Why did changing struts ruin my alignment?

[Jim_A_B]

I replaced my struts with KYB from tirerack.com. I re-used my stock springs. I also replaced my tie-rods. My alignment is now screwed up! I realize the reason my front tires are pointing out (look like this \\ // as seen from above) is because my tie-rods need adjusting, but why is the camber off too (tires look like this \\ // if looking at them from the front of the car)? Aren't the struts I bought supposed to be made to fit my car? They look identical. I will get an alignment, but exactly will they adjust on my '91 240sx coupe to fix the camber? And is it true that the rear end of my car has no stock alignment adjustments?

thanks!

[nomuken]

i'm guessing that the reason for the positive camber on your fronts is that you placed your KYBs at a different angle than before. you probably know what adjustable camber coilovers look like viewed from the top, the position of the top mount is very important. take it to a good suspension shop, they'll set your camber/toe-in/caster (well maybe not caster on an S13) also, maybe the new damper is stiffer than the old one? could that cause a change in camber?

[Jim_A_B]

These aren't adjustable. They are just the plain jane replacement gas shocks.

[lbrowne]

Did you line up everything correctly when you put it back in?

You may require an alignment after doing your tie rod ends. Most times everything is ok after doing just the struts unless you screwed something up.

But for you tires to look like that, you got either the camber plates or something not right.

[Jim_A_B]

There were no camber plates that I know of. I was very careful to line everything back up. I marked all the pieces with white-out to line up. Someone told me that the top hole in my spindle should be slotted, allowing for camber adjustment, but I just checked it and both holes on the spindle were the strut mounts to it, and they are only slightly larger than the the bolt. With bolts in, but loosened, I'm only getting about 1/8" of possible travel in and out - not enough to fix my camber problem. Why, if I'm installing struts that are exact replacements for my OE struts, is the camber so off? It doesn't appear that there is very much room for adjustment for camber. Anyone have a FSM that explains how to adjust camber on a '91 coupe?

[Silent Drifter]

I lowered my car with sportlines, stock struts. Front right an back left are blown. Not really bad negative camber // \\ . But when ever I turn hard to the left the car like hops, feels like a when u launch a fwd car an theres wheel hop.

[Hijacker]

everytime you disassemble your suspension, alignment's gonna get whacked. I just put new KYB's on my car this morning and I've got a date with the alignment shop even though the tires look fine as is. Even though I didn't mark anything, when I put it back together, I eyeballed it well enough that everything went back in the way it came out, but I'll still get the alignment redone.

[lbrowne]

doing struts does *not* mean you automatically have to get an alignment done. some do it as a safe measure and hey, its good because a machine is more accurate than your eye in this case but...its still not necessary if you take the proper steps.

If you eyeballed it...yup get an alignment done.

[Jim_A_B]

Which proper steps should I have taken? The struts only go on one way. Neither the struts nor the spindle have slotted holes where they connect to one another, so how am I supposed to set camber reasonably? No one seems to know this .

[lbrowne]

In the rubber camber parts on the top of the strut you mark their position before you take your old struts out. You cna make a mark on the bare metal thats your actual strut tower, and then another mark on the rubber dampener so that when you put it back together you line those marks up.

Also you make sure the end of spring coil is positioned the same way as well, that its pointing to whereever they were pointing before you took them off.

[Jim_A_B]

Yes, I used "white out" to make lines on everything as they were lined up prioir to removal. I made these lines on all the parts, including the spring.

[lbrowne]

I'm not sure because thats exactly what I did and mine are fine.

Wrong struts?!?

[Jim_A_B]

My invoice says "Nissan" in front of the part number. Part numbers on the invoice matches that on the box the struts came in. I've contacted someone at tirerack.com who said he would research this and get back with me.

[dr-rjp]

everytime you disassemble your suspension, alignment's gonna get whacked. I just put new KYB's on my car this morning and I've got a date with the alignment shop even though the tires look fine as is. Even though I didn't mark anything, when I put it back together, I eyeballed it well enough that everything went back in the way it came out, but I'll still get the alignment redone.

After a shop installed my KYB AGX's, the steering wheel will not return to center after making a full turn, either left or right. I have to manually return it to center.

I got an alignment thinking that would solve the problem, but it didn't.

Could the shop have messed up my steering knucle? tie rods? put the struts in wrong?

Help!

Thanks.