Lowered Honda Needs Allignment - Help!

[graham1989]

I have a 1990 Honda prelude ready to go... new brakes, new tires, new ball joints, gas tank....... body and paint etc. I took to a shop for an allignment and they told me they can't do it because the car has been lowered and the mechanic that changed the ball joints used stock parts where as a lowered car needs special ball joints. Does this make sense? The mechanic that put the ball joints on said they look the same as the ones we replaced. The car has Tokico gas shocks. Would the struts have been changed as well? The allignment guy says to taise it up so that an allignment can be done I have to replace all the struts and springs. Either that or get the proper ball joints? He charged me for an allignment last year and now says it can't be done. I am confused and just want to drive my first car which is costing $440 a month for insurance and sitting there. Can anyone give me advice?

[ALF487]

far out.. 440 a month for insurance.. in 2n half years time you can get another one of your prelude... ur 17?

[Zdster]

That sounds awefully dodgy to me.

[graham1989]

I have a 1990 Honda prelude ready to go... new brakes, new tires, new ball joints, gas tank....... body and paint etc. I took to a shop for an allignment and they told me they can't do it because the car has been lowered and the mechanic that changed the ball joints used stock parts where as a lowered car needs special ball joints. Does this make sense? The mechanic that put the ball joints on said they look the same as the ones we replaced. The car has Tokico gas shocks. Would the struts have been changed as well? The allignment guy says to taise it up so that an allignment can be done I have to replace all the struts and springs. Either that or get the proper ball joints? He charged me for an allignment last year and now says it can't be done. I am confused and just want to drive my first car which is costing $440 a month for insurance and sitting there. Can anyone give me advice?

Yep....... 17. Sucks to be a 17 yr old guy for insurance

[graham1989]

I get the feeling the allignment guy is more confused than I am

[Boban]

i was told the same thing man, they apparently couldn't do wheel alignment because i lowered my car. well it's a load of bull. i took it to another place and got it done, but my steering wheel ended up turned to one side, the car was going straight but the steering wheel pointed towards left, no big drama, but i made a fuss and got it done for free :p and than just reset the steering wheel myself :D

[Eclipsor]

Not being able to do an alignment is bull. It's not like they lose adjustment points when you lower it. However, they probably don't want to touch it because even after they do align it, it won't be perfect.

Most cars have toe adjustment front and rear only. Some may have some caster adjustment on the front too. The main problem when you lower it will be that the camber gets put out. Which is why he was talking about different ball joints. You can get aftermarket ball joints that will allow you to adjust the camber.

For the moment, find somewhere that will do an alignment on it and just get it as good as they can with the stock adjustment points. It should be fine to drive. Watch your tyre wear though and if they're wearing badly/unevenly then think about getting some aftermarket parts.

[kazam]

440 a month 4 insurance on a car almost older than u? priorities dude!!

[muhhan]

Understandable why wheel alignment shops don't want to be cleaning up other people's crap if adequate adjustments were not incorporated into the modifications. Did the wheel aligners recommend specific parts for you to get so that suitable adjustments could be made? Sure if they can adjust camber to reduce uneven wear and inconsistent handling it is better than nothing but it does leave them wide open for a good razzing when the car isn't performing as you would expect from after a wheel alignment.

[Rasputin]

Make it clear to them that you understand alignment cannot be made perfect. i.e. without aftermarket parts for adjustment your camber cannoy be brought back to 0. And then just have them adjust the toe as well as they can.

As mentioned before they're probably worried that after you get it done, you'll come back complaining that it's not perfect. That or they're trying to screw you for some reason.

Also, that's some heavy insurance. For the same reason (just turned 18, 1990 integra, stock worth ~ $4500) I ride around with 3rd party property, with fire and theft for $5000. No i'm not covered for hail etc, but if I crash into a beemer then i dont spend the next 10 years paying it off, if the car gets stolen i recover a big portion of my car's worth, and if i had to claim soemthing off insurance (with premiums, and excess on top) it'd cost more than the car is worth anyway. Something you may want to think about

[steve88]

id recommend get your owner as your mum or dad (no claim bonus) and you as designated driver, im full comprehensive and $1300 premium ($2k excess, shazam! )

anyways, my car is kinda lowered (king springs) and the guy couldnt adjust mine perfectly (apparently my ek civic doesnt come with camber aftermarket kits) so the guy told me my car will veer too the left, which it does .. i never really notice/care unless i take my hands off the wheel which is suicidal anyway too do so!

[graham1989]

440 a month 4 insurance on a car almost older than u? priorities dude!!

New driver male.... it'll go down every year. Imagine what it would be on a new car! Besides, I worked two parttime jobs to save the money and I'm only driving it for the summer

[graham1989]

id recommend get your owner as your mum or dad (no claim bonus) and you as designated driver, im full comprehensive and $1300 premium ($2k excess, shazam! )

anyways, my car is kinda lowered (king springs) and the guy couldnt adjust mine perfectly (apparently my ek civic doesnt come with camber aftermarket kits) so the guy told me my car will veer too the left, which it does .. i never really notice/care unless i take my hands off the wheel which is suicidal anyway too do so!

Love too but they have two cars. Mine makes three which means I still have to be the principal driver of one of them. Rules.

I think mine is just springs. It was lowered when I got it but I have the bill for springs from the first owner. He's out of the country for two weeks

[graham1989]

Make it clear to them that you understand alignment cannot be made perfect. i.e. without aftermarket parts for adjustment your camber cannoy be brought back to 0. And then just have them adjust the toe as well as they can.

As mentioned before they're probably worried that after you get it done, you'll come back complaining that it's not perfect. That or they're trying to screw you for some reason.

Also, that's some heavy insurance. For the same reason (just turned 18, 1990 integra, stock worth ~ $4500) I ride around with 3rd party property, with fire and theft for $5000. No i'm not covered for hail etc, but if I crash into a beemer then i dont spend the next 10 years paying it off, if the car gets stolen i recover a big portion of my car's worth, and if i had to claim soemthing off insurance (with premiums, and excess on top) it'd cost more than the car is worth anyway. Something you may want to think about

Thanks! We're taking it out of town to a shop that has a new machine and they will do their best and tell me what if anything I need. My insurance is $5100..... I had to put $880 down which is where I got the $440 from

[SLPJCooL]

$440 per month? Fark...!!!
My whole year of Full Comprehensive Insurance would cost the same as yours in two months...that's $880.
but I'm 25 now.....haha so I'm done paying excessive insurance premiums

Btw, how can you afford $5100 of insurance when you're just 17. I'm sure I wouldn't be able to when I was 17.

[graham1989]

Well, I'm only driving it till August, then I'm off to University fackk. I work a lot though and the guy said the reason that it can't be done is because of the stock upper ball joints. He said that all 4 need to be changed even though I only changed two and he did it before with the other stock balljoints on it. Thinks he's bullsh*ting or didn't do it the first time?

[Merlin086]

The problem is once you tell a "cheaper" insurance company the car is lowered most don't want to insure you.

Combine that with being under 25 and the majority of mainstream insurers will not touch you.

The only option generally available is expensive insurance companies who generally only insure high risk drivers and charge exhorbitant premiums.

My suggestion would be not to lower your car until you are >25yrs or pay probably double the premium or more for the pleasure of griving a lowered car.

I know.....it sux.....

[Eclipsor]

Well, I'm only driving it till August, then I'm off to University fackk. I work a lot though and the guy said the reason that it can't be done is because of the stock upper ball joints. He said that all 4 need to be changed even though I only changed two and he did it before with the other stock balljoints on it. Thinks he's bullsh*ting or didn't do it the first time?

Just take it somewhere else. Not quite sure what you're saying. Having stock balljoints or not, no matter how low you are dosn't mean you can't get an alignment done. It's not going to explode. Just that as mentioned above you can't get the camber values to stock values. Which isn't the end of the world anyway.