First off, I swear on everything holy that I've tried to search (Not just here, elsewhere too) for an answer to this question.

I had a pretty severe curb check in my 96 Accord a few weeks back that ended up costing me new lowers and upper on the right rear, as well as that PITA wheel bearing/hub unit. The problem is that even at full throw, I can't get my tire to align right. It's still toed out (Positive toe?) and it also has bad camber (leans out on the top like L| /R ). It doesn't *look* like I've jacked the frame up at all, but who knows. Regardless, I'd like to be able to fix this without making the Ye Olde Bodyshop trip and letting them yank around on the undercarriage.

From my (not so) expert analysis, what I've come up with is that the adjustment bolt (The one on Arm A with the lobe on it) won't push that arm far enough out. I run out of throw. At full deflection I still show 7/8" toe. Now, when I look at the hole that the "cam" (?) rotates in, I have quite a bit of extra room in there. I was thinking of maybe taking a think piece of metal and basically cutting a sort of cup that the existing washer/cam setup with fit over the top of, but the edge would beef up the throw. It's kind of hard to explain, but sort of like a coke bottle cap that the bolt would come through from the underneath so that the rim would encase that lobe and basically increase the diameter of it to give it more throw.

I'm thinking that maybe this will inherently fix the camber problem too. It seems that as the wheel deflects out in front (When the arm is extending) that the bottom is thrust forward, which makes sense, since it's being pushed from the bottom. By adding enough push to get the toe in check, is it possible I'll also correct the camber problem by nature (Hibdon told me it was 1.1 degrees off camber). If there are any aftermarket parts to fix this, I'd be interested in hearing of those before I go to town with my dremel!

Also, can you actually get the lower arms off without having to use a spring compressor. I was told by someone that you had to have one and so I took it to a local shop to have them changed out cuz I was afraid of getting whacked and my Air Force career meeting an untimely demise.

Thanks all!

 

You need a new LCA on the side of the car that hit the curb, then an alignment.
BTW thanks for serving our country

 

No....thank YOU for paying for my jet fuel

I've already replaced both lower control arms. Any other thoughts? It just occured to me that the wheel was rotated when it folded, not just folded straight under and I wonder if it pulled the LCA mount far enough out that it's jacked up now. Have to crawl back under...

 

You might want to try asking in the Suspension Forum...