wheel alignment steer ahead

[tiredguy]

HI

I just got my 2022 Impreza aligned today at a local subaru dealer.

here is the printout. looks like the steer ahead was way off. Is this a result of front and rear toe being out? in my situation does camber play into it?

Did the tech do as best a job he could considering the only adjustable items are front toe and camber and rear toe?

Thanks

 

[Pew]

Not bad, I'd be very happy with it. I'm assuming you had to constantly steer to the left before the alignment?

 

[tiredguy]

I noticed the tech didn't adjust the front camber. The center of the spec is -0.5. I would have like to see at at -0.5 or at a minimum somewhere from -0.4 to -0.6

 

[The Critic]

I noticed the tech didn't adjust the front camber. The center of the spec is -0.5. I would have like to see at at -0.5 or at a minimum somewhere from -0.4 to -0.6

In stock form, camber is not adjustable.

 

[researcher]

as said before, it looks like the tech did a very good job on this alignment. sounds like a good tech! and the steering ahead angle is a combination of the front and rear toe measurements.. now it's 0.00 so your steering wheel should be straight.. nice job!

 

[tiredguy]

In stock form, camber is not adjustable.

Front camber is adjustable as the struts have camber bolts in the upper bolt location of the knuckle The rear camber is not adjustable.

 

[The Critic]

Front camber is adjustable as the struts have camber bolts in the upper bolt location of the knuckle The rear camber is not adjustable.

News to me on the front camber bolts. Do they already come installed, or do you have to purchase?

 

[tiredguy]

News to me on the front camber bolts. Do they already come installed, or do you have to purchase?

to be fair, I was told this. I will crawl under the car tomorrow to confirm.

 

[researcher]

to be fair, I was told this. I will crawl under the car tomorrow to confirm.

I know with Toyota they have a combination of bolts that will give the desired degree of correction from where it would be currently to where you want it to be. It's in the service manual, very cool. But it'll be interesting to see what your Subaru has in place.

 

[PontiacHO]

There is such an “acceptable range” for front end settings that most techs don’t touch anything if the reading falls within that range. The front end alignment equipment (software) comes loaded in the equipment as well as updates as new models are introduced. You still pay for an alignment and typically don’t have optimal front end geometry.

 

[eljefino]

If he only adjusted things that are adjustable, he did a passing job yet not a great job.

He could have discussed with you what would have been needed for the "steer ahead" at potentially extra cost.

There are camber bolts, adjustable top strut mounts, grinding... all things that turn a good alignment into a great one. Many people don't spring for the extra money, so offering these services sometimes "confuses" the customer, or worse makes them think they're trying to rip you off.

 

[Trav]

News to me on the front camber bolts. Do they already come installed, or do you have to purchase?

Many models do, there are also additional ones available for the lower location also for further correction.

 

[Astro14]

to be fair, I was told this. I will crawl under the car tomorrow to confirm.

Told by whom? Unless you have pulled those bolts out, and have seen how much the knuckle will move, you don’t know if/how much the camber is adjustable unless special bolts are purchased.

 

[IndyIan]

Front camber is adjustable as the struts have camber bolts in the upper bolt location of the knuckle The rear camber is not adjustable.

Even if you don't have camber bolts in the steering knuckle, usually between the amount of play available there, and at the top of the strut tower, it is has a bit of adjustment. Maybe the tech checked and your car is at the minimum front camber he could get?
I suspect you will get a little more inside edge wear on the tires with that alignment, but that seems to be normal with amount of rear toe in and negative camber most cars come with now.

 

[JohnnyG]

Steer ahead doesn't sound like an alignment parameter to me. I think it just means the steering wheel was off just a little bit. This was corrected by changing a few adjustments in the REAR of the vehicle.
All parameters are in the green, so it passed.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I noticed the tech didn't adjust the front camber. The center of the spec is -0.5. I would have like to see at at -0.5 or at a minimum somewhere from -0.4 to -0.6

Nothing wrong with a tenth of a degree difference (it's in the noise) and you are better off with neg 3/4 of a degree up front.

If I was doing the job, I would tell you don't touch the camber. In fact, I would refuse to touch it.

As for the steer-ahead flag, that all depends on where the steering wheel was locked in by the tech. If I saw that number reporting off that much - with the total toe O.K. I would recheck that I didn't lock the steering wheel properly at dead center. He may have locked it slight right.
Is the steering wheel dead centered at 12 o'clock on a non-crowned road or travelling on the center crown of a highway? Or is it a couple mins past noon now?

enjoy the drive. - Arco (former NIASE Master)

 

[930.engineering]

here is the printout. looks like the steer ahead was way off.

Yes apparently. However, what's your own perception before and after?
Numbers on paper are one thing, the more important is how it drives like.

Is this a result of front and rear toe being out?

Yes, to some extent oviously.

in my situation does camber play into it?

Yes, generally. In your case marginally perhaps, depending how I understand "your situation" correctly.

Did the tech do as best a job he could considering the only adjustable items are front toe and camber and rear toe?

Did he even perform a test drive? A drive is a requirement.
Where are the manufacturer's recommendations?
Zero toe on front appears a bit odd to me.

I'd be very happy with it.

I'd leave it alone if the steering wheel's straight.

I'm assuming you had to constantly steer to the left before the alignment?

Exactly, probably at least.
.

 

[Pew]

Front camber is adjustable as the struts have camber bolts in the upper bolt location of the knuckle The rear camber is not adjustable.

Hmm, can the front camber bolt be completely rotated for the full ability of camber adjustment? The Evo's front was the same, but the camber "adjustment" only allowed a complete 180 degree rotation of the eccentric bolt, so we were given either -1 from the factory or -2 by flipping the eccentric bolt 180 degrees, no in-between.

 

[DuckRyder]

Hmm, can the front camber bolt be completely rotated for the full ability of camber adjustment? The Evo's front was the same, but the camber "adjustment" only allowed a complete 180 degree rotation of the eccentric bolt, so we were given either -1 from the factory or -2 by flipping the eccentric bolt 180 degrees, no in-between.

It depends on the bolt.

It looks like Subaru might sell one for this car, as an OEM its likely it provides somewhat less adjustment than some of the aftermarket.

After market bolts are often for lack of a better term slotted to allow the strut to move quite a lot.

Id be pretty happy with this if it drove ok and would certainly not be looking to put install camber bolts that did not come from the factory.

It is true that you can sometimes eek out minimal changes even with "non adjustable" from suspension, but its not something id expect the average shop to do without a prior discussion, it gets really fiddly...

 

[Pew]

It depends on the bolt.

It looks like Subaru might sell one for this car, as an OEM its likely it provides somewhat less adjustment than some of the aftermarket.

The bolt looks similar to the evo but the knuckle camber bolt hole was more oval with a flat top and bottom. The top hole in the knuckle on the impreza looks larger than the bottom hole and looks like a circle. I wonder if the larger hole allows the camber bolt to fully rotate 360.