AcnSux

I just lowered my car with KW V3 about one inch. Before I took it in for an alignment, the steering still felt tight even though it was out of alignment (still responsive).

However now that I have gotten it aligned, the steering just doesn't feel the same. The steering just isn't as responsive, almost as if there is a delay from when you turn the wheel and when you feel the car turn.

Here are my alignment settings.

Front
Camber Right, Left
-1.6, -1.5
Caster Right, Left
5.8, 6.0
Toe Right, Left
-0.03, -0.03

Rear
Camber Right, Left
-2.3, -2.3
Toe Right, Left
0.09, 0.09

My stiffness setting is one click away from full and I'm not sure what the reboud is set to. Also the car seems to have a little more body lean than stock.

Thanks for the help

driverunknown

Why is your camber and caster different from left to right? That could be your problem.

negcamber

That little bit won't change much...it is just hard to get them exact especially if the alignment tech does not want to spend a ton of time with the car.

To the OP:

Its a little hard to tell what might have changed without the original alignment settings. It's possible you had more toe out at the front than you do now. More tow out at the front can increase your turn-in, but your tires will wear the insides pretty fast.

As far as the body roll...check your compression settings...those are adjusted at the bottom (rebound is adjusted at the top). The KW install instructions say to close each adjusting valve all the way and then adjust to the desired stiffness. If you didn't do that on the compression valve, it is likely set very soft.

AcnSux

Could the camber settings that I have be responsible for the unresponsive steering?

At higher speeds it seems to be better, but I still have a floating sensation when turning.

negcamber

Your camber settings are reasonable. I run about the same with no problem and even run 0 toe.

What tires are you running (brand & sizes)?

AcnSux

I'm running Kumho Ecsta MX 225/45-17 and 255/40-17. I don't this it really has to do with the tires since my car felt fine before the new alignment was done.

This was the second alignment done by the shop the initial specs felt totally off.

First alignment had these specs

front
camber left, right
-1.5, -1.5
Caster left, right
5.8, 5.9
Toe left, right
.03, .04

Back
Camber left, front
-2.3, -2.3
Toe left, right
.18, .18

negcamber

Different tires react differently to higher camber settings. Some soft sidewall tires like higher -camber, while stiffer sidewall tires can loose contact patch with more -camber. Which is why I asked.

You are running a very stiff sidewall tire. But it looks like the alignment specs you had previously are almost exactly the same as the old specs except for the rear toe.

BTW...how many days did you wait and how many miles did you put on the car from the time you put the KWs on and the 1st alignment?

AcnSux

I probably drove the car 20-30 miles before the alignment, and it was about two weeks after the install before I got the alignment.

Could the drop be why my car steering feel sluggish? Maybe it was dropped more than 1 inch. I have about one figergap on all 4 corners.

negcamber

20-30 miles is waaay too soon. The new springs need to settle. They will continue to drop and change the suspension geometry for 200-250 miles, so determining how to change your alignment to get better turn-in is impossible. You need to drive the car on various road surfaces, ie not just the highway. Exercise the suspension. Then go get the alignment. And if possible you might find a shop to do a corner balance and alignment.

Also make sure you follow the instructions on setting the shocks, ie close the valves all the way and then set. I would recommend setting the compression (at the bottom of the shock) to 50% all around. Set the rebound (at the top) to 75% front; 25% rear.

With those tires I would recommend:

front
camber left, right
-1.7, -1.7
Max possible caster left, right
Zero toe

Back
Camber left, front
-2.5, -2.5
Toe left, right
.1, .1 in