Street Alignments can be tricky.
No offense to alignment techs, but 90% go for the easy way out when it comes to setting up your alignment. Especially when you’re on an upgraded suspension.
For example,
It’s 1000x easier to adjust camber plates to get equal camber left and right, this is a big no no and will negatively effect the handling of the vehicle.
In short the easiest way to make sure your car gets setup the best way possible you can do the following, or make sure the alignment tech does your alignment as follows.
The process really depends on your setup, but here is a few basics to getting your alignment right, the first time.
Subaru Impreza with Stock or Lowering Springs and Stock or Grp N. Top Hats.
Front
1.) Adjust Camber eccentric bolt (Upper bolt that attaches strut to the spindle) so camber is maximized but equal left to right.
2.) Adjust Toe to be Zero left and right
Rear
1.) Adjust Toe eccentric to be Zero left and right
Subaru Impreza with Stock or Lowering Springs and Stock or Grp N. Top Hats and Aftermarket Camber Bolts Front and Rear.
Front
1.) Install Camber Bolt in lower bolt and make sure it’s aligned for positive camber (tab outward).
2.) While on the alignment rack able to see the adjustments. Adjust both Camber eccentric bolts. First adjust the lower camber bolt to around -1.5, then use the upper camber bolt to fine tune to -1.8 or so. Make sure camber is maximized to where you want it but equal left to right.
3.) Adjust Toe to be Zero left and right
Rear
1.) Install Camber Bolt in upper bolt and make sure it’s aligned for negative camber (tab inward).
2.) While on the alignment rack able to see the adjustments. Adjust new Camber eccentric bolts. Use the upper camber bolt to fine tune to -1.8 or so. Make sure camber is maximized to where you want it but equal left to right.
3.) Adjust Toe to be Zero left and right
Subaru Impreza with Lowering Springs and Front Camber Plates.
Front
1.) Adjust Camber Plates equally negative (inward), good starting point for street use is 1/2 way between the middle (0) hash mark and full negative (inward). (Camber #s according to the alignment rack will not have to match, the plates need to match).
2.) Adjust Camber eccentric bolt until camber left and right matches. Try and achieve maximum negative camber you’re comfortable with. I prefer a -1.7 or so front camber for a street driven Subaru Impreza.
3.) Adjust Toe eccentric to be Zero left and right.
Rear
1.) Adjust toe eccentric to be Zero left and right
Subaru Impreza with Coilovers and Front and Rear Camber Plates.
Car As A Whole
1.) Adjust ride height to where you want it. Good starting point 14.25″ Front and 14″ Rear (measured from center of hub to fender).
2.) Corner Weight the car by adjusting ride height and using scales.
Front
1.) Adjust Camber Plates equally negative (inward), good starting point for street use is 1/2 way between the middle (0) hash mark and full negative (inward). (Camber #s according to the alignment rack will not have to match, the plates need to match).
2.) Adjust Camber eccentric bolt until camber left and right matches. Try and achieve maximum negative camber you’re comfortable with. I prefer a -1.7 or so front camber for a street driven Subaru Impreza.
3.) Adjust Toe eccentric to be Zero left and right.
Rear
*if rear camber plates are non existent, skip step 1
**if rear camber eccentric bolts are non existent, skip step 2
1.) Adjust Camber Plates equally negative (inward).
2.) Adjust Camber eccentric bolt until camber left and right matches. A good baseline is -1.5.
3.) Adjust toe eccentric to be Zero left and right.
If you’ve got a specific setup that you’ve got questions about starting points for ride height and camber don’t hesitate to comment or email.
Drew,
I am back with some mroe Q’s. Just as a refresher, u were helping me fit 275 kumho’s on some 5zigen hot version’s under my subie.
That being said, due to financial cionstraints, and my desire to get more than 1 season on a set of tires, I have decided to stay on street tires for now.
I am looking to get some 255/40/r17 dunlop star specs mounted on my 17×9 5zigens +43 if I remember correctly. On my t2’s, I should have no rubbing issues with that setup, correct?
I have adjustable plates front and rear and Am considering 14″f & 14.25″r ride hieght along with a -3 camber in front and a -2 in rear with a possible toe adjustment front. Any recommendations/considerations? Car is not my daily driver. OH, almost forgot, I swapped out springs on my t2’s to a 550 front spring and a 500 rear. Gonna give that a try.
As usual, any help u can give in the way of recommendations/suggestions/confirmations of my thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
If you’re doing STU remember 245 is the limit for tire size.
i would do a 14.25 front 14 rear ride height.
I’d dial back the rear camber a little to -1.7 or so.
Front camber looks good for autox/track days maybe a little less depending on the course lay outs.
do you plan on having a street alignment and a track/autox alignment (only difference being the front camber plates slammed in for autox)?
Hey Drew,
Ive been following you through on your blog and much respect to your work but i personally need some help here.
Ive just got some TE37 Superlaps 18×9 ET45 and Yokos A050 265-35-18
I plan to daily drive but track at the same time my V9 STI Hawkeye. Please recommend me on camber and toe adjustments.
btw when u track do u usually leave DCCD to auto or what do you recommend here again?
thanks in advance!
Hey I have a 98 Subaru Impreza with a God-speed coil-over that, just bought. It came with adjustable camber plate and 16 way damper setting and ride height. I just install them today. With (ball joint and tie-rod white-line) to help keep my geometry intact. But as I finish putting the coil-over test drove the car. Car scare the hell out of me. Goes to the side when I floor it. Could it be that I need to adjust the damper. I know I need an Alignment. I would drop my car 1.5 in the front and 1.2 in the rear. But I don’t know jack about the camber plate. Still new to coil-over pleased help thanks
Without an alignment your car can pull significantly on throttle or off throttle. Unless you’re going to get aligned at a performance shop that knows about camber plates do not let them touch them. Set them before going to the alignment shop, do you know how much camber you want?
Marcus, at that size you’ll want about -2.0 front and -1.7 rear minimum. Depending on your fender work and suspension stiffness you can go up to -2.5 front and -2.2 rear without causing too much extra tire wear. For the Subaru GD STI that is also daily driven you want to stick to ZERO toe all around to maintain tire life.
I always let the DCCD do it’s own work in AUTO, it’s a lot faster at adjusting than I am. Only time I’d want to tweak it would be for a low grip event such as gravel or dirt.