Car doesn't drive right after LCA install, need your help/advise

[Kwise1]

Originally Posted by CSG David

Try contacting the vendor who sold you the camber arms. They will know exactly what's wrong with your setup especially if there is a potential part defect.

The stock lower control arms are installed

[Kwise1]

Originally Posted by SubieNate

Also. What kind of tires did you put on? Are the new rears a match to the fronts?

Yes they're both nitto 555, but the rear ones are new

[Kwise1]

Originally Posted by wparsons

This sums that up

More on topic, were the coilovers installed before any of this started? Were they touched at all in the process (other than unbolting them from the LCA)?

Yes the coils we installed prior to my original 19x8.5 all around wheels. I didn't change the setting of these at all just installed the controls arms wrong was told about it from the shop then reinstalled the arms the right way

[Kwise1]

Originally Posted by SPCPerformance

Sorry to hear that you have taken your kit off Kwise1. As you found, the more you change camber, the more you will change toe. The kit you had from SPC had an off-set toe bushing included so that you could effectively change the length of the OE toe link and then dial-in your toe setting with the OE cam.

As SubieNate alluded, your suspension is a system. Whenever you change ride rate, ride height, tire package etc… you will change the way the car feels. To minimize any compounding affect with other components, SPC has put adjustment out at the wheel. All other arms on the market make the adjustment on the inboard end of the arm, so… when you change length of the arm you effectively change the pick-up point of the stabilizer bar and the strut, it is a small affect, but it throws more variables into your system.

The only ride difference you should see when you install SPC Arms, (and you will need to be a ride quality engineer to detect it,) is that the rear end will be a bit stiffer as we have replaced the OE rubber bushing in the camber link with an xAxis sealed flex joint.

If you want easier or more toe adjustment, check out our toe link part number 67655.

Thank you for all the info, the SPC arms seemed to be a quality part, I just don't need them with my 9.5 rear wheels. My issue is now with the stock arms not the SPC ones.

[Kwise1]

Why all the hate on Megan coils, I've installed these on my car, my wife's FRS and my friends FRS and had no issues so far. My friends set up is very similar to mine with 19x9.5 square but 225/35 tires all around, dropped like mine and his car drives right. It seems the con census is get another alignment, I'll swap out the inner bushings and get another alignment, hopefully this will fix the issue thanks for everyone's input so far. Would having different size tires effect this or the fact that the fronts are older than the rears?

[CSG David]

Age and stagger should not produce such insane difference. Your choice of tire size paired with an alignment guy that slacked at his/her job produced such issue. On top of that, your tire pressure is still high. Don't get offended by people ragging on your setup. You chose to go down this route so you should expect compliments and criticism alike.

[Kwise1]

Originally Posted by CSG David

Age and stagger should not produce such insane difference. Your choice of tire size paired with an alignment guy that slacked at his/her job produced such issue. On top of that, your tire pressure is still high. Don't get offended by people ragging on your setup. You chose to go down this route so you should expect compliments and criticism alike.

What tire size would you recommend? My friend is running 225/35 all around on 19x9.5 wheels and stock control arms and the same Megan coils. His car drives fine. That's why I'm at a loss should I try the same tire size as his but that's a little more aggressive stretch.

[Kwise1]

Also what tire pressure do you recommend as well?

[CSG David]

Originally Posted by Kwise1

What tire size would you recommend? My friend is running 225/35 all around on 19x9.5 wheels and stock control arms and the same Megan coils. His car drives fine. That's why I'm at a loss should I try the same tire size as his but that's a little more aggressive stretch.

245 is minimum width on a 9.5" width wheel. For track guys, the width of the tire equaling the width of the wheel yields the the most optimal grip. 265 on a 10.5" is the minimum. I'm stating these recommendations if you want the most out of your setup.

Make sure your toe settings are dialed to 0" all around. If you want some rear end stability, dial in 1/32" total rear toe-in (1/64" on each side). These settings will have to be check every time you install suspension components. If you want to put in the SPC LCAs, then get the alignment done afterwards. Make sure you watch the guy doing it and ensure he/she is getting that specific setting in. Modification will increase the response of the car, but that also means any imperfections in setup will be magnified. You are basically taking away the buffer zone that the OEM guys dialed in.

Originally Posted by Kwise1

Also what tire pressure do you recommend as well?

32psi all around. Check them early in the morning.

[wparsons]

Originally Posted by Kwise1

Why all the hate on Megan coils, I've installed these on my car, my wife's FRS and my friends FRS and had no issues so far. My friends set up is very similar to mine with 19x9.5 square but 225/35 tires all around, dropped like mine and his car drives right. It seems the con census is get another alignment, I'll swap out the inner bushings and get another alignment, hopefully this will fix the issue thanks for everyone's input so far. Would having different size tires effect this or the fact that the fronts are older than the rears?

My comment was more about a budget coilover being driven as low as they can go. Being at the bottom end of the travel range will make most coilovers act funny, especially over bumps.

Since you didn't touch them though, I would bet it's the alignment. Did they adjust the toe at all when playing with camber? If so, putting the stock arms back on will likely have thrown your toe way out.

[Kwise1]

Originally Posted by wparsons

My comment was more about a budget coilover being driven as low as they can go. Being at the bottom end of the travel range will make most coilovers act funny, especially over bumps.

Since you didn't touch them though, I would bet it's the alignment. Did they adjust the toe at all when playing with camber? If so, putting the stock arms back on will likely have thrown your toe way out.

I never drove with the spc arms installed, I put them in saw that i would need to install the toe bushing and took them out immediatly. I then installed my stock arms not putting weight on them before tightening the bolts (my Mistake). The next day i got the car aligined and after telling the shop how i installed the arms they told me what i did wrong. they loosened the arms, let the car settle (meaning the inner bushings were taught) and redid the alignment. I took the car home and it drove better. I completely removed the arms and installed them like i was supposed to before and got another alignment (same shop). They adjusted the toe some. the car now drives ok with the air pressure at 35 instead of 40 ( ill change it to 32 today)