New alignment with STi suspension and extra camber bolts

[jamal]

I changed a tie rod the other day and so I finally got another alignment. The toe was already a bit off anyway. So, here are my settings with 04 STi take-off suspension and modified lower front holes (details on that here).

Front camber
-1.3L -1.2R

Front toe
0

Front caster
3.1L 3.1R

Rear camber
-1.4L -1.5R

Rear toe
0

Not terrible, especially considering I filed out the holes in the rear strut towers myself to fit the 04 STi tops, and also drilled out my front knuckles and "slotted" the struts.

I am disappointed that that's all the front negative camber I was able to get, as I was expecting close to -2 degrees. I had -0.7 previously and calculated an extra 1.2 degrees from my work with the endmill. Turns out my calculation was wrong and it only gained me half that, because I used the difference in diameters (and the center of the cam only displaces the bottom hole in the spindle half that). Durrrr. Looks like camber plates may be in my future after all.

I am happy, however, that things came out pretty even, and that I don't have the cross caster that was for some reason present after my last alignment.

[BAC5.2]

Add some rear toe-out!

[555BCTurbo]

Add some rear toe-out!

That makes shit get a little bit light and scary around corners mang!!

[jamal]

Add some rear toe-out!

I used to have a bit. I've heard arguments on both sides and this time I'm going with 0.

I still have some other things to work out before I mess with the alignment anymore, like seeing if my strange wobble at high speeds and moderate cornering has gone away. It's either because I had a bit of front toe out, my steering rack, some bushing somewhere, or another mysterious cause. More driving of the not-daily-commute type is in order.

Edit: So far it feels much better.

[jamal]

Update:

I went on a run last night with some other subies. The car feels great and finally settles into right corners now that toe is zeroed and my tie rod is replaced. Handling is pretty neutral and the car will come around with a slight lift mid-corner. I didn't really notice much understeer with 20/18mm f/r swaybars.

There were 9 of us up there and I thought I was going to get smoked by the stock sti and 300whp wagon on RE070s with cobb swaybars (and tein springs on stock struts). Turns out I had no problem sticking with them until it got steep. I didn't even get my brakes hot enough to start humming (HPS with slotted rotors). Now I just need to ditch these re92s and get an exhaust.

So yeah, I'm pretty happy even though I don't have as much front camber as I wanted. Also my car is really slow.