Small drop alignment

[Yurgle]

hi guys!

i want to lower my car with RS*R springs (15mm drop)

do the aligment of my car change a lot with such a conservative drop?
do i need to buy some hardware to adjust camber and toe?

[Koa]

1. Probably won't need an alignment with such a conservative drop alone

2. Hardware to adjust camber for Sportline-esque drops or less (<1.3"):

- Camber bolts in front
- Adjustable LCAs in rear (probably can get by with camber bushing kit but those are notorious for sucking)

Toe is adjustable for aforementioned drop or less without any new hardware

--

I recommend you buy camber bolts and LCAs anyway and get an awesome alignment done. Stock alignment can suck. I went to firestone (a GOOD one, recommended by fellow enthusiasts) for a lifetime alignment package. 4 years of alignments for $170. They typically recommend 4 alignments per year.

I see you're in France- try to find a similar deal and you're good to go

My suspension set-up:

- Eibach Sportlines Springs
- Bilstein B8 Shocks
- RacerX adjustable Lower Control Arms
- Whiteline camber bolts (front, 1 each side)

My alignment settings:

Front
Camber: -1.1
Caster: 5.7
Toe: -0.05 (toe out)

Rear
Camber: -1.3
Toe: 0.10 (toe in)

I can explain why I have the settings as such if you're interested. Good luck!

[Yurgle]

now that you talk about stock alignment, on my car you can tell just looking with bare eyes that camber in front is near 0° and on the rear camber is far more negative on the passenger side than on the driver's... kinda strange..

[vroom4]

Get some camber bolts for the front, and then go get an alignment.


Anybody that suggests you don't need an alignment when swapping springs...

[was385]

Originally Posted by Yurgle

hi guys!

i want to lower my car with RS*R springs (15mm drop)

do the aligment of my car change a lot with such a conservative drop?
do i need to buy some hardware to adjust camber and toe?

1.) Yes, get an alignment.
2.) I would grab a set of the OEM crash bolts from Subaru. They're cheaper and sturdier than aftermarket camber bolts.
3.) If you're driving on the street with that conservative of a drop, LCAs are complete overkill IMO. The natural camber will be totally fine and toe is already adjustable from the factory.

[Yurgle]

What is good camber setting for spirited driving on open roads? We have a lot of narrow twisty roads here in France

i'm looking for good grip in sharp turns and minimal tire wear (i guess 0 toe?). I don't plan to go on track for now

[Koa]

Slight negative camber up front and rear will not hurt your tire wear that much... but pays dividends back in twisty handling and performance

Anything over -1.5 up front probably no good for non-tracker. -1.1 fr/-1.3r and I drive 600-800 miles a week. No complaints here.

slight toe out up front will help with turn in/steering feel and tracking the car in the twisties. The downside is increased wandering and stability at high speeds. -0.05 is very conservative and I recommend it.

Slight toe in the rear will help with braking stability and helps to control rear instability

@vroom4 I should have stated that while many consider a ~half inch drop or less unwarranting of an alignment, I recommend aligning the car with crash bolts even if stock.

[wheelhaus]

I also understand a drop under 1" does not need rear LCAs. Some neg camber is added from the drop, but it's minimal. Up front, crash bolts/camber bolts are so cheap it's a no brainer, and we need to dial in more neg camber anyways, dropped or not.

[Koa]

whatever you do OP, recommend against just getting camber bolts and having them dial in zero camber up front, with negative camber in the rear. Just doesn't feel right. YMMV

[Yurgle]

Ok, so just camber bolts up front will do the trick

any cheap way to fix the odd camber mismatch on the rear wheels? or maybe it is set on purpose less negative on the drivers side to compensate the driver's weight? (just wondering...)

[Koa]

Originally Posted by Yurgle

Ok, so just camber bolts up front will do the trick

any cheap way to fix the odd camber mismatch on the rear wheels? or maybe it is set on purpose less negative on the drivers side to compensate the driver's weight? (just wondering...)

It's definitely not deliberate..

Here's a tip to set things right, though.. address this issue with the alignment shop. If they're competent and patient, they will adjust the crossmember and links on the rear system to arrive at an acceptable rear camber setting that isn't varied. There's no excuse that it should be, but realistically these cars are assembled with variances that aren't all caught before being shipped out

[vroom4]

The rear crossmember has a ton of slop, you can loosen it and get it close probably. And my you I mean alignment shop.

[Phantobe]

I have a similar question... dont mean to thread jack xD

I was gonna run these springs: http://www.ft86speedfactory.com/rs-r...-frs-1156.html

25-30mm front, 30-35mm rear

Do you think I can get away with no camber adjustment in the rear? I'm guessing it would produce about ~-2.5 of camber in the rear. I have no problem running camber bolts in the front. Just wanted to wait on LCAs.

From what I've read toe will attribute to tire wear more than camber.

Or should I pick different springs for a more ~1" drop.

[vroom4]

Rear camber will be fine. Will just not handle optimally at the limit with more negative camber then rear.