When you install coilovers, and have them aligned at a certain height, can you then adjust the height more and still have it aligned?

Alex- who thinks this might be a stupid question

<<<<<<<<Hey look! 69 posts!


[Modified by SOMEguyFROMoregon, 11:48 PM 12/5/2001]

 

<THIS COULD BE WRONG, BUT I THINK IT'S RIGHT>

THE only thing height adjustment (within reason) changes is your camber, how much the top of the wheel is tilted towards or away from the center of the car. Lowering the car causes negative camber, which as a general rule is good for handling, but bad for tire wear and straight-line stability. An adjustable camber kit will give you control over this as you alter the car's ride height. The Toe is factory adjustable, but i don't think it's affected by lowering/raising. And the caster is only adjustable with a curb or a hammer (although apparently you can flip the upper-A-arms 180 degrees to change caster, as Roger Foo did on his Touring Car civic hatch.)

 

So after I get it aligned, I can raise and lower the car without it needing alignment again?

Realising I will only suffer fom camber, is this still safe?

 

No. You cannot.

Once it is aligned, its is aligned to that height only. True, camber will change with the ride height but there is no free lunch here. When the tops of the wheels move in or out they are also changing the toe in or out.

Thats why when people lower their car without getting an alignment after, they usually wear their tires but from toe not camber like most would think.

Same deal with caster. Basically if you mess with camber or caster your messing with toe. Toe is the only angle that you can change and not mess with the other two.

 

Thanks for the reply,

So does everyone who raises their cars in the winter have them re aligned?

ONE more weird Q... if you have the car aligned at a certain height, move it to a new height, then move it back to the first height (which was aligned), then will it still be aligned?

Alex- still waitin for the coils

 

toe will also change with hight adjustments. toe is what kills your tires very fast. lowering the car causes toe "out", raising the car causes toe "in" that can be adjusted. neg camber will be good for better cornering.