alignment & Eibach's ?
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: 08-24-2009
Posts: 29
From: Lake Norman, NC
alignment & Eibach's ?
? I have an appointment this friday to install the new Eibachs.
QUESTION: An Alignment guys is actually doing this work. Will Eibach Pro Kit springs require additional alighment materials/bolts? (or is there enought factory adjustment to realign it)
Any help/answers would be appreciated.
QUESTION: An Alignment guys is actually doing this work. Will Eibach Pro Kit springs require additional alighment materials/bolts? (or is there enought factory adjustment to realign it)
Any help/answers would be appreciated.
Senior Member
Joined: 08-23-2006
Posts: 1,720
From: So Cal
I have the Pro Kit and did not need the bolt kit to bring the alignment in. However you will want to put about 100 miles on it before you align it so everything settles. Mine was plowing after the drop but the alignment took care of it.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: 08-24-2009
Posts: 29
From: Lake Norman, NC
So, since an alighment guy is doing the installation, he could simply guess at the new (different) settings, which would probably be close. Then I take it back in a week to check?
Even better would be, once installed, take it off the installation rack, drive it a few miles, bounce the front end up and down by hand, then re-check alignment/ Right? Soun's like that would get it pretty close.
Even better would be, once installed, take it off the installation rack, drive it a few miles, bounce the front end up and down by hand, then re-check alignment/ Right? Soun's like that would get it pretty close.
New Member
Joined: 06-28-2009
Posts: 10
From: MtHealthy The good part of Cincy
alignment Ideas???
Hi boys! I'm a 30yr mstr mechanic doing a ton of performance geared alignments in Cincinnati. Per the lowering of OUR HHR's or any modern GM. the best Camber bolt kits are made by Specialty alignment supply in CO. they also happen to be slightly cheaper than Moog parts. You will need to correct CAMBER some amount. Factory specs call for roughly -1.0deg give or take 0.75 of a deg. For the best handling and response "AT THE EXPENCE OF THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE" have the tech set the car close to -1.5deg to -1.8deg "Negative" and as even as possible between the 2 front wheels. Set a everyday driver to GM specs, no sense in 20K tire replacement! Factory caster at 3.75deg is fine as our cars center themselves well on the expresway. Increasing caster will only promote tire "scrubbing wear" on turns and leverage more front nose weight on balljoints, struts and bearing plates (worn parts!). 
The rear is a little harder but not impossible. It requires shims between the rear axle beam and the wheel bearing/backing plates. Since our cars have solid axle beams, rear lowering springs won't effect rear camber or toe MUCH. But for the best results (esp with the BIGGEST diameter rear swaybar you can find!) have shims installed that lean the rear tires inwards to that maximum -1.60deg as Top heavy(Ass heavy cars) need all the help they can get! All this isn't super cheap at 80$ for alignment parts and roughly 2.5 hrs labor (I'll measure an align-mod job like this 5 to 8 times) but will make lowering your car not just look good but actually SCARY Responsive! See some of the cars I've set up on facebook under my name! Good luck,,, Phil Lambert
The rear is a little harder but not impossible. It requires shims between the rear axle beam and the wheel bearing/backing plates. Since our cars have solid axle beams, rear lowering springs won't effect rear camber or toe MUCH. But for the best results (esp with the BIGGEST diameter rear swaybar you can find!) have shims installed that lean the rear tires inwards to that maximum -1.60deg as Top heavy(Ass heavy cars) need all the help they can get! All this isn't super cheap at 80$ for alignment parts and roughly 2.5 hrs labor (I'll measure an align-mod job like this 5 to 8 times) but will make lowering your car not just look good but actually SCARY Responsive! See some of the cars I've set up on facebook under my name! Good luck,,, Phil Lambert
Senior Member
Joined: 10-02-2005
Posts: 1,245
From: VA
Well, I'm just an "amateur" mechanic, with only a Masters in Mechanical Engineering with graduate level courses in suspension engineering, much of which I've forgotten, but.... 
First, unless something was wrong to begin with, or the car took a good curb hit or wreck....
On the front of the HHR, the camber curve is so minimal that ANY lowering springs will have very little effect on camber. At first my HHR had the Gold-Line Gen I lowering springs (way too much drop for any acceptable travel) and camber went from about 0.95 to 1.10 negative, both well within spec. Those camber bolts are not needed unless you meet the previous paragraph conditions. I went 34,000 mi. on 235 wide high performance tires that were perfectly even in wear across the tread.
Caster is not an issue, nor is it adjustable with any normally available means. Non issue!
In the rear... The HHR trailing arm / torsion beam has ABSOLUTELY NO camber change throughout its travel. Again, non issue!
Unless there is an existing problem, only two things need to be addressed:
1. With a ride height change, toe WILL change and needs to be adjusted.
2. Unless both front and back drop the EXACT same amount, you need to check headlight alignment (that is in the owners manual).
Otherwise you are just getting taken by some shop and spending needless money!
First, unless something was wrong to begin with, or the car took a good curb hit or wreck....
On the front of the HHR, the camber curve is so minimal that ANY lowering springs will have very little effect on camber. At first my HHR had the Gold-Line Gen I lowering springs (way too much drop for any acceptable travel) and camber went from about 0.95 to 1.10 negative, both well within spec. Those camber bolts are not needed unless you meet the previous paragraph conditions. I went 34,000 mi. on 235 wide high performance tires that were perfectly even in wear across the tread.
Caster is not an issue, nor is it adjustable with any normally available means. Non issue!
In the rear... The HHR trailing arm / torsion beam has ABSOLUTELY NO camber change throughout its travel. Again, non issue!
Unless there is an existing problem, only two things need to be addressed:
1. With a ride height change, toe WILL change and needs to be adjusted.
2. Unless both front and back drop the EXACT same amount, you need to check headlight alignment (that is in the owners manual).
Otherwise you are just getting taken by some shop and spending needless money!
New Member
Joined: 06-28-2009
Posts: 10
From: MtHealthy The good part of Cincy
hi guys! Go to facebook and type in "phil Lambert" under search for people. You'll see several people with the same name BUT only one with a REAL 1Million dollar AC/Cobra and a fat mechanic weggied in! There you'l see some of the twenty real and replica cars I've done along with RWD tubbed cars that launched badily until I got the 4links straighend out, antiques, classics and a Blue AA5 '08 2LT my wife named "The Clown Car!" feel free to write me if you have a ??? Phil Lambert
Senior Member
Joined: 05-06-2008
Posts: 1,076
From: Over here
hi guys! Go to facebook and type in "phil Lambert" under search for people. You'll see several people with the same name BUT only one with a REAL 1Million dollar AC/Cobra and a fat mechanic weggied in! There you'l see some of the twenty real and replica cars I've done along with RWD tubbed cars that launched badily until I got the 4links straighend out, antiques, classics and a Blue AA5 '08 2LT my wife named "The Clown Car!" feel free to write me if you have a ??? Phil Lambert