Is an alignment mandatory after lowering spring install?

[WallyKilla]

Should I get it aligned?

 

[68stang351]

Yes. Well unless you like wearing out your front tires unevenly, causing you to buy new tires when you would otherwise have 10's of thousands of miles left on them, but you wanted to save 50$ on an alignment.

Trust me, just go get it aligned.

 

[bhuff30]

Yes, you will need an alignment. Lowering gives you more negative camber and toe out. Great for running the auto-X course, but not good if you want your tires to last well and wear evenly.

 

[SaleenGT2001]

coming from someone who has been doing alignments and suspension work for the past 6 years.......YES it is 100% necessary

 

[Deleted member 38176]

Just get some CC plates

 

[Sonic04GT]

Yes, give the springs a chance to settle and get it aligned.

 

[jlds91389]

I didn't align mine after putting my springs on been running about a month with no wear problems.

 

[tag4car]

make sure it gets Gt specs... lol

 

[johnnyt03gt]

Yes, give the springs a chance to settle and get it aligned.

absolutely, true the same day i installed my sportline's it didn't look lowered the next day
ive seen a difference after about 2 weeks it looked slammed just drive it every day
they will never settle if unless u drive it

 

[Winters98GT]

make sure you get some new shocks/struts, if you have not already done so.

 

[streethorse]

I never got an alignment..... 3 years later no problem at all.
Tracking and wear has been perfect.

 

[IIGood]

I put the Ford C-springs on mine and kept a feel on things for a few weeks after...I didn't need the alignment then. And I didn't need new shocks/struts. But the C-springs didn't drop the car a whole lot.

5 years later, I still have the C-springs on there and I changed out the shocks & struts. Once I swapped those, it *absolutely* needed an alignment. So much so that I ended up even having to get C/C plates...the shops that would do the alignment before the plates had to drill the rivets out of the factory strut plates and move that around.

 

[Skidawg]

Yes. You should get it done.

You should have it aligned when the lowering is done and then once it settles. My cambers went to a -.9 and a -1.3 after it settled. They wanted them at -.8 or -.9.

Edit: I'm not saying it's "mandatory", but it's something you should do...

 

[Kornnut]

make sure you get some new shocks/struts, if you have not already done so.

x2

With the h&r springs you have you will need them shortly afterwards. I put sportlines on my car and nothing else. I wish I would have waited and done it all in one shot. Get some c&c plates and the shocks and struts. It will cost more up front but the ride of you car won't be like a buck wagon.

 

[SaleenGT2001]

you want the camber at -0.50 for normal street driving

 

[15GTrob]

Without having added caster camber plates what exactly is being adjusted? Where are the adjustments made?

 

[Noobz347]

Without having added caster camber plates what exactly is being adjusted? Where are the adjustments made?

that same places that you would without after market caster/camber plates. You have these plates. They are just OEM and don't allow the same range of adjustment or durability as GOOD aftermarket pieces.

 

[15GTrob]

I'll have to take your word for it I don't have my car at the house to look. I just didn't recall seeing any adjustability.

 

[Noobz347]

This is where your aftermarket plates would sit. The OEM plate is beneath the shock tower. Arrows point to adjustment/securing bolts and nuts.

On your model year car(s), an installed plate might look like this:

An image of the MM plates:

 

[15GTrob]

Makes more sense now my fox body had fully adjustables but they sat on top the shock tower.