1st Generation Specific (1979-1985) 1979-1985 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections

Alignment adjustments after lowering springs

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Old 11-25-04, 01:16 AM
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Alignment adjustments after lowering springs

SO I want to put some RB springs in my car, and in my experience when you put lowering springs in any car, it usually ***** up the camber, which can be adjusted out. However our cars dont have any camber adjustment!

How is the alignment being corrected after lowering?
Old 11-25-04, 01:27 AM
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here's a lil' write up I found.. and the other one is just a collection of people's oppinion's on suspension adjustments...
Old 11-25-04, 01:44 AM
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i have access to an alignment rack at work I have access too, but there is no camber or caster adjustment on the FB
Old 11-25-04, 03:17 AM
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Can it be corrected by rotating the tops of the struts?
Old 11-25-04, 04:48 AM
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Well, from what Ive heard, you dont really need to worry about it anyway as most people who put the springs on get an increase in height, lol.

~T.J.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, I thought I read somewhere about the tops of the struts being somewhat adjustable stock... I think it might have been in the Haynes manual.

Last edited by RotorMotorDriver; 11-25-04 at 04:50 AM.
Old 11-25-04, 11:32 AM
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Yeah, I bet my car will actually increase in height if I got some stiffer lowering springs too.

There is a small arrow that points at one of the studs. It's a good idea to mark which stud the arrow points at if you need to remove the strut for any reason.
Old 11-25-04, 03:39 PM
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Yes this is true. However its a very stupid adjustment. It only allows you to adjust it 25 degrees positive or negative. Its one or the other I forget which one.

But I doubt lowering the car will make it EXACTLY 25 degrees off in camber adjustment. I looked on mazdatrix's site and there they sell camber caster adjuster plates. Is that the only way to truely adjust it?
Old 11-25-04, 04:03 PM
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I looked on mazdatrix's site and there they sell camber caster adjuster plates. Is that the only way to truely adjust it?
No, quite a few companys make camber/caster plates

~T.J.
Old 11-25-04, 06:39 PM
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The CODEBLUE car has them. It also has the Racing Beat lowering kit where the top of the strut is actually higher than the stock location (you already knew that, but yeah). I think the 1st gen with the 20B in it across the pond has a similar lowering kit, if not the same.
Old 11-25-04, 10:40 PM
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Originally Posted by hornbm
Yes this is true. However its a very stupid adjustment. It only allows you to adjust it 25 degrees positive or negative. Its one or the other I forget which one.
25 degrees?? are you sure you don't mean 2.5 degrees? 25.....that would be damn near undrivable. Also our strut has 4 studs meaning we can get 4 different strut seat positions.
Old 11-25-04, 11:13 PM
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2.5 or .25, or forget which one, probably .25.

But you are correct we can rotate the strut tops. THis offers basically no adjust ment though. One position will adjust the camber .25 degrees, one poition will adjust the caster ,25 degrees, and the last position will adjust both .25 degrees.

Not much of an adjust ment because when you lower it I really doubt its going to be exactly .25 degrees off in camber
Old 11-25-04, 11:29 PM
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Think about it... 25 deg is halfway to diagonal...

0.25 deg is almost negligable....

2.5 sounds right...

Besides, lowering the car should automagically give you a bit of negative camber... You'd probably wanna correct positively...
Old 11-26-04, 01:24 AM
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thank you I couldnt remember what was what.

Hen you lower the car the front wheels will tilt in (negative)

By rotating the strut top, you can adjust the camber .25 degrees postive by rotating the strut tops.

However, theres know way its gonna be exactly .25 degrees off, which is why im wonderin what everyone else did.

In any alignment spec 2.5 degrees is a HUGE Amount. Its gotta be .25

Last edited by hornbm; 11-26-04 at 01:27 AM.
Old 11-26-04, 10:02 AM
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Originally Posted by hornbm
thank you I couldnt remember what was what.

Hen you lower the car the front wheels will tilt in (negative)

By rotating the strut top, you can adjust the camber .25 degrees postive by rotating the strut tops.

However, theres know way its gonna be exactly .25 degrees off, which is why im wonderin what everyone else did.

In any alignment spec 2.5 degrees is a HUGE Amount. Its gotta be .25
I know it's a huge amount. I was talking about 2.5 degrees from 0, not 2.5 off of spec... Most cars run slight negative camber anyhow. But a total camber of -2.5 deg sounds about right.
Old 11-26-04, 11:41 AM
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I think I've seen a 1st gen with slotted holes. I can't remember if it had lowering springs.
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