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Alignment

12K views 53 replies 15 participants last post by  Sleeper 
#1 ·
So has anyone put their GRC on the rack to see what the factory alignment is (vs whatever the factory spec is) and more specifically what the available range of adjustment is? Over the decades I have found that most new cars are just ball park aligned and as long as the steering wheel sits straight they just send it. I know our GRC will hit our chassis guy's rack as soon as we take delivery.
 
#3 ·
i thought i saw a production video that shows all gr corollas getting their alignment checked and adjusted before it leaves the factory. maybe that was the FL5.

i believe most TNGA corollas can run different factory cam bolts on the front strut for additional negative camber. rear camber is probably not adjustable. obviously you can adjust toe for all four corners. doubt caster is adjustable.
 
#8 ·
I think during transportation, they use the factory tie downs and not suspension arms. I would imagine that shouldn’t alter the alignment.

Agreed on the factory crash bolts. Subaru has them too. Only thing to watch out for is if you have too much negative camber at the hub, the wheel may rub against the shock, especially when you run wider wheels.
 
#10 ·
My car is at the port, so I should hopefully get it this month. It will be going to my buddy's expert alignment shop for a dose of negative camber, I'll post details on what they find.

 
#13 ·
my driveway sits about 4' higher than the street in front of my house, I noticed when I was getting my trashcan from the street today (since I was almost eye level with the rear wheels) that the rear camber looks pretty decently negative from the factory.
 
#14 ·
there was a gr yaris factory assembly video and it showed each car getting their alignment checked before it left the factory. the monitor looked like the rears had about -1.75 and fronts about -1.5. wasn't sure if the gr corolla has similar alignment. if so, that's a pretty aggressive factory alignment for a street car.

are you able to eyeball it the fronts?
 
#15 ·
it looks a lot more vertical in the front, and it's been a looooong time since I've tried to judge 1.5 degrees with my eyes, but that looks about right out back, lol. I'll snap some photos later.
 
#20 ·
Yeah that seems to align with the factory manual alignment specs. Pretty aggressive for a street car, which is good.

Do you know how much space there is between the tire/wheel and the shock body? That should give us an idea how much more negative camber you can add without rubbing
 
#22 ·
yeah it's hard to measure unless you crawl under. for quick ballpark guess, i usually just put my hand behind the top of the wheel and try to feel where the shock is. if there's at least a finger gap, then that's pretty good. under high loads, the tire sidewall flexes so you want to make sure there's some space there.
 
#24 ·
you can get more front negative camber by replacing the knuckle bolts with OEM crash bolts. curious how much room there is between the tire/wheel and the strut though. too much camber and you'll rub.

 
#33 ·
Absolutely, I'm just speculating on the shifting under transit. I've seen one printout from someone that did their alignment. Toe was in a bit F and R.

It'll be interesting to see how varied it is for people who get an alignment right away.
 
#34 ·
Of course the car is aligned at the factory.

And of couse that alignment could change slightly as the car is manhandled onto trucks, boats, trains, and trucks again. But it should still be close.
 
#36 ·
as far as I know, a typical assembly line is going to align components as they are installed. there is no final alignment as we would expect to see with a car on a rack.

I'd also guess they have some final inspections and if it is out of acceptable range, they pull it and align it the way we are familiar with.

just what I've read (and seen on those inside the factory shows on Smithsonian, or whatever other learning channel).
 
#37 ·
an alignment after manufacturing will always be ideal. you can take into consideration driver weight and full tank of gas. all of those variables will change the toe/camber. if you're going after that last 5%, you can adjust the subframe alignment as well to get equal caster and front camber.
 
#43 ·
As a lurker/standard Corolla owner, I am banking on more similarities than differences in the hopes that I can enjoy the great oem GR shocks perhaps.
I did this many years back with a Lexus, using oem Supra TT parts. Many were surprised how much of it bolted right onto that car…
That was the first car I nit-picked the alignment until it was perfect, was rewarding.
 
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