JCZ33

Any DIY allignment kits or people of knowledge out there? I would appreciate some positive dialog here on a recent parts swap.


Histroy

1.7" drop - linear spring
Tokiko D-spec struts
Hotchkis sway bars.

REAR...
Obviously this lowered drop has increased the amount of negative camber and toe in, so with out a doubt tires are chewing up fast

Solution:

Purchased adjustable lower radius arms and adjustable lower camber rods

I took my measurements from the original arms and duplicated that length on the new installed parts for a base line.

I noticed that the camber arms when extended longer actually affect the toe drastically.

I noticed that the new radius arms when extended actually moved the position of the wheel back from center in the fender well.

So I decided to to adjust the factory camber setting on the subframe, this dialed out allot of negative camber.

Then I decided to make the new camber arms as short as possibly, then back them out slightly to zero out my rear toe.


I need some insight as to what each rear lower susp. unit does.

#1 Factory lower spring cup (has adjsutment from factory on subframe) - does this relate to camber only?

#2 New lower camber arm (slightly bent) - does this relate to toe only?

#3 New lower radius rod (straight piece) - does this relate to wheel centering only?


Now for the front.

Obviously I am getting some front feathering now due to an increased toe and negative camber. I am resolving the camber issue with some new front upper arms, but do I need to shorten the tie rod ends or lengthen them to zero out the front toe?

Please advise.

redlude97

iTrader: (11)

first of all, get rid of the adjustable radius rods, they are worthless for adjusting the alignment. Get some spc eccentric toe bolts for additional toe adjustment. Second, have a real shop do you alignmnet because you obviously don't understand suspension geometry. for the front, get some adjustable camber arms.Done

JCZ33

Thank you, right now I just want to get it in the ball park to drive it to the allignment shop next week.

VIZAGE

iTrader: (20)

I'd just take it to the shop. A short drive isn't going to hurt anything more than what you already have. I wouldn't zero out the toe either. Get your specs and dial in the car to that. Amount of camber would be up to you, depending on what your overall likes are. So far as tire longevity or the type of spirited driving you like to do.

WTX350Z

iTrader: (8)

If your terribly concerned about tire wear over a weeks time, just set the toe closer to zero and call it good.

Camber will not eat tires w/in a short period of time. Toe however can.

JCZ33

Thanks for the input.

The Verdict.

PHASE 1
NOTE: Factory rear front lower link adjustment bolts and rear lower link adjustment bolts were still at the factory settings.

1. REAR: swapped out the radius rods and rear front lower links - about 4 hours with hand tools and a good low profile jack (w/my custom ramps)-

2. Then made templates of both stock units to base line the measurement length for the new adjustable units.

3. Re-torqued everything to factory specs and went for a test drive...

NOTE: because the new units were factory base lined, the toe in and camber had not been solved at this point.

Phase 1 Impressions:
The rear suspension seemed to transition better over bumps and pitches in the road; also the car settled and recovered quicker and smoother through medium sweeping curves at well above the posted speed limit.

Back to the garage to dial out the rear negative camber and toe in...

PHASE 2
Not being familiar with the specific function of each rear suspension piece on the 350Z other than the spring and strut / sway-bar pieces, I took some time to study the affects of different settings.

Getting the rear end of the 350Z lifted and supported, wheels off, I decided to see what parts did what. With my templates and a tape measure in hand I began adjusting the items and here are my findings…

1. The radius rods are NOT responsible for any significant toe adjustments, they are however responsible for centering the axel / hub assembly in the center of the wheel well. Measurements were taken to find the center of the wheel well when the car was settled on the ground (after a drive around) and in the air with the wheel off. All I can say is that the factory radius arm length will suffice at this point.

2. The rear front lower link actually IS responsible for a significant amount of toe adjustment.

a. For my case I wanted to eliminate as much toe as possible for extended tire wear.
i. In this matter I decided to rotate the factory adjustment bolt on the cross member to shorten the distance between the hub assembly and cross member, effectively dialing out a significant amount of toe to a more near 0 measurement.

ii. I also rotated the factory adjustment bolt on the rear lower link (spring holder) to shorten the distance between the hub assembly and the sub frame.

3. Re-torque everything to factory specs and went for a drive.

a. MUCH BETTER!!!
b. Came back to the garage, re measured everything, and the rear end was square.
i. Pretty good for a first timer DIY alignment.


[b/PHASE 3[/b]

1. FRONT: Swapped the factory front upper link with an adjustable unit
a. I thought before I started, that I would need to tear down the strut bar, strut/spring combo and sway bar to get this done, but…

i. Simply got the front end of the car up, pulled the wheel/tires off and was ably to swap out the upper link with out disassembling anything else. – 2 hours – hand tools

NOTE: Simply maximized the camber adjustment on the new units, as there is nothing else but toe to adjust on the front end.

2. Re-torque everything back to factory specs.

Phase 3 IMPRESSIONS: Like the rear, the front suspension seemed to transition better over bumps and pitches in the road; also the car settled and recovered quicker and smoother through medium sweeping curves at well above the posted speed limit.


OTHER ITEMS:
A. I used AMSOIL waterproof synthetic grease on all my assembly points and some lock tight to avoid vibrations loosening anything.

B. I’ll be swapping on a new set of rear tires this weekend, re-adjusting the rear end to accommodate the new tires, having the front tires directionally rotated on the front, all speed balanced and then next week having a alignment performed on the Z.

It will be interesting to compare the factory alignment specs with what I was able to do in my garage, and what the new specs will be once it is professionally re-aligned.

Parts swapped to date:
Front and rear struts / springs, sway bars, rear front lower links, rear radius rods, front upper links, full AMSOIL synthetic grease on suspension parts, full AMSOIL power-train fluids.