Lowered car pulls hard!!!

[Simon Tibbett]

Hey,

Ok I bought some used lowering springs. I dont know what brand they are not cut though, they lowered the car about a little over an inch or so. Anyway, the ride is fine. But the car pulls really hard to the right, and when I turn the wheel to the left, the left side clicks a couple times. Any ideas? Did I break something, or is the alignment off? Any help appreciated thanks!

Simon

[corn322]

The alignment is off. Get it aligned ASAP.

[S14KoukiMonster]

The alignment is off. Get it aligned ASAP.

Whenever you remove your struts it's definately a GOOD idea to get an alignment. If I'm going to un-bolt the steering knuckle from a strut for whatever reason, I will scribe a line on knuckle where the strut bolts up to. This way when you re-attatch it you know you're very close to how it was, and the aligment will be out minimally. Or if you're replacing a tie rod, count how many turns it takes to un-screw it, so you screw the new one in that many turns so again you know you won't be TOO far off.

I've seen idiots replace their tie rods and have so much toe in they destroyed their tires by feathering the shyt out of them.

[Simon Tibbett]

Is there anyway to take it all back apart and align it myself

[JeromeS13]

Sure, if you know how to do it. Has anyone ever done a writeup on setting the toe with meter sticks, etc?

[ghettoslide]

Get alignment always when lowering or raising any vehicle. Clicking noise? check cv joints. Did it ckick before you lowered it?

[ergodyne5]

Any time you lower a car you change the cars original alignment and can't go back. your camber will be negative wich will eat up your tires and cuase less of a tire patch wich in turn gives worse handleing the only way to fix that are after market rear and front camber adjusting links because your factory settings will be "maxed" out . your toe settings will do very odd things depending on the condition of your bushings, ball joints, tension rods, inner and outter tie rods. and you will also notice a substantial amount of bumpsteer which is while you are turning and you hit a dip or bump the car will pull hard in different directions. granted when you lower a car you lower your center of gravity but it changes so much of the cars geometery that sometimes it's not even worth it. http://www.allpar.com/fix/alignment.html this might help you

[574-240sx]

If its clicking maybe the spring didn't seat right. Make sure the spring is seated on the top and bottom right. Also any time you take off a suspension component and put another back on its a good idea to get it aligned even if it feels right.