Hello ht members

So I took my 89 civic si into the shop to get an alignment today. After speaking with the man about my car I was telling him my car is pulling to the right pretty bad. I have the usual camber wear on the tires

Specs
89 civic si
Skunk2 coil over + shock set up
Lowered 1 inch ( daily driver so not low much )

So I thought the car was done. The man came to me and said he wasn't able to resolve the issue cause I need to replace my lower ball joints.. He said there is a camber kit for the lower ball joints? I asked how much which he then said 170 per side plus labor which would cost me 610. I thought this didn't make sense. After much searching I've come to the conclusion the lower ball joints are just to be replaced and don't cause alignment problems... I am used to the upper ball joint/ camber kits that resolve issues like that...

Am I wrong? Does this sound shady or is he correct?

 

I haven't ever heard of an adjustable LOWER ball joint for EFs. There are adjustable upper ball joints, adjustable upper control arms, and the little add-on adjustable kits that go between the control arm and shock tower mounts (IMO this option is least desirable).

Ask him for a part number/brand name or something, I'd be interested to see these adjustable lower ball joints.

Just buy your own stuff, install it, then take it to get aligned. I couldn't fathom spending $600 bucks on that.

This would be my personal preference. SPC makes good stuff. Since you're only lowered an inch this will give you enough adjustability

http://www.andysautosport.com/honda/...p00432810.html

And here's a nice video of them being installed on an EF so you can see how they work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcjHU...e_gdata_player

*edit*

They also make an extended range ball joint, so if you were to lower even more you could use it:

http://www.andysautosport.com/honda/...p00432813.html

 

your "camber wear" isnt from your camber, its from improper alignment causing your toe to be out.

btw, this mechanic you're at sounds shady.

 

This.

Lowering an inch shouldn't give you enough negative camber to wear your tires badly. As said, they're toed out, which makes them snow plow and chew up the inside edge. Take it somewhere else and get it aligned.

 

Thank you everyone for the advice. I thought this didn't sound right at all. He actually said the alignment is still off, BUT he fixed the toe issue....

my car still pulls to the right, though. ( which i know is a different problem ) Having another shop look at it tomorrow. I hate to lose 60 bucks, but i don't really feel like going back and telling them to fix something they never worked on in the first place. Maybe cause me more problems.

 

if its pulling right than either your caster is short on the right side from bent/worn parts or you have a radial tire pull ...quick way to tell and possibly save 60 bucks is to cross your front tires and test drive it if the pull is gone or pulls the opposite direction you know its tires ...if it still persists after crossing them then you know there is a suspension problem ....i do alignments and run into alot of tire pull issues on vehicles that are perfectly in spec

 

Post a picture of your alignment printout. That might help us figure out what's wrong. Or at least point you in one direction or another.

 

^this.

also if you want to check you ball joints your self. jack the front end of your car up until the front tires come off the ground. grab the wheels at the 12 and 6 o clock position and jerk back and forth to check for play. if there is noticable play you will know if your ball joint is bad. usually the tops go bad if your lowered if i can remember correctly.

also, did he give you a alignment print out? before and after?

 

I didn't get the print out. Which leads me to believe the guy was kinda shady. Usually shops will prove things so you have some trust in their opinion and or work. On the paper he just left a note saying he was unable to complete the job due to the camber being too far out. He went on to mention he made the toe even, but alignment is off.

TearSDMF89dx - When you say "cross your front tires" what exactly do you mean? sorry if that's a dumb question i just don't understand.

Either way i am getting a second opinion from a shop tomorrow. I do believe my tires play a part in it as well. I just think the alignment is still off due to how much it pulls. I will get a print out tomorrow for sure and post the results on here tomorrow.

Thanks again for the advice and help, its appreciated.

 

Put the right one on the left and the left one on the right.

 

Ah.. ok i will try that as well. The tires are evenly worn would that make a difference?

 

Maybe, maybe not. It's a free and easy test though, so it doesn't hurt to try

 

i don't trust print outs either ...the slightest pressure one one of the aligner heads can change settings past a full degree so they are not always accurate

 

I use .25mm fishing line, a precision ruler and a small bubble level. Surprisingly effective. In 20 minutes I had my CRX driving better than any alignment shop was ever able to get it.

 

^ that's like MacGyver. haha

So i found out part of the reason today. I went to get a fender roll today and when i was taking off the wheel me and the guy noticed the rim has a bent. So this is part of the reason for the rough drive. Also the tires are pretty uneven and worn.

So when i get my new wheels + tires ( tomorrow or Friday ) i will put them on, balanced and drive to see how it rides. Hopefully then i can get it all aligned and perfect. I will update more soon.

 

Yeah...a bent rim makes it impossible to align.