Alignment

[Hail The Brain Slug]

Except apparantly no one in my city understands that. First, the mechanic that installed my new struts completely frakked it up, so I took it to les schwab. I figured the tire experts should take good care of it, right? Wrong. My rear camber is still as negative as it was before the $81 alignment. Am I just insane? I'm pretty damn sure that the camber should be neutral, the wheels aligned straight up and down, right?

How hard would it be for me to fix my own camber on a 1996 civic?

Edit: A little bit of internet research informed me that some FWD cars do not have camber adjustments, can anyone confirm or clarify this?

 

[jagec]

In my car, the two big bolts that connect the hub carrier and the strut include a cam-profile insert that allows for the adjustment of camber. However, it's a RWD sports car.

Having some negative camber is good for cornering...

 

[SSSnail]

Is your car... lowered? If it is you will need a camber kit, search eBay.

 

[Billb2]

Originally posted by: XabanakFanatik
Am I just insane? I'm pretty damn sure that the camber should be neutral, the wheels aligned straight up and down, right?

Insane? Maybe.
When you suspected a problem, did you discuss it with the people that did the alignments?
It's pretty easy to find out what the actual rear camber specs are for any car.

 

[zerocool84]

You need to find the stock camber specs for your car. Camber is different for every car. You can specify camber if you take it to a shop. You might need a camber kit like SSSnail said. Please research your OWN CAR. Not all FWD cars are the same.

 

[helpme]

Check your car's manual to see if it has the stock alignment specs. It might be 0 in the front, and some negative for the rear.

Many FWD cars will have some rear negative camber (-0.5 to -1.5). This is to promote your ability to see the tree before you hit it.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: XabanakFanatik
Except apparantly no one in my city understands that. First, the mechanic that installed my new struts completely frakked it up, so I took it to les schwab. I figured the tire experts should take good care of it, right? Wrong. My rear camber is still as negative as it was before the $81 alignment. Am I just insane? I'm pretty damn sure that the camber should be neutral, the wheels aligned straight up and down, right?

How hard would it be for me to fix my own camber on a 1996 civic?

Edit: A little bit of internet research informed me that some FWD cars do not have camber adjustments, can anyone confirm or clarify this?

Actually, many cars lack easily-adjustable camber (McPherson strut suspensions typically have fixed camber), however, your 1996 Civic has double-wishbone suspension on all four wheels, so it definitely does have the capacity for camber adjustment. That said, road-going cars should have some negative camber on at least the rear wheels.

Specs for the 1997 Civic, which is identical to your 1996:

Front

Toe in: 1mm ± 2mm (0.040 ± 0.080 in.)
Camber: 0° ± 1º
Caster: 1°40? ± 1°

Rear

Toe in: 2mm + 2, -1mm (0.080 + 0.080, -0.040 in.)
Camber: -1° ± 1°

Also, remember that, despite popular lore to the contrary, camber is not what usually causes abnormal tire wear. It's incorrect toe settings that cause issues with the inside or outside of the tread wearing too fast.

ZV

 

[jtvang125]

It's normal on many cars to have slight negative camber in the rear. Some as much as -1.5. You can still be negative but be within specs. Also like Zemmervolt mentioned camber does contribute to accelerated tire wear but incorrect toe settings will eat through your tires in months. Picture your tires scrubbing along the road instead of rolling. That's what incorrect toe settings causes your tires to do.

And no you can't fix your own camber or toe settings. You need specialize equipment to measure and make the adjustments.

 

[Kadarin]

Not every car has a camber adjustment. Some cars that don't will have aftermarket kits you can buy that will allow for such an adjustment, but not every car has this.

$81 for a simple toe angle adjustment does sound expensive, even these days.