to raise or keep low??

[SlowREX]

I have a 99 gsr that is lowered and its eating tires and rides like junk. My question is would you put it back to factory height or spend the fortune to fix the suspension.

[SeeAreX]

Get some ingalls, maybe raise it up a hair and get an alignment.
If it really rides like ...., start all over with a nice set of a springs and shocks.

Unless you really don't care to be lowered. If so, throw on a stock suspension and get an alignment.

[SlowREX]

I like it to be low and it take corners well but i just dont think its worth all the cost atleast not right now i got a corner carver so i may just raise it up it will probly look like a ghetto ride hehe

[five seven]

you don't need low to take corners well.

[E-brakeMACHINE]

you will probably hate it after you raise it. i would keep it low. my .02

[eg6ky]

eating tires because of toe settings, not camber. Common misconception with lowered cars, alignment shop will tell you it is though so they can upsell you.

[cerevo]

you don't need low to take corners well.
just a stock forester !! lol
you are proof stock cars can whip turns

[13g-crx]

eating tires because of toe settings, not camber. Common misconception with lowered cars, alignment shop will tell you it is though so they can upsell you.

Speaks de troof....

[SlowREX]

so what actually has to be done to set the toe angle.

[c_mack9]

a front alignment

[tpham]

eating tires because of toe settings, not camber. Common misconception with lowered cars, alignment shop will tell you it is though so they can upsell you.

i guess the term "camber wear" is a made up myth then right? excessive camber AND/OR toe will eat up your tires.

Stephen, if would suggest gettin a set of used struts, which arent very expensive ~$50 or so. And throw some s-techs on there and get it aligned. It will ride next to oem.

[SlowREX]

i guess the term "camber wear" is a made up myth then right? excessive camber AND/OR toe will eat up your tires.

Stephen, if would suggest gettin a set of used struts, which arent very expensive ~$50 or so. And throw some s-techs on there and get it aligned. It will ride next to oem.

i havent been able to find any cheaper used struts yet but ill keep a look out

[five seven]

just a stock forester !! lol
you are proof stock cars can whip turns

why thank you sir, you aren't too shabby yourself.

[skylinesx]

well finish the suspension job you started by lowering it, and get it aligned....

[jonyb]

You can have Swanson's bend the control and trailing arms to correct the camber, and they'll set the toe whilest they're working on it.

If you can't afford to do it right, then don't do it, raise it back up. You'll save money by doing it right by not having to buy tires all the time.

I had my red GSR done, and Snyder has also had this done several times on his cars, so he can attest to this.

[eg6ky]

the only reason camber messes up tires is because in extreme cases, the inside is only being ran on. If you only use one side of the tire then it's automatically going to look like it wore out a lot faster. Most people that have severe camber problems don't get the front end lined up thus leaving the toe off and wearing tires. I know this from experience, and have since read articles, (one being honda tuning) about this very subject. I'm sure the alignment certification i recieved would void my knowledge too. I won't say camber has nothing to do with tire wear, but not nearly as much as toe. People think when they fix their camber the tires don't wear as much because after the camber kit is put on the toe is set too, further complicating this myth.

[dolphinmaxx]

Camber wear is not an issue if you set you camber for your driving style. If you transfer more weight and turn alot, you add more camber. If you do a lot of highway and keep weight transfer to a minimum then less camber. For the latter you will probably have to keep your car a little higher, but you will get the most out of your car. As far as simply being able to carve better. Exsesive lowering will only help on ice smooth long sweepers, and turns at or above highway speeds(good luck finding those outside of a track). below about 70mph most stock spring rates are up to the task, just spend the money on a nice set of shocks and a sporty alignment. The softer springs will allow you to drive longer before you get worn out as well, letting you drive faster longer.

It is more fun on the street to play with weight transfer and pedal work than go fast imo.

As far as toe goes on the fwd car, Toe in for highway and comfort, toe out for better turning (however the car will pull at ruts and bumps). I run an 1/8th out in the front of mine and it pulls a little bad, but tire wear is not too awful. If you keep it down twards a 1/16th either way you will get a little help from it without all the tire wear. Most cars come with around 1/16th in stock.

[eg6ky]

for best tire wear set toe settings to factory spec. That's what we're talking about isn't it, tire wear.

[TwistedGA]

for best tire wear set toe settings to factory spec. That's what we're talking about isn't it, tire wear.

You mean he doesn't care how well it corners? I thought this thing was a freakin race car. :shrug:

[jonyb]

for best tire wear set toe settings to factory spec. That's what we're talking about isn't it, tire wear.


I think it's turned into daily driving on the Laguna Seca. I like pedal work better. The one on the right is go, and the one on the right is stop :rolleyes:

[dolphinmaxx]

for best tire wear set toe settings to factory spec. That's what we're talking about isn't it, tire wear.

Stock camber yeah (unless you turn on the agressive side), Stock toe is probably going to be your safest bet for a tame chassis (wont pull on ruts, won't toe out on bump steer)

I wasn't talking about race settings. I was talking about street setttings. If you mostly drive down roads that [gasp] don't go straight (why would someone design such a horrible and dangerous thing!) somthing like up to -1.50 deg of camber might save your outside shoulder blocks (if you transfer less weight or have taller and softer springs you can get away with less). That same ammount of camber will wear out the inside blocks slightly if you only go down somthing like an interstate.

If you don't care about this little bit I don't know why you would be asking about tire wear vs. performance on a forum like this. I was trying to throw some options out there for either setup. Small alignment changes can make a big difference in your enjoyment of your vehicle. We are all here for that right? enjoyment of our vehicles no matter what that may be? If all he wanted to do was drive on laguna seca I would have told him to get somthing like -2 deg camber and 1/8in toe out.

[SlowREX]

You mean he doesn't care how well it corners? I thought this thing was a freakin race car. :shrug:


Corners? I only go on the interstate at 150mph everyday on my way to work hehe

[jonyb]

You mean you don't take the right hand turn in front of El Chico at 65 mph? Loser!

[SlowREX]

You mean you don't take the right hand turn in front of El Chico at 65 mph? Loser!

im sorry i just cant keep up with da ricers im out of mall crusing experience. :D

[skylinesx]

i'd go get it alligned, shelby's did mine a looooong time ago but i had to have my front bumper off...so hit up swansons, unless you want to buy all aftermarket ajustable .... and do it your self, kind of useless unless your taking it to the track though.

[Nsane1]

Ok, to put this to rest... My civic that I had was sitting at -2.4 degrees camber in the rear, -1.8 degrees in the front. Had an alignment done right after I lowered it to fix the toe-in in the front and the toe-out in the rear... Happens everytime one is lowered. Anyways, I put 35,000 very harsch miles on the same set of tires. This was 2 trips to Atlanta, St. Louis, Nashville, and lots and lots of spirited driving out in the county. So trust me, get your toe fixed and leave the camber if you want good handling. Also, I love the Nitto Neo Gen's. They grip well and last forever!!! I'm on my third set now.

[eg6ky]

chris, don't you know alignment shops pwn real world experience. ROLLEYES

[hoshichi]

get a set of tokico blues.....ebay 200....and a set of eibach springs..150....
my girl has that set up in her ej and it rides proper...!

[c_mack9]

or i guess a person could just rotate their tires on a regular basis like they should anyways.
I have a 99 gsr that is lowered and its eating tires and rides like junk. My question is would you put it back to factory height or spend the fortune to fix the suspension.
what do you mean "fix the suspension?" is stuff broke? it may ride like junk cause the springs are too firm for your srtuts? do you have coiovers or lowering springs? stock struts or aftermarket. give us a little more info so we can help better.

[dolphinmaxx]

or i guess a person could just rotate their tires on a regular basis like they should anyways.

The only way to rotate for camber is to get the tires dismounted fliped and remounted. Which is another 30-40 bucks every set of tires (when I ran -2.25 in the back i had to do this). This options is of course a moot point with asymetrical tred and some what aliveated by a tire like the neogens with harder rubber on the inside of the tred(never used them personaly).

[c_mack9]

The only way to rotate for camber is to get the tires dismounted fliped and remounted. Which is another 30-40 bucks every set of tires
so what. you will have to eventually have to have them flipped with oem suspension too. gotta take a little bad with the good. everyone knows that.

[Gizmo]

Keep It Low Stephen!

[audioguru76]

i guess the term "camber wear" is a made up myth then right? excessive camber AND/OR toe will eat up your tires.

Stephen, if would suggest gettin a set of used struts, which arent very expensive ~$50 or so. And throw some s-techs on there and get it aligned. It will ride next to oem.

no not a myth by any means. it's the COMBINATION of negative camber AND toe OUT that wears tires so rapidly.

get a camber kit and an alignment.

[eg6ky]

if your not dropped more than two inches or so in a honda, camber kit is not needed. If dropped more than that, if you want a camber kit, get one.