'04 EX sedan rear alignment
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'04 EX sedan rear alignment
As this is my first used Honda as well as my first 7th-gen Civic, I have a question about rear wheel alignment... are these cars pretty sensitive to it going out?
I ask as I've no idea how poorly this car was maintained by the previous owner (not real diligent judging by the car's condition), and was wondering if this is a case of just worn parts causing misalignment like bushings, or if abuse can bend it into crooked. I'm sure any car abused will go out of alignment... but if it's a bent arm I'd like to know before spending the cash on wear items that aren't the problem.
I have toe and camber in-spec at the front, but these numbers at the rear:
SPEC . . . . . . LR . . . . . RR
Total toe. . .<0.04º. . .<0.04º (both OOS)
Camber. . . <-1.5º . . .-1.25º (LR OOS, RR in-spec but not ideal)
Car has 144K. Any common fail points on this IRS I should know about? Think it could be wheel bearings maybe at this mileage? Thanks fellas...
I ask as I've no idea how poorly this car was maintained by the previous owner (not real diligent judging by the car's condition), and was wondering if this is a case of just worn parts causing misalignment like bushings, or if abuse can bend it into crooked. I'm sure any car abused will go out of alignment... but if it's a bent arm I'd like to know before spending the cash on wear items that aren't the problem.
I have toe and camber in-spec at the front, but these numbers at the rear:
SPEC . . . . . . LR . . . . . RR
Total toe. . .<0.04º. . .<0.04º (both OOS)
Camber. . . <-1.5º . . .-1.25º (LR OOS, RR in-spec but not ideal)
Car has 144K. Any common fail points on this IRS I should know about? Think it could be wheel bearings maybe at this mileage? Thanks fellas...
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Re: '04 EX sedan rear alignment
Take everything out of the trunk, then see what the rear camber is. Then adjust toe if needed.
If camber isn't very far out of tolerance range, you might just have to ignore it.
EDIT: while it is on the alignment rack, raise the rear end by maybe an inch or so (lift by the body, not the suspension or wheels) to see if the springs are sagging causing the excess neg camber lean. If camber comes back into range, then you can decide if you want to ignore it or not.
If camber isn't very far out of tolerance range, you might just have to ignore it.
EDIT: while it is on the alignment rack, raise the rear end by maybe an inch or so (lift by the body, not the suspension or wheels) to see if the springs are sagging causing the excess neg camber lean. If camber comes back into range, then you can decide if you want to ignore it or not.
Thread Starter
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From: Definitely older than ezone's skateboard. XD
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Thanks, ezone -- figured there was some simple check to determine if spending the money was actually required. Appreciate it... 
If you think a good mechanic is expensive, try hiring a bad one
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From: Midwest. Aiming about mid-chest
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Yeah, quite often I see cars with excessive negative camber.
Most of the cars don't have provisions for adjusting rear camber, so unless someone wants to spend a bunch of money, all I can do is set toe and send it down the road.
Very few ever want to do anything further.
Tire wear increase isn't normally a concern as long as it doesn't pull or steer funny.
Most of the cars don't have provisions for adjusting rear camber, so unless someone wants to spend a bunch of money, all I can do is set toe and send it down the road.
Very few ever want to do anything further.
Tire wear increase isn't normally a concern as long as it doesn't pull or steer funny.
If you think a good mechanic is expensive, try hiring a bad one
Joined: Dec 2011
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From: Midwest. Aiming about mid-chest
Rep Power: 519 Re: '04 EX sedan rear alignment
No, there is no adjustment provided by the manufacturer..... and I've seen aftermarket adjustable arms that didn't last worth a damn too.
Did you ever check out how I modded the early 8th gen arms prior to the release of the updated/improved parts?
Did you ever check out how I modded the early 8th gen arms prior to the release of the updated/improved parts?
If you think a good mechanic is expensive, try hiring a bad one
Joined: Dec 2011
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From: Midwest. Aiming about mid-chest
Rep Power: 519 Re: '04 EX sedan rear alignment
Buried in here
https://www.civicforums.com/forums/1...trol-arms.html
https://www.civicforums.com/forums/1...trol-arms.html
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