today i performed a 4wheel alignment on my car. i used our shops alignment machine and had no problems adjusting the front toe and camber to specs.

the left rear camber and toe adjusted fine as well. i had minor issues trying to find a "middle ground" between the toe and camber, but i was able to ultimately adjust it just right.

on the other hand, the right rear was damn near impossible to get right. i adjusted the toe just fine, but the camber wouldnt move past -1.70. everytime i would move the toe out or in, the camber would adjust into spec- but the toe would be way out. when i would adjust the toe into spec- the camber go back to -1.70. finally i just gave up and decided that the toe would be best to have in spec.

so now i have "all greens" on my alignment specs, but have a right rear camber reading of -1.80~-1.70. afterwards, my steer-ahead measurements were dead on, and my before and after readings were night and day. overall, the car drives straight as an arrow- and the handling is completely better than it was before- but im still puzzled as to why i couldnt get the right rear to adjust.

has anyone else had the same issue? none of my adjustment cam bolts are frozen- so i know it cant be that. my thrust angle on the cam bolts were only moved 30-35 degrees in either direction.

 

Has your car ever been in an accident? If so, a suspension component may be damaged.

Also, I don't know any details, but seems like I recall someone mentioning that you can rotate the adjustment bolt 180 degrees or something and get a whole different range of adjustability. Not 100% sure on that one... maybe somebody else will post in with more details.

 

I might also wonder if the car had been spun into a curb. But I also know it is a pain in the butt to get the rear camber and toe adjusted...many alignment techs just give up.

One thing that will absolutely take care of the problem and help the car's handling on rough surfaces, is a bump steer kit (BSK). It will allow the toe and camber to be adjusted separately. Plus, help keep the car's tail planted when going around a corner on a bumpy road.

Go Fast Lab has one in the market place...and Megan has just come out with a very low cost alternative.

 

im pretty sure the car was never involved in any accident where suspension components could have been damaged. then again, i bought the car used with a clean carfax- so i can only be so certain.

i looked every little thing over before i bought it to ensure i was getting what i paid for- all suspension components looked original and there were no signs of previous damage.

on monday when i go back to work, im going to try and use the neighboring shops alignment machine to re-check alignment specs. this will rule out alignment machine error.

glad to hear im not the only one who has struggled adjusting rear camber and toe on our cars.

 

Partially seized adjuster?