One more question!!! Sorry!!

[SidewayzS15]

Ok this is hopefully going to be my last problem with alignment. My pass strut tower is bent, now i have 2.3 degrees camber adn 1.5 on drivers side. Current toe is set out at .02 each side.

I was also told for best tire wear 0 toe is optimal, but for our cars being fwd when getting up to speed the tires will actually toe in, so being toed out will result in 0 toe setting when rolling due to this factor.

I just need someone to confirm this because I am having my alignment done ONE more time and I want to know if mismatched camber is going to be an issue and if just setting the toe correctly will be good, or I should set it to zero all around. The car is a daily and is NOT auto-x'd or anything of teh sort, jus a to and from work and night out car.

[MichaelXi]

Is the Strut TOWER Bent (!!??!!) or is the STRUT Bent?
Regardless, MOST cars have less positive camber (Or More Negative, however you want to look at it) on the Passenger's side, due to the fact that most streets have "Crown" to aid with water dispersion, and having the right front leaned in a tiny bit more helps the car resist wandering to the right.
I ASSUME you mean that you have -2.3 on the Right and -1.5 on the Left?
That's Tolerable, but a little much difference between sides. Usually it's only a couple tenths or so.
I'd recommend new struts if it's the strut that's bent, and I'd recommend front camber kits if the tower is somehow bent (I can't imagine How ) and a frame shop can't straighten it.
.02 toe Out on each side up front is Well within Spec and Should Be FINE.
Your toe may pull in under acceleration, but once up to speed, it will return to the static setting. You can't accelerate forever, so you should only worry about the static setting.
Definitely consider Fixing whatever has the Left and Right so far apart in camber.

[brads03zx3]

He's saying -2.3 on the passenger side and -1.5 on the driver side. How did the strut tower get bent?

With that much of a difference, I'd imagine it would be pulling to one side. .3 degrees difference would be the maximum difference I would tolerate. Like MichaelXi said, get fixed whatever is bent, then get your alignment. An ever so slight toe-out up front and zero toe in the rear will be best for tire wear.

[MichaelXi]

Originally Posted by brads03zx3

He's saying -2.3 on the passenger side and -1.5 on the driver side.

You can't really see it, but in my question I made the minus sign "Bold", since he didn't specify whether his camber was + or -.

[SidewayzS15]

all the camber is negative. The strut TOWER is bent. Reason being is because I as running sportlines on stock stock and nailed a nasty pothole in a construction zone, there was no where to go in traffic unfortunately. I have camber plates in teh front already from f2 and this is still a problem

[MichaelXi]

So you're saying you Bent the FRAME on a Pothole?!
Or are you calling the shaft of the strut the "tower"?
There are at least half a dozen components that would get SERIOUSLY Deranged by a pothole or curb before the actual strut TOWER would bend.
(Trust me I've done a serious number on a curb after being run off the road. All Kinds of stuff can get torn up. )
Can you see the bend when you open the hood?

[OmniFocus]

I'm sure it is just the stock strut that is bent... they'll fold super-easy with a big pothole, and the condition isn't readily apparent to the naked eye.

My last bent Koni resulted in about -6 negative camber.

[MichaelXi]

Originally Posted by OmniFocus

I'm sure it is just the stock strut that is bent...

If that's the case, then Obviously Step ONE is to replace the strut before you worry about anything else, unless you can get it aligned for CHEAP as a Temporary Fix to preserve your tires.

[SidewayzS15]

nope the actual tower is bent, i have new eibach struts in the car, and you can actually see the tower under the hood bowed up a lil bit. Really dont have the money now to fix it, but would the added camber on that side be an issue if the toe is set correctly. Im just worried about tire wear at this point, and would 0 toe be best for tire wear even with all the camber? I would just get the frame straightened but I am looking to get a truck soon so this just has to be ok for tire wear

[brads03zx3]

Just for our own good, can you please post some good pictures of your strut tower? That way we can't say we haven't seen it before. I hit a ditch at ~70 mph. I bent the strut, the LCA, the knuckle, and the engine cross member. The strut tower is still straight though. I am not doubting yours is bent, I'd just like to see it.


But...to answer your question, yes 0 toe will have the least effect on tire wear.

[OmniFocus]

Wow... well, okay... yep, go with zero toe.

That must have been an incredible impact, because even with a few hard hits and a misconfigured coil-binding suspension I didn't have any damage!

[SidewayzS15]

yea it was pretty nasty, they were doing roadwork failed to mark off the area they cut out and it was about 6 inches deep. I was also doing about 50. Not a good day to say the least. I know it is bent because where the mount meets the tower you can see the gap unfortunately.

EDIT: So even with teh camber 0 toe is optimal? Then why are people telling me .06 and such. Im not doubting you as Im sure its proven just wondering why people would want to run toe out then on a daily

[MichaelXi]

The Toe Out is for a Daily that ALSO sees a fair bit of Corner-Carving.
I doubt you're doing too much of that?
Where I live, going to a friend's house may well involve a Fun Backroads set of "Twisties" for half of a 20-30 minute drive.
For City/Urban/"Normal" Daily Driving, PLUS your Problem, You want 0 toe.
PLEASE post pics of the damage. I'm dying to see the carnage you've described.

[SidewayzS15]

Ill try to get some pics tomorrow for you guys thanks for the help!