What is your experience about alignment? Can a misaligned car affect suspension smoothness?

Anyone know where to buy two swaybar link bolts for GM OEM swaybar links, I need two. I was able to take one from an old strut and had another one, but it is terribly difficult to remove. I had to use a small rotary grinding tool and spent an hour fighting with my impact gun.

 

Swaybar links have the studs integrated into the link

 

Any hardware store that sell metric nuts. Or, gasp, a GM dealership parts department (probably get the m/pitch spec there anyway).

 

They are a 15mm head so most likely a 12mm 1.25 thread. But could be 1.50

 

I don't quite understand what is going on. I installed 4 new OEM FE1 shock absorbers and the ride is not yet the same as when I bought the vehicule. Springs looked good so I kept them. I tried an alignment today but the mechanic did not have any spec, on his screen everything was green.

Front camber right : -1.4
Front camber left : -1.5
Front caster right : +3.6
Front caster left: +4.2
Wheel alignment front : +0.15

Rear camber right : +0.1
Rear camber left : +1.0
Wheel alignment rear: +0.08

Is it possible that the negative camber and positive caster decrease ride comfort over road bumps and potholes?

 

Camber won’t change ride comfort, the FE1 struts will.

 

Well, there's your problem. You put on too many shocks ! The HHR only has 2 shocks in the rear.
And 2 strut assemblies up front.

 

Maybe I missed it but have you changed tires since then.
Even same brand and style are built with with modern materials and techknowlegies.
And then there is the air used fo inflate those tires.
We know that todays air is much dirtier and therefore contains more solids.

 

Perhaps these 2007 springs started to sag. They were not broken or anything. I will try to change all 4 springs. Then if it doesn't solve the problem, I will try a new alignment with less positive caster and less negative camber.

Tires are stil the same with good treads left. I even tried to inflate them at 32 psi instead of 35. Did not achieve what I am looking for.

 

Please listen to me this time!!! Save your time and money.

Unless you have added a camber kit, THE ONLY ADJUSTMENT TO THE ALIGNMENT THAT IS POSSIBLE IS TOE. Caster is designed in at the blue print stage and can only be changed by pulling the body. Camber kits can only provide about 1/2 inch total change.

Alignment has no effect on "ride" only "handling".

If you want a softer ride sell your HHR and buy a land yacht from the 70's that has 8-12 inches of suspension travel. The amount of travel in the suspension is your problem the HHR has less than 4 inches.