'08 STI alignment results...

[Digitalfiend]

I posted this on IWSTI and figured someone here might find this useful for reference...

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I took the day off to go and get an alignment. This shop is about 3 hours away from me (one way!) so it's basically an all day event. The technician does an amazing job, so it is worth the drive.

I wouldn't say my '08's factory alignment was horrible, but I could definitely feel something was out, especially when flooring it, it would pull slightly back and forth.

According to the print out, my '08 had decent factory camber but some noticeable negative toe up front.

The really cool part is that we were able to get -1.56 degree camber out of the stock bolts...but only on one side (at one point we had -1.70 but it wouldn't hold when tightened). Still, I ended up with -1.2x degrees of camber on the stock bolts, which is much better than the -0.85-0.90 that my '05 could get. My camber is a little funky in the rear but nothing too bad. The '08 definitely has a lot of caster!

(Don't mind the vehicle type listing; he didn't have the reference specs for the '08 yet.)



Just in case the print in the pic is unreadable:

Before:

Front:
Camber left/right: -0.59 / -0.76
Caster left/right: 6.41 / 6.11
Toe left/right: -0.05 / -0.09
Total Toe: -0.14

Rear:
Camber left/right: -1.12 / -1.45
Toe left/right: +0.02 / +0.05
Total Toe: +0.07
Thrust Angle: -0.02

After:

Front:
Camber left/right: -1.23 / -1.21
Caster left/right: 6.41 / 6.11
Toe left/right: 0.00 / 0.00

Rear:
Camber left/right: -1.10 / -1.46
Toe left/right: 0.00 / +0.01
Total Toe: +0.01
Thrust Angle: -0.01

The car no longer skitters under hard acceleration and it really turns into the corners more predictably now. I wouldn't say the steering feel has increased much but it just feels better overall. Definitely worth the $120 CDN.

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[Turn in Concepts]

That's a lot of caster....I'm liking it.

[boxered]

The stock alignment from hell

[aross]

Total Crap, considering the dealer gets paid to align the car as part of the PDI.

[SimonJ]

120 bucks? Jesus.

I got the same numbers on my 05 for 50 bucks cash

[Digitalfiend]

Originally Posted by aross

aross Total Crap, considering the dealer gets paid to align the car as part of the PDI.

When your dealership tells you that their alignment machine is "out of whack" and you've had two questionable alignments there in the past, you don't want them aligning your car.

I didn't know that the dealership is supposed to align the car as part of the PDI. I've never heard of that. Interesting...

Originally Posted by SimonJ

120 bucks? Jesus.

I got the same numbers on my 05 for 50 bucks cash

That's good for you. The difference is I completely trust the numbers that this machine spits out since it is calibrated frequently, not to mention the tech is a perfectionist. I could have gone to a Joe-schmoe with an untrusted machine and paid $50 too. Also, if you got the same camber out of your '05 without any camber bolts, that tells me all I need to know about that machine's accuracy.

This guy aligns quite a few track and rally cars, and is very meticulous. That's worth the $70 difference right there. Don't forget that also includes 13% tax and is in Canadian funds.

[SimonJ]

That's good for you. The difference is I completely trust the numbers that this machine spits out since it is calibrated frequently, not to mention the tech is a perfectionist. I could have gone to a Joe-schmoe with an untrusted machine and paid $50 too. Also, if you got the same camber out of your '05 without any camber bolts, that tells me all I need to know about that machine's accuracy.

This guy aligns quite a few track and rally cars, and is very meticulous. That's worth the $70 difference right there. Don't forget that also includes 13% tax and is in Canadian funds.

I'm in Canada too my good exposed to an extended winter friend . And no, I don't mean literally when I say "the same numbers" as you, but rather the standard Subaru ideal alignment of max front camber, 0 toe on 4 corners. Same guy I've been going to for years with all 3 of my cars.

And my 50 included the tax

[Digitalfiend]

^ What shop was that? Is it in the GTA? I'm always looking for a good shop that is closer.

[SimonJ]

Nope, Ottawa area.

If I were to pick one in the GTA though, SPEEDSTAR would be my first, and only choice. They do fantastic work. They've worked on both my s2000 and my STi.

www.speedstar.ca

Ask for Sai or Albert.

[Baay]

Who in Ottawa ? i need an alignment soon and 50 bucks sounds good to me!

[Digitalfiend]

Originally Posted by SimonJ

Nope, Ottawa area.

If I were to pick one in the GTA though, SPEEDSTAR would be my first, and only choice. They do fantastic work. They've worked on both my s2000 and my STi.

www.speedstar.ca

Ask for Sai or Albert.

I've dealt with them before when I bought my Defi gauges. I didn't realize that they did performance alignments.

[RaceComp Engineering]

Originally Posted by Turn in Concepts

That's a lot of caster....I'm liking it.

TOny you are thinking like me....CASTER=CRACK for your STI !!

Myles

ps. my 06 Legacy has 6.0 caster BEFORE any toys.

[Digitalfiend]

Originally Posted by RaceComp Engineering

TOny you are thinking like me....CASTER=CRACK for your STI !!

Myles

ps. my 06 Legacy has 6.0 caster BEFORE any toys.

Are you planning to make RCE springs for the '08 STI?

[RaceComp Engineering]

Originally Posted by Digitalfiend

Are you planning to make RCE springs for the '08 STI?

already in the works and almost done.

mw

[SonnyCrockett04]

Originally Posted by aross

Total Crap, considering the dealer gets paid to align the car as part of the PDI.

Here in America we get paid 6 tenths to do a PDI on our new cars without an alignment!
You guys may have different requirements for your cars and if so I hope techs are getting at least 1.4 to include an alignment.

[Uber Wagon]

Originally Posted by aross

Total Crap, considering the dealer gets paid to align the car as part of the PDI.

Dealers no longer do an alginment as part of the PDI, supposedly this is done at the port now. However you can get one alignment done under warranty...

[yakkosmurf]

I had them make adjustments to my '08 STI alignment a week later. It wasn't bad, but when I talked to them about my issue, they modified it to correct the problem. It's good now.

[griff9502]

$20 alignment FTW!!!

I know a guy, who knows a guy who turns wrenches on those sorts of things, and that guy just likes friends to hang out with him and talk about cars.

[BadTrainDriver]

Good for you...bumping a year and a half thread...FTL...

BTD.

[anitr320]

Here at our Firestone its 150 for lifetime alignments and the tech I use does a great job!

Sent from my XT1254 using NASIOC mobile app

[LUMBERZACK]

Very nice! Spot on