andy_LOC

I purchased my vehicle more than 3 months back. It was due for a front tire change, and so I drove it sparingly prior to changing the front tires - avg 50miles per week on the weekend only.

It turns out the alignment was very very off - shop guy said it was "in Egypt"

The issue is that I couldn't detect anything while driving it. And after the alignment, it actually feels like it handles a bit softer than before. I know that alot of ppl here align their cars in such a way that suits their driving preferences.

I'm sure alot of this is lack of experience w/ the S2k - but is there a way to tell the alignment is off just by driving the car? And just how bad was my car's alignment before?

See before/after photos below:

https://imgur.com/FFkPCaT,hZ0v7A7

https://imgur.com/FFkPCaT,hZ0v7A7#1

If a car (any car) has very badly aligned wheels, what's the worst case scenario? The Carfax history is clean, but I cannot understand how it could be so misaligned without an accident history - or perhaps the previous owner put on aftermarket suspension parts? I appreciate your thoughts.

Slowcrash_101

You in most practical terms won't notice if you drive in normal traffic and not very fast, but you'll definitely notice when you start pushing the car at over 70 mph. That and your tire wear.

Looking at your pics you probably couldn't tell because the alignment wasn't off enough to change the thrust angle much, as it was pretty symmetrical. The toe out in the front was probably making your tires scrub the road probably adding steering effort.

cosmomiller

Agree with Slowcrash_101. If you had driven on wet/ slick roads you might have noticed there. This car is very, very sensitive to tires, tire pressure, alignment, tire condition, and road surface or lack thereof.

andy_LOC

Thanks for your thoughts, I guess the alignment wasn't "really bad" as the guy at the shop put it. One thing I do find is that it's quite a bit easier to kick the tail out in 1st gear during a u-turn (and I guess in general). I'm hoping the misalignment was caused by neglect rather than some kind of shock to the suspension.

B serious

Cars come out of alignment over time.

The ride quality can soften after an alignment if the toe angle was way off. If toe is off, the tires will be pointing outward/inward and hit bumps in a glancing/sideways manner. Once re aligned, the ride quality can become significantly better.

Edit: just saw your pics. Your toe angles were WAY off, jerky. It happens over time. You should also try and see if your subframe bolts are loose. That problem pops up every now and then. IIRC, the 17mm heads all get 43LB-FT, and the 19mm heads get 93LB-FT.

andy_LOC

Thanks so much for this informative response. The only thing I notice after proper alignment is softer steering (need to turn steering wheel more for same degree of tire angle) - as well as it being a bit more tail happy, especially 1st gear U turns.

B serious

The lesser steering response is normal because the fronts aren't toed OUT anymore.

Not sure why the car would be more tail happy. I'm guessing by "1st gear u-turn", you mean kicking the clutch so that the back end whips around?

CoolGuy094

Yeah your toe was just all jacked up. Sometimes with bad toe you can feel the car wanting to pull into grooves or ruts in the road. And excessive tire wear is a good indication too, but one that you have to observe over time.

Don't worry about the alignment meaning anything is wrong with the car. Alignment goes out over time. People hit pot holes and go over bumps too fast sometimes; s**t happens. Your "before" specs weren't catastrophically bad as to indicate any kind of prior collision damage. It is possible the PO had it lowered and aligned at his lower ride height, then when he swapped back on the stock suspension he just didn't get it aligned. But not big deal. Specs look good now; your guy did a decent job.

toekneer

Your diagram seems to indicate "cams" to adjust front camber. I just had my 2006 in for service and the inside fronts were badly worn. My mechanic said the S has no front camber adjustment and recommended going to a suspension shop for either "slotting" or "cam nuts". I put new tires on the front and it handles well. I am confused.

Sent by carrier pigeon

Slowcrash_101

Your mechanic doesn't seem to know much about this car's suspension, in the front you can adjust camber, caster, and toe. The tie rods on the steering rack, the front eccentric adjuster, and the vertical compliance bushing can all be adjusted to align the front spindle angle.