If you lower a car just a tad with washers or stardiag, does it change the alignment?
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CLS55
If you lower a car just a tad with washers or stardiag, does it change the alignment?
I'm thinking about keeping the stock wheels and just lowering it a tad with washers or stardiag. is the alignment fine afterwards?
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Theoretically, if you lower it "just a tad" you shouldn't have made enough of a change to require an alignment....
Every professional I have ever known, however, and I myself, always have a four-wheel alignment done after any suspension mod as a matter of course.
It is just a good thing to do -- and is definately less expensive than having to prematurely replace tires...or worse.
If you lower your car the next thing to do is to have a four-wheel alignment done.
Every professional I have ever known, however, and I myself, always have a four-wheel alignment done after any suspension mod as a matter of course.
It is just a good thing to do -- and is definately less expensive than having to prematurely replace tires...or worse.
If you lower your car the next thing to do is to have a four-wheel alignment done.
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From: Tampa
04 E55, 04 FX45
Originally Posted by ClayJ
Theoretically, if you lower it "just a tad" you shouldn't have made enough of a change to require an alignment....
Every professional I have ever known, however, and I myself, always have a four-wheel alignment done after any suspension mod as a matter of course.
It is just a good thing to do -- and is definately less expensive than having to prematurely replace tires...or worse.
If you lower your car the next thing to do is to have a four-wheel alignment done.
Every professional I have ever known, however, and I myself, always have a four-wheel alignment done after any suspension mod as a matter of course.
It is just a good thing to do -- and is definately less expensive than having to prematurely replace tires...or worse.
If you lower your car the next thing to do is to have a four-wheel alignment done.
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I usually end up doing all of mine at a collision repair shop that has a computerized laser alignment machine (?) or some such gizmo - I actually don't know what it is called - which is very high-tech, and made specifically for this purpose.
Some place of business has this machine or piece of equipment near where you live.
That's where I would go if I were you....
Some place of business has this machine or piece of equipment near where you live.
That's where I would go if I were you....
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From: Sydney, Australia
2017 S63 Coupe Iridium Silver
Originally Posted by Dogshine
I'm thinking about keeping the stock wheels and just lowering it a tad with washers or stardiag. is the alignment fine afterwards?
If you want to see what is happening to your suspension, raise it to the max, get out of the car and get somebody else to lower it to Sport 1.
You will see your front (and rear) wheels "fold" into the wheel arches, increasing the negative camber from -0.5 deg raised to -1.75 deg Sport 1.
If you lower it by a further 0.6-0.8" with washers or Star, you will go to -2.25-2.5 deg. Live with it.
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CLS55
Originally Posted by Rafal
The lower you go, the more negative camber you get. There is no camber adjustment to W211, unless you ask the dealer to install camber pins which might give you 1/4 deg improvement. All the "performance" alignment in the world will only fiddle with toe-in and caster and still leave the camber unchanged.
If you want to see what is happening to your suspension, raise it to the max, get out of the car and get somebody else to lower it to Sport 1.
You will see your front (and rear) wheels "fold" into the wheel arches, increasing the negative camber from -0.5 deg raised to -1.75 deg Sport 1.
If you lower it by a further 0.6-0.8" with washers or Star, you will go to -2.25-2.5 deg. Live with it.
If you want to see what is happening to your suspension, raise it to the max, get out of the car and get somebody else to lower it to Sport 1.
You will see your front (and rear) wheels "fold" into the wheel arches, increasing the negative camber from -0.5 deg raised to -1.75 deg Sport 1.
If you lower it by a further 0.6-0.8" with washers or Star, you will go to -2.25-2.5 deg. Live with it.
if thats the case, no need to get an alignment after lowering with washers or star, correct? if thats also the case, the car will prob handle better as it sits a little lower, (and as it eats tires a little more)
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From: Sugar Land, TX
BMW E39
Camber won't harm you too much if you don't go extreme. Small amounts of negative camber will "mount" the car on the ground more during cornering, resulting is usually improved handling. Expect the insides of your tires to wear out faster than the outside edges.
Too much camber (more than negative 7 or 8 degrees or something) will probably damage the suspension. Don't worry though, you can only get that amount of camber if your suspension is broken to begin with, or you want your Benz to be literally on the ground.
Too much camber (more than negative 7 or 8 degrees or something) will probably damage the suspension. Don't worry though, you can only get that amount of camber if your suspension is broken to begin with, or you want your Benz to be literally on the ground.
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A little negative camber is good if your driving style includes aggressive cornering, since it tends to help the outside tire remain more vertical for a larger contact patch when turning. But you can also get the more-vertically-aligned-outside-tire during cornering with a little more positive caster, since it will cause the outside tire to lean a little more inwards during cornering.
Increasing the camber more negative from vertical can have several negative effects. As has been noted, inside tire wear will occur. Steering can become a little unstable on rain-grooved surfaces. On bumpy roads, the car can jump a little sideways if the tire on one side loses contact. Panic stop distances will increase since the straight-ahead tire contact patch is reduced. Now for the worst effect - if the rear tire camber is increased, you will lose traction for 1/4-mile blasts.
Increasing the camber more negative from vertical can have several negative effects. As has been noted, inside tire wear will occur. Steering can become a little unstable on rain-grooved surfaces. On bumpy roads, the car can jump a little sideways if the tire on one side loses contact. Panic stop distances will increase since the straight-ahead tire contact patch is reduced. Now for the worst effect - if the rear tire camber is increased, you will lose traction for 1/4-mile blasts.
