Thread: B13 rear suspension re-assembly problem. Alignment all wrong. (Broadband only!)

No. I went and got my car aligned (finally!) and found out the real problem.

whats the real problem?

i just read through the whole thing, and I am glad to say i never had this problem on mine. I did upgrade all rear suspesion to the ES bushings and alignment is good as gold. Now i cant speak for any binding issues since its just my daily driver. I have taken it for spirited driving every once in a while, whenever it doesnt act up. Now, let me just say this. You cant detail all this work and just say, "I found the real problem" and not tell us anything.. SPEAK!! SPEAK!!

The real problem was that I was trying to ascertain the alignment by eye using the body of the car and other things as markers. I realize this was a complete newb move and how stupid I look for having attempted it and putting any faith in it. Camber and caster might be able to be eye-balled to within a couple degrees but that's way too gross for an actual alignment. Without any good visual cues, toe is absolutely out of the question.

I know. This is where everyone says "No shіt Ben, I could have told you that." and many of you did in this very thread. Well, I'm an idiot, what can I say?

Point being, I took it to get an alignment and was able to get it within spec pretty easily.

Yah, I had bent bolts before but that was from over torquing them (and the stupid knuckle design). All the other problems I had were either not problems at all, or problems I created because I thought I knew what my alignment looked like before, and I thought my alignment was way off. I was wrong.


Conclusion:

• The stock suspension binds.
• The binding gets worse with ES bushings but it's not apocalyptic and won't cause physical damage.
• Don't over torque your suspension unless you like bent bolts.
• Don't attempt an alignment by eye.
• I'm an idiot.
  

Pics of car on alignment rack (and probably specs) to come.

^^Well at least you can admit when you're wrong. LOL. It's a good quality for all humans to have. Your trials teach others so its not like this won't help somebody else.

Ben, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to document the troubles, and for following through and posting the resolution; I can't tell you how many threads I have searched, looking for the conclusion that never gets posted! It's like reading a murder mystery, only to discover the last page missing.

When I have watched the tech do the alignment on my NX, I have always been amazed at how little the bolts have to be turned to make major changes; the sensitivity is really mind boggling.

Anyhow, thanks again. Your trials, I am sure, have, and will, help others. I hope that helps make them worthwhile.

Darrin

Facebook album permalink (in case the images don't show up in the future).

And finally here are the pictures of the alignment. I know I should have got a picture of the before and after specs (I have the printout I might scan) but I didn't. Sorry.



It was raining.


There is our good forum member @bhowle hooking me up with an alignment. I am in debt to him. He let me do most of the alignment myself and gave me an unbeatable deal on the work.






One of the inner tie rod ends had the lock nut seized up really well on it so I snagged a Moog unit from the Napa down the street in a hurry. Moog unit seems to be a better design than the OEM unit I took off.


Afterward I finally had decent behavior in the rear again. Sooo happy.