Upgrading your vehicle’s suspension with coilovers, lowering springs, or adjustable control arms can drastically improve handling, performance, and aesthetics. However, any modification to your suspension affects your wheel alignment, and failing to correct it can lead to uneven tire wear, poor handling, and decreased stability. At WOT Performance Parts, we provide the best performance suspension components and alignment tools to keep your ride dialed in for peak performance.
Why Wheel Alignment Is Crucial After Suspension Upgrades
After installing suspension mods, your vehicle’s suspension geometry changes, affecting:
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Tire Wear: Improper alignment can cause excessive inner or outer tread wear.
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Handling & Stability: Misaligned wheels reduce traction, making steering feel loose or unresponsive.
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Fuel Efficiency: Increased rolling resistance from bad alignment lowers gas mileage.
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Safety: A poorly aligned car can pull to one side, increasing the risk of accidents.
To maximize the benefits of your suspension upgrades, a proper wheel alignment is essential.
Understanding Key Alignment Angles
When performing an alignment after suspension mods, you’ll need to adjust these critical angles:
1. Camber – The Tilt Of The Wheels
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Negative Camber: Wheels tilt inward at the top, improving cornering grip but increasing inner tire wear.
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Positive Camber: Wheels tilt outward, often seen on off-road vehicles for stability.
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Ideal Setting: A balance between performance and tire longevity, usually between -1.0° to -2.5° for street and performance setups.
2. Toe – The Direction Wheels Point In Or Out
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Toe-In: Wheels angle slightly inward, increasing straight-line stability but wearing out tires.
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Toe-Out: Wheels angle outward, improving turn-in response but reducing highway stability.
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Ideal Setting: Typically 0 to slight toe-in for most vehicles.
3. Caster – The Steering Angle
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Positive Caster: The wheel axis tilts toward the driver, enhancing high-speed stability and steering return.
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Negative Caster: Rarely used in performance vehicles, as it reduces stability.
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Ideal Setting: Most performance cars use +5 to +7 degrees of positive caster.
Steps To Properly Align Your Vehicle After Suspension Mods
1. Settle The Suspension
After installing new suspension components, drive the car for at least 50-100 miles to let the suspension settle. This ensures accurate alignment adjustments.
2. Get A Professional Alignment (Or DIY With The Right Tools)
For precision, it’s recommended to take your car to a professional alignment shop. However, if you’re experienced, you can perform a DIY alignment using:
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Camber Gauge to check and adjust camber settings.
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Toe Plates or String Alignment Kit to measure and set toe angles.
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Caster Measurement Tools for vehicles with adjustable caster.
3. Adjust Camber For Performance Or Daily Driving
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Daily Driving Setup: Keep camber between -0.5° to -1.5° for even tire wear.
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Track/Performance Setup: Use -2.0° to -3.0° for better cornering grip.
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How To Adjust: Use camber plates, adjustable control arms, or camber bolts to fine-tune the angle.
4. Set Toe For Stability Or Quick Steering Response
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Street Cars: Slight toe-in (0° to +0.15°) helps with straight-line stability.
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Performance Cars: Slight toe-out (-0.10° to -0.15°) improves turn-in response for aggressive driving.
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How To Adjust: Toe adjustments are made via tie rods on the steering rack.
5. Optimize Caster For Steering Feel And Stability
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Street & Track Cars: Use +5° to +7° of positive caster for stability at high speeds.
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How To Adjust: Caster adjustments require adjustable strut mounts or tension rods (if applicable to your vehicle).
6. Verify Ride Height & Corner Balance
If you installed coilovers, ensure your ride height is set correctly and balanced across all four corners for optimal weight distribution. A corner balancing service can further improve handling dynamics.
7. Test Drive & Fine-Tune
After adjusting the alignment, take the car for a test drive to check for:
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Steering pull or vibration.
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Uneven tire wear patterns.
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Stability at highway speeds and responsiveness in corners.
Make adjustments as needed until your setup feels perfect.
Upgrade Your Suspension With WOT Performance Parts
At WOT Performance Parts, we offer high-performance coilovers, camber kits, control arms, and alignment tools to help you dial in the perfect suspension setup. Whether you’re daily driving or hitting the track, we have the best aftermarket parts to optimize handling and control. Shop with us today for unbeatable prices and expert recommendations!