After fitting Front & Rear Strut Braces???

C

Crazy

Guest
After fitting both front & rear strut braces do I need to get my four wheel alignment re-done/checked??????


It handles like it is on rails but if I look at the wheels from the back of the car the front wheels are are not in line rear wheels.

The wheels are positioned like this:


/ \

| |



The car also has Tein Coilovers with pillow ball top mounts, and occasionally it feels like it has a weird feel as if the car is tramlining :?

Had a local garage give it the once over as I thought there may be some play in the steering since fitting the Strut braces but they said that every thing looks fine so I have booked it into another garage for a check over this afternoon and if they give me the all clear I am going to book it into Powerstation for 4 wheel set up & alignment after christmas, any ideas or solutions would be gladly accepted.

Thanks
 
S

Sirnixalot

Guest
you need to have your front toe adjusted and possibly the camber too
go get an alignment!
 
C

Crazy

Guest
Thanks for the quick response Sirnixalot :D



So I do need my alignment doing, but could this have been caused by the strut braces because it was all fine before fitting them?????


Thanks 8)
 
S

Sirnixalot

Guest
i dont think so but its usually reccommended that you have an aligment done after you intall them...

When you installed them was the ground the car was on level? I dont see why the strut tower braces would change the toe...
 

skiddusmarkus

Active Member
Take the brace off and see if it's the same.If it isn't,then put the brace back on but adjust it so it's slightly longer and isn't trying to pull your wings together,causing the negative camber and stressing the body.
 
C

Crazy

Guest
Thanks Skiddusmarkus/Sirnixalot, I will give it a try :)

When you installed them was the ground the car was on level?
The front strut brace was fitted by Powerstation but I fitted the rear one myself and yes my car was facing down a hill, would that make a difference when fitting???

Take the brace off and see if it's the same.If it isn't,then put the brace back on but adjust it so it's slightly longer and isn't trying to pull your wings together,causing the negative camber and stressing the body.

Only the rear strut brace is adjustable so should I adjust the rear one or did you think that they were both adjustable :?: :?:


Thanks 8)
 
J

J-GTi-R

Guest
I really can't see the braces throwing the alignment out that much, they only stop chassis flex, they aren't there to alter the geometry.

Tram lining, well the car does that anyway so I wouldn't be too concerned. Put it this way, if it's handling like it was on rails there isn't really a problem, as if the toe-in was really that bad the car would almost be undriveable.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't have the alignment done though, all cars benefit from regular alignment checks.
 

skiddusmarkus

Active Member
I fitted my old OMP brace in such a way that it added a lot of neg camber(under bad advice).It quickly wore the insides of the front tyres down,so I adjusted it so that it kept the struts as they should be.
When you loosen/tighten it,if you can hear it creaking,it's too tight.
 
C

Crazy

Guest
The other garage had it on the ramps for around half an hour checking

Track rod ends
Ball joints
Bushes
Suspension
Driveshafts
ETC........

They said that all is fine :D and they can see nothing wrong :D , he also said that when he took it for a test drive that the steering was nice and tight and that it really holds the road 8)

He said that 17's sometimes suffer from tramlining and just to be 100% to book it in to get the tracking/alignment done/checked :)

Skiddusmarkus I am about to go down to my garage to remove the braces and take it for a quick drive, then re- fit them both in my garage on level floor.


I will let you know how I get on 8)
 
C

Crazy

Guest
Removed the rear brace and it made a big difference :D


It no longer felt like the back end was trying to twist itself 8)


Going to adjust it tommorrow and re-fit the strut brace!


Well if my head stops BANGING :evil:
 
C

Crazy

Guest
Problem now solved 8)



I must remember to check my tyre pressures :oops:


3 tyres were pumped up to 35psi and the drivers side rear tyre was only pumped up to 18-20psi :oops:



Would have thought that the 2 garages that checked my car over would have checked the tyre pressures :evil:


My fault :oops: :oops:

Better get back down my garage and re-fit my rear strut brace :oops: :lol:
 

skiddusmarkus

Active Member
That's an old trick to get the back end out :lol: .When you refit them,do it so that the strut tops remain upright ie as they were before the brace.It's only there to stop them moving,not put any force on them-for normal road use anyway.
 
S

Sirnixalot

Guest
just to add to simons statment....install them on level ground that way there is less likely for there to be any lateral tension on the struts which would change their geometry
 
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