visably see the negative camber in the rear. Will an alignment even gain me anything?

There is zero camber adjustment stock, so if you want to change it then you'll need parts.

wow, so then there really is no point in getting an alignment done after a spring install then unless you get the LCA's...At least my car tracks strait.

Your toe does change after a spring install, so you'll want to take care of that at least (and yes there is toe adjustment stock). Toe is more important for tire wear than camber as well.

- Andrew

Cool, I guess i will actually go and get it done then...Going on a couple thousand mile trip next week, probably best to not ruin my tires, lol.

Toe is the most important factor for tire wear.

Camber (static camber) can have an effect on tire wear, but the idea for camber is to balance inner/outer wear to your driving style and utilize more contact area when you need it most.

Caster only affects the front wheels, and it's not adjustable without camber plates. This is the axis the wheel steers around, like the angle of a bicycle fork. It helps the tire lean into a turn, and can be considered "dynamic camber" because it changes the tire's camber as the wheels are turned farther.

If you're 98% highway miles, then OEM to -1° F and -0.5°R would probably be just fine.

If you have a more "spirited" time behind the wheel and uh, well, frequently capitalize on any opportunity to utilize more lateral grip, then -2 to -2.5 F and -1.5 to -2 R should be fantastic. The idea here is to square up the tire's contact patch in a loaded turn when the outside tires are weighted.

There's no perfect alignment for everyone, the factory just gives safe ranges to make the car understeer and more stable.