I lowered my V6, where can I get it aligned?

djmaincheese · **I lowered my V6, where can I get it aligned?**

I have some wicked negative camber in my 2 front tires. Any reccommendations where I can take it to have aligned. I went to Sears and they said they could only adjust it back to factory settings. Im not sure if this going to be enough!! Should I install a pair of Caster Camber Plates and then take it in to have it adjusted??
I live in Deerfield Beach, FL if anyone knows a good shop to take it to
Thank you for your help
Dean

lowflyn · **Re: I lowered my V6, where can I get it aligned?**

Sounds like you're gonna need some c/c plates. And as far as back to factory specs...that's what you need lol.

I_luv_HP&trq · **Re: I lowered my V6, where can I get it aligned?**

Factory specs won't help you because you're not at factory ride height. original specs are out the door...Don't go cheap on the alignment. Wherever you go make sure they dial in your current ride height so they don't just set it in the green and tell you it's good.
lot's of people do alignments and few fix them.

DarkShadow · **Re: I lowered my V6, where can I get it aligned?**


Quote: Originally Posted by I_luv_HP&trq Factory specs won't help you because you're not at factory ride height. original specs are out the door...Don't go cheap on the alignment. Wherever you go make sure they dial in your current ride height so they don't just set it in the green and tell you it's good. lot's of people do alignments and few fix them.

Very true. Dont be surprised if they have to do some drilling into the strut towers to align it if you don't get CC plates.

Pony Ride · **Re: I lowered my V6, where can I get it aligned?**


Quote: Originally Posted by djmaincheese I have some wicked negative camber in my 2 front tires. Any reccommendations where I can take it to have aligned. I went to Sears and they said they could only adjust it back to factory settings. Im not sure if this going to be enough!! Should I install a pair of Caster Camber Plates and then take it in to have it adjusted?? I live in Deerfield Beach, FL if anyone knows a good shop to take it to Thank you for your help Dean

The question is how much did you lower your car, and have you had it aligned since you lowered it? If you lowered the car 1.5" or less, then chances are you can still get a good alignment without C/C plates. Don't take it to Sears, but a tire shop that specializes in this kind of work. If you just lowered the car, then you might want to wait until the new system settles in until you get an alignment. If it's real noticable, then you'll have to get two separate alignments... one now and one again after the system settles. Some tire shops will give you a cost break if they know you have to come back again later.

Zim · **Re: I lowered my V6, where can I get it aligned?**


Quote: Originally Posted by I_luv_HP&trq Factory specs won't help you because you're not at factory ride height. original specs are out the door...Don't go cheap on the alignment. Wherever you go make sure they dial in your current ride height so they don't just set it in the green and tell you it's good. lot's of people do alignments and few fix them.

Ive been at "factory specs" with my c/c plates and a 2+" drop for over 6 months and have yet to see any wear. All the factory specs are is what camber, toe in, and caster the wheels are set at. 0* camber is 0* camber whether your 2" from the ground or 8"... just go get itset to factory specs, thats what you want. C/C plates will make that easier for people because it will give you more range of adjustment. Without them you may not get back to factory specs depending how low you dropped your car.

**SpectorV** · **Re: I lowered my V6, where can I get it aligned?**

Just because they are factory specs does not mean they are the best specifications to align it to. I would start with factory specs and get a print out of the alignment. Keep a close eye on the tires and adjust as needed. Remember the air pressure in the tires is VERY IMPORTANT it can influence tire wear and gas milage and ride quality.

**SpectorV** · **Re: I lowered my V6, where can I get it aligned?**


Quote: Originally Posted by I_luv_HP&trq Factory specs won't help you because you're not at factory ride height. original specs are out the door...Don't go cheap on the alignment. Wherever you go make sure they dial in your current ride height so they don't just set it in the green and tell you it's good. lot's of people do alignments and few fix them.

The specifications are made in relationship to the frame of the car. One degree is one degree is one degree in relationship to the frame it doesnt matter if the tires are three feet above the frame the relationship still holds.

I_luv_HP&trq · **Re: I lowered my V6, where can I get it aligned?**


Quote: Originally Posted by Zim Ive been at "factory specs" with my c/c plates and a 2+" drop for over 6 months and have yet to see any wear. All the factory specs are is what camber, toe in, and caster the wheels are set at. 0* camber is 0* camber whether your 2" from the ground or 8"... just go get itset to factory specs, thats what you want. C/C plates will make that easier for people because it will give you more range of adjustment. Without them you may not get back to factory specs depending how low you dropped your car.

Well I don't know what kind of alignment machines you guys are using but at my school we have a few really expensive Hunters that are brand new and any car that has been lowered or raised, we have to manually input the rideheight so that it's read correctly by the computer and sensors. Otherwise the car gets a bad thrust angle but everything on the computer says it's in the green and good to go.

and if the person doing the alignment is really good then they'll ask you how you drive your car and what streets you mainly drive on so they can adjust the angles for road crown. There's more to it then just adjusting angles if you want to do it the right way.

**SpectorV** · **Re: I lowered my V6, where can I get it aligned?**

All an alignment is is adjusting angles lol... what you ment to say is the angles you adjust it to are not always best when set to the stock specifications, which is very true. I find stock specs wear the inside of my tires~ Ive tinkered with the specs (on my old car) and made the tires were amazingly. They are perfectly worn across and have over 40k miles on them.

lowflyn · **Re: I lowered my V6, where can I get it aligned?**

I need an alignment...but...I adjusted it myself and have driven a little over 1000 miles with no wear at all on the tires. I'm too lazy to take my bumper off and get it aligned, that...and I have no time.

Horse · **Re: I lowered my V6, where can I get it aligned?**

You shouldn't have to take off your bumper. There are tricks to getting a lowered car like that onto a rack. All you need is a few 2X4's and you can manage it.

**Brent** · **Re: I lowered my V6, where can I get it aligned?**


Quote: Originally Posted by Horse You shouldn't have to take off your bumper. There are tricks to getting a lowered car like that onto a rack. All you need is a few 2X4's and you can manage it.

He has the Roush front bumper. It has to come off for it to be aligned. Its not the fact that it cant get up on the rack.

lowflyn · **Re: I lowered my V6, where can I get it aligned?**


Quote: Originally Posted by Horse You shouldn't have to take off your bumper. There are tricks to getting a lowered car like that onto a rack. All you need is a few 2X4's and you can manage it.

Yeh...the laser that runs across the front of the car....that's about 2 1/2 inches up on the bumper lol. I can get the car on the machine, I just picked up on the bumper while the guy slowly pulled it on the machine. We put the tools on the wheels and the laser just goes into my bumper.

djmaincheese · **Re: I lowered my V6, where can I get it aligned?**

Well I just ordered a CC kit and it should be here on monday.
I am going to attempt to install the Plates and then take it in to be tweaked.
I know the kit comes with instructions but is there anyhting I should keep my eye on during the install. I imagine I would have to jack the car up and get the wheel off the ground, this seems to center the top of the strut under the hood
Am I way off base, should I just take it in to a shop
Thank you for all the input
I know the plates are at least going to get me closer to 0 but probably not perfect

lowflyn · **Re: I lowered my V6, where can I get it aligned?**


Quote: Originally Posted by djmaincheese Well I just ordered a CC kit and it should be here on monday. I am going to attempt to install the Plates and then take it in to be tweaked. I know the kit comes with instructions but is there anyhting I should keep my eye on during the install. I imagine I would have to jack the car up and get the wheel off the ground, this seems to center the top of the strut under the hood Am I way off base, should I just take it in to a shop Thank you for all the input I know the plates are at least going to get me closer to 0 but probably not perfect

What kit did you order and where from? I know when I ordered my set of maximun motosports 4 way adj c/c plates they came with great instructions and I've installed 3 sets of these since then. It's pretty straightforward. Jack the front of the car up, you'll have to take the nuts on top of the struts off and drop the struts out of the way, I end up going ahead and unbolting the front sway bar and dropping the a-arms out of the way because you have to get to the lower plate which is under the strut tower inside the fender well. Take out the nuts/bolts that hold the stock plates in, drill out the rivets and pull the stock plates off. If you got 4 bolt plates, take your time and measure and drill correctly for the 4th hole and put it all together. Not bad at all.