Factory Alignment?

ploney · 01-15-2008, 08:51 PM

Has anyone checked the factory alignment yet?

I did a quick check on the front camber with my longacre bubble gauge.

ZERO camber

Time for a do it yourself alignment.
Max out the negative camber and redo the toe!!!

**Digitalfiend** · 01-15-2008, 09:08 PM

How accurate is that gauge? I was going to download the service manual to check the factory tolerances but near 0 camber wouldn't surprise me, considering some of the 05s had positive camber...eek.

Considering how tail happy the JDM STI looks, I wonder if ours have a bit of over zealous safety tweaking in the camber department...

ploney · 01-15-2008, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digitalfiend

How accurate is that gauge? I was going to download the service manual to check the factory tolerances but near 0 camber wouldn't surprise me, considering some of the 05s had positive camber...eek.

Considering how tail happy the JDM STI looks, I wonder if ours have a bit of over zealous safety tweaking in the camber department...

Not bad on accuracy, around + or -.2 degrees or so compared to an alignment shop printout.
It really depends on how level cross car your floor is though. I only checked one side hastily.

ploney · 01-15-2008, 09:14 PM

I actually did spot the alignment specs. in the back of the manual that came with the car.

Don't have it handy at the moment.

waktasz · 01-16-2008, 06:11 AM

I'm not worried too much about the factory alignment. I AM slightly worried about the adjustment range of the alignment using stock parts.

MEXSTIMPREZA · 01-16-2008, 08:15 AM

I asked the "expert" guys at the dealer about the adjustment range of the alignment (stock)...no idea. I think that with a little tweek of the cambers and 265/35 18 tires we can get a more neutral car -less oversteer-. If someone comes with a more neutral setting before I do, please let us know

Cheers

ploney · 01-16-2008, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MEXSTIMPREZA

I asked the "expert" guys at the dealer about the adjustment range of the alignment (stock)...no idea. I think that with a little tweek of the cambers and 265/35 18 tires we can get a more neutral car -less oversteer-. If someone comes with a more neutral setting before I do, please let us know

Cheers

Some additional negative camber up front should reduce understeer that the magazine testers are noting.

It might actually add some oversteer not reduce it from my experience.

**Digitalfiend** · 01-16-2008, 09:27 AM

It's the rear negative camber that needs a bit of adjustment too (to reduce it a bit). On my '05 I ran -2.0 w/0 toe for a year without any additional tire wear. What a difference that made!

MEXSTIMPREZA · 01-16-2008, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MEXSTIMPREZA

I asked the "expert" guys at the dealer about the adjustment range of the alignment (stock)...no idea. I think that with a little tweek of the cambers and 265/35 18 tires we can get a more neutral car -less oversteer-. If someone comes with a more neutral setting before I do, please let us know

Cheers

I´m sorry, I meant UNDERSTEER, we need to reduce UNDERSTEER in our cars to make them more neutral

.

ploney · 01-16-2008, 02:55 PM

I took some time today and downloaded from the technical subaru site some chassis specs.

Here are the alignment settings, looks like max neg. front camber is about .7 degrees.

And, the skinny on adjusting it, hasn't changed from other models as it seems.

**Digitalfiend** · 01-16-2008, 07:39 PM

The Whiteline camber bolts should work nicely then.

supermarkus · 01-16-2008, 10:00 PM

that's a lot more caster than past STIs! I don't think that -.7 is the max negative camber though. I think that means -40 mod and tolerance is plus or minus 45.

ploney · 01-16-2008, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by supermarkus

that's a lot more caster than past STIs! I don't think that -.7 is the max negative camber though. I think that means -40 mod and tolerance is plus or minus 45.

I converted Hours and Minutes in to decimal degrees.

0.40 '." = .7 degrees if I did my 6th grade math correctly

Pete...

**Digitalfiend** · 01-16-2008, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ploney

I converted Hours and Minutes in to decimal degrees.

0.40 '." = .7 degrees if I did my 6th grade math correctly

Pete...

I think he means that the spec is -0.7 but that can vary but as much as +/- 0.75. So it could be +0.05 to -1.45. Is that right?

STI_SLC · 01-17-2008, 10:00 AM

i laughed a bit at the first threads with you guys mistaking front and rear camber / push and oversteer..... glad you corrected yourselves.. ha. . .

as far as stock adjustment..... if i remember correct, you cant do much with the rear without camber plates or a c/o system that can adjust.. (my KW's are slotted)..

BUT.... the front on my 06, without camber plates... was able to be adjusted to -1.7 max... i would figure you would at least be able to do that with the 08?
when i picked up my 06, you could visually see that it was positive in the front..... and it was.
as far as setting up the car, after many different setups and essentially needing to increase the rear negative to conform with my 18x9, +45's.... i ended up with the following:
front -3.0
rear -2.4

i found this to be an amazing setup on the track and ended up running it at all times.... no matter what some people thought of the degrees, i loved it..

so to close.. i would figure you could at least get -1.5 in the front on your 08?

01-15-2008, 08:51 PM	#1
ploney Senior STI Driver Car: White 08 STI Fav Mod: Volk RE30's and 255-35 Dunlop Z1's Location: Redondo Beach Posts: 312 Join Date: Sep 2006 Trader Rating: (0)	Factory Alignment? Has anyone checked the factory alignment yet? I did a quick check on the front camber with my longacre bubble gauge. ZERO camber Time for a do it yourself alignment. Max out the negative camber and redo the toe!!! This ad is not endorsed by this member. Please register or login to hide this ad.

01-15-2008, 09:08 PM	#2
Digitalfiend Super Moderator Car: 08 DGM STI Fav Mod: My wife :) Location: Brooklin, Ontario Posts: 5,541 Join Date: Oct 2003 Trader Rating: (0)	Re: Factory Alignment? How accurate is that gauge? I was going to download the service manual to check the factory tolerances but near 0 camber wouldn't surprise me, considering some of the 05s had positive camber...eek. Considering how tail happy the JDM STI looks, I wonder if ours have a bit of over zealous safety tweaking in the camber department...

01-15-2008, 09:14 PM	#4
ploney Senior STI Driver Car: White 08 STI Fav Mod: Volk RE30's and 255-35 Dunlop Z1's Location: Redondo Beach Posts: 312 Join Date: Sep 2006 Trader Rating: (0)	Re: Factory Alignment? I actually did spot the alignment specs. in the back of the manual that came with the car. Don't have it handy at the moment.

01-16-2008, 06:11 AM	#5
waktasz Professional STI Racer Car: 02 Penis Extender Fav Mod: Autotrader.com Location: Philly Posts: 818 Join Date: Jan 2006 Trader Rating: (1)	Re: Factory Alignment? I'm not worried too much about the factory alignment. I AM slightly worried about the adjustment range of the alignment using stock parts.

01-16-2008, 08:15 AM	#6
MEXSTIMPREZA STI Driver Fav Mod: Coming Soon Location: Juarez, Mexico Posts: 239 Join Date: Dec 2007 Trader Rating: (0)	Re: Factory Alignment? I asked the "expert" guys at the dealer about the adjustment range of the alignment (stock)...no idea. I think that with a little tweek of the cambers and 265/35 18 tires we can get a more neutral car -less oversteer-. If someone comes with a more neutral setting before I do, please let us know Cheers

01-16-2008, 09:27 AM	#8
Digitalfiend Super Moderator Car: 08 DGM STI Fav Mod: My wife :) Location: Brooklin, Ontario Posts: 5,541 Join Date: Oct 2003 Trader Rating: (0)	Re: Factory Alignment? It's the rear negative camber that needs a bit of adjustment too (to reduce it a bit). On my '05 I ran -2.0 w/0 toe for a year without any additional tire wear. What a difference that made!

01-16-2008, 02:55 PM	#10
ploney Senior STI Driver Car: White 08 STI Fav Mod: Volk RE30's and 255-35 Dunlop Z1's Location: Redondo Beach Posts: 312 Join Date: Sep 2006 Trader Rating: (0)	Re: Factory Alignment? I took some time today and downloaded from the technical subaru site some chassis specs. Here are the alignment settings, looks like max neg. front camber is about .7 degrees. And, the skinny on adjusting it, hasn't changed from other models as it seems.

01-16-2008, 07:39 PM	#11
Digitalfiend Super Moderator Car: 08 DGM STI Fav Mod: My wife :) Location: Brooklin, Ontario Posts: 5,541 Join Date: Oct 2003 Trader Rating: (0)	Re: Factory Alignment? The Whiteline camber bolts should work nicely then.

01-16-2008, 10:00 PM	#12
supermarkus Spec C Club Car: 08 STi, SSM Location: Edmonds Washington Posts: 1,441 Join Date: Dec 2005 Trader Rating: (0)	Re: Factory Alignment? that's a lot more caster than past STIs! I don't think that -.7 is the max negative camber though. I think that means -40 mod and tolerance is plus or minus 45.

01-17-2008, 10:00 AM	#15
STI_SLC Professional STI Driver Car: 06 AssPen STi Fav Mod: KW V3's Location: MillerMotorsportsPark,UT. Posts: 461 Join Date: Dec 2006 Trader Rating: (0)	Re: Factory Alignment? i laughed a bit at the first threads with you guys mistaking front and rear camber / push and oversteer..... glad you corrected yourselves.. ha. . . as far as stock adjustment..... if i remember correct, you cant do much with the rear without camber plates or a c/o system that can adjust.. (my KW's are slotted).. BUT.... the front on my 06, without camber plates... was able to be adjusted to -1.7 max... i would figure you would at least be able to do that with the 08? when i picked up my 06, you could visually see that it was positive in the front..... and it was. as far as setting up the car, after many different setups and essentially needing to increase the rear negative to conform with my 18x9, +45's.... i ended up with the following: front -3.0 rear -2.4 i found this to be an amazing setup on the track and ended up running it at all times.... no matter what some people thought of the degrees, i loved it.. so to close.. i would figure you could at least get -1.5 in the front on your 08? This ad is not endorsed by this member. Please register or login to hide this ad.