Megan Racing coilover alignment

Went to get my wagon aligned after installing Megan Racing coilovers, and I'm not an expert, but I don't think it was done correctly. Here is the print out I received afterwards

 

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/4373/img001fd9.jpg

 

It seems most of the readings are out of specification. The coilovers are riding just as they came out of the box, all though I do plan on increasing the height.

 

Can anyone interpret this for me please?

The toe is ok, etc. But you shouldnt have positive camber.

Obscene. Take it back and watch them adjust it properly. You definately don't want THAT positive camber. Shoot for mildly negative camber for daily driver, like about -0.5 deg each side. For more spirited driving, try to get -1 to -1.5 deg.

The tech said that since it was lowered he might have a problem setting the camber. The coilovers were put on out of the box, is it possible to get -.5* camber that way? On the Legacys, doesn't lowering the car give MORE negative camber? How is camber adjusted? I'm almost positive the top plates weren't touched at all, is the camber adjusted through them at all?

 

http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/738/dsc00440db2.jpg

The strut mount is oriented incorrectly

The slots should be perpendicular to the side of the car for camber adjustment

The strut mount is oriented incorrectly

The slots should be perpendicular to the side of the car for camber adjustment

 

But with the three bolt setup it would be impossible to get them parallel to the side of the car. That is the passenger side strut I think that's as close to parallel as it would get???

Incorrectly installed. The camber slots on the top hats should be parallel with the firewall of the car or perpendicular with the sides of the car. You can easily run close to 3* of negative camber if you max out the camber plates and the eccentric bolt on the strut body if installed correctly.

 

Here is what they should look like installed (don't mind the black top hat, the pic is off a prototype)

 

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/Pisadong/MeganRacingLGTcoilovers007.jpg

some people install it like that for more castor. but i dont. hey paul, my MR coilovers are starting to make alot of noises. the spring adjust in the front keep getting loose, i have to retighten it again and again. The rear left coilover is making consistent noise. i took of the wheel checked eveything and they are all tight. Then i had my friend drive the car and i found a problem, the knob(to adj. the damper) is locked in secure, but that whole piece moves up and down and that seem to be causing the loud noises(also noticing the rear left coilover is more jumpy then when i first got it installed. Which is not good. The coilover itself is not lose from the car, but that center piece(with the adj. knob) is. So, any suggestion? what can i do?

You have got to be kidding me. I paid $150 to have these installed up at TDC last week. Are they really installed incorrectly?!?!

 

I went back and tried to have them align it again this morning and it came out almost identical to the above sheet, and I'm starting to chew through the outside edge of my tires.

 

Is driving it like this going to cause something to break or destroy anything, is it safe to drive around like this?

Here is a better comparison shot. My car is on the lift, and thats the driver's side. Boostjunkie's car is on the right, also the driver's side:

 

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o145/ejoy1220/Comparisoncopy.jpg

Looks like it is time to jack up the front, remove the 3 coilover bolts, drop & rotate the top hat of the coilover and reassemble. Then yell at TDC - they should at least pay for the alignment you still need. Good luck...

I had the car aligned 2 days after the coilovers were installed by a local no name tire shop that we have most of our tire swaps done at, figured it was all set. Then I started to notice a lot of wear on the outter edges of my tires, so I figured the little local tire shop didn't know what the f-. So then I took it to Town Fair Tire and had them try to do it, with the above result.

 

Is everybody sure that these are incorrectly installed? Is there any chance of anything breaking while I am driving if I drive on these?

Not to be a smart-ass, but when the Megan Racing vendor (Boostjunkie) tells you they're installed incorrectly why wouldn't you believe him? They are 100000% installed wrong. Until they are fixed your tire wear will continue.

Not to be a smart-ass, but when the Megan Racing vendor (Boostjunkie) tells you they're installed incorrectly why wouldn't you believe him? They are 100000% installed wrong. Until they are fixed your tire wear will continue.

 

Because I want to be 100000% sure before I go bringing this to the installers and telling them that their work is incorrect.

 

If I installed something for someone, and had them come back and tell me I did it wrong, and it turns out everything was installed right and the customer didn't know what he was talking about, I would be pretty pissed. I want to avoid that is all.

Yeah, those are installed wrong.

 

While not a Subaru, notice the orientation. And this pic is straight from MR's website.

 

http://www.meganracing.com/uploadImage/regular/DSC00347.JPG

like i said, i know some people install it like that on purpose for more castor. and can anyone help me out on what to do with the noise from my rear left coilover?

Here is a better comparison shot. My car is on the lift, and thats the driver's side. Boostjunkie's car is on the right, also the driver's side:

 

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o145/ejoy1220/Comparisoncopy.jpg

 

Incorrectly installed. You can indeed clock the coilovers so that the slots are diagonal to the firewall like yours to increase caster, I actually have my car set up like that right now. However, when you do that, you all also need to swap the top hats from left to right. IE: What was intended to be the driver's side top hat will now be used on the passenger side and vice versa. You cannot simple clock the top hats or you end up with positive camber... as you've obviously experienced.

Here is what your top hats should look like if you set them up diagonally for added camber and caster. Note that the top hat says "FR". Normally that plate would be on the passenger side.

 

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/Pisadong/P1010622.jpg

like i said, i know some people install it like that on purpose for more castor. and can anyone help me out on what to do with the noise from my rear left coilover?

 

You might want to try starting a separate thread dude.

 

Paul thanks for all the info and pics I really appreciate it.

wow, that was the most incorrect installed set of coilovers I've ever seen.. it's shy of just being installed upside down.

lol those are definetly installed incorrectly.

 

Lock ring coming loose? Use medium locktite.

Paul,

 

Is there any trade-offs from switching tophats and angling them towards the Firewall the correct way?

Anyone have a recomendation for Caster/Camber plates?

Paul,

 

Is there any trade-offs from switching tophats and angling them towards the Firewall the correct way?

 

I'm not sure if I completely understand your question, but here goes. Installing the coilovers the way they are meant to be installed (with the camber slots parallel to the firewall) allows you to dial in as much negative camber as possible. Flipping the camber plates and rotating them like I did, does not allow as much static negative camber, but allows you to add some caster. It depends on what you want.

Paul,

 

Is there any trade-offs from switching tophats and angling them towards the Firewall the correct way?

 

you dont get as much camber if you were do it perpendicular.. but again, that also depends on how much is too much caster.. some people can live with a lot of static camber and very little caster.. while others like having more caster and less camber adjustment.

 

For the most part, the more camber you dial in, the more toe you'll effect.. it all has to do with the kingpin axis and angle of the shock.