Hi, I've been a lurker here but I finally have a problem with my 2008 Scion xB and I need assistance or advice. I don't know if this in the right section but hopefully I get some answers.

This past weekend I went to get new tires and saw my rear tires were really worn down and in a wavy wear also. The tire center told me to get a 4-wheel alignment after the new tires were put on.

I went to the alignment shop and my fronts were good but my rear was messed up pretty bad and they recommended me to get shims.

Now my questions to you guys is...has anyone had this problem? Where can I get these shims? And is this a DIY thing or do I need a professional to install this? Please help. The alignment shop wants to charge me $300 to get this situation fixed but I'm trying to save here.

My car is lowered with Tanabe NF210 springs and on stock wheels.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance ScionLife!

-Ken

 

The only thing that can be aligned is the front toe, everything else is fixed.

We have about 1.5 degrees of negative camber on the rear, from the factory. I don't know of anybody that makes camber plates for the xB2 and has them commercially available.

I have 48k miles total, and I've had my NF springs on for 42k miles. I replaced my OEM tires after 42k miles (and they weren't quite finished yet) with no uneven wear. I do rotate every 5k miles.

I suggest you get the alignment, and rotate the tires regularly, but I see no reason to do anything else.

 

What exactly was wrong in the alignment? ("Messed up really bad" doesn't actually tell us anything.) If the problem is camber only, what are the actual measurements compared to spec? Also (as per CIONIDE), do you rotate your wheels between front and rear occasionally? (See recommendations in owner's manual.)

 

I will have to go to the shop and get another printout since I misplaced mine and post it up for you guys to see.

I do rotate my tires every 5k miles. This is my 2nd set of tires and I have 35k miles.

Thanks for the prompt responses and I will post a picture of the alignment sheet once I get it.

-Ken

-edit-
Found the sheet. I have no clue how to read this so please tell me if my measurements are ok. Thanks!

 

wavy or do you mean the tread is cupped...if so that would mean you have a blown strut?

 

^^Or never rotated the tires.... Also be sure you have the correct specs for the new XB. Our alignment machine is updated every 3 months. These are the correct specs for the 07-09 (haven't looked at the 10 but should be the same).

I am also lowered on NF210's but I am on 16" wheels with normal offset numbers. Your offset can make the numbers change too.

 

I didn't know everything but toe was fixed, does that mean if I drop my car, I don't have to worry about getting an alignment?

 

No, you still need to get an alignment. After dropping mine, it drove straight, but the front toe was 3x the max specification. Without the alignment I would have burned through the tires very quickly.

 

What about the other variables? Were they just left alone?

 

Yup, all the measurements were on the alignment printout so I could see how they compared to the factory specs, but only the front toe was corrected. Everything else was within spec, or really close.

 

Will I have similar results? The other variables shouldn't be extremely off, will it?

 

The lower you go, the more the numbers will be off. The wheel's offset makes a difference too.

 

I'm thinking along the lines of NFs or HTechs. I have a +48 offset, what's your diagnosis?

 

You'll live.

 

I remember you telling me it's perfect for any drop, I might as well run without coils. Ricer dumped!









Okay, just kidding.

 

The front is gonna be the one that gets all jacked up the lower you go. I only know what the NF210's will produce as noted in the alignment shot provided by me above. I have 16" wheels with a +38 or +40 offset (can't remember). The first set of #'s are not the same so I have to wonder if they are the Gen1 specs. Happens a lot, trust me.

 

when you lower your car, your numbers are gonna be all over the place. you can adjust the front camber (to a point) and toe, but all other angles are fixed. cupped tires are the result of suspension parts (in our case, aftermarket) not doing what they're supposed to aka broken or worn out (in your case, lowered). when you lower your car, you baptize yourself into the wonderful world of "spending all your money to make your car look proper even though you'll sacrifice some things". haha.

on my car, i'm lowered on DF's and TRD struts. i had 18x8 +15 wheels all around, and my camber was messed up in the rear, barely out of spec in the front, but my toe angles were good, and the steering wheel was straight.

toe will not cause your car to pull, camber and caster do. toe is merely a tire wearing angle. correct toe = better chance your tires will last but since you're lowered and your camber and caster are all out of spec, it may not make any difference as to how your tires wear. again, welcome to the world of aftermarket

 

^^^ True. In the end, if you choose to alter your vehicle, other things go along with that decision. All the questions in the world will not help, you just have to get in or get out of the aftermarket stuff.

 

Jeez luiz. So if you lower your box on lowering springs and then get it aligned according to alignment specs, will you be okay? Natural tire wear and all that jazz?

Let's say for instance someone's lowered on Eibach Pro-Kit (1"/1.2" respectively) and on 18x7.5. How would that work out?

 

The thing about the toe (front and rear) is if it isn't within spec, you're basically dragging the tires -- very much a wear situation ! Increased negative camber looks cool to some folks, but is also an increase in wear when out of spec, though a different kind of wear. Castor being out isn't so much a lowering problem problem as the other two, and is less likely to be an issue when the car is young. So the primary hits are toe and camber.

Front toe error is easily corrected via an alignment, but that's the only thing an alignment can solve on our cars. On these machines, front and rear camber are purely suspension geometry, and until adjusting bolts and shims become available, they are what they are. Rear toe is also changed by lowering, the lower, the more the change.

I installed Eibach ProKit and after an alignment for the front toe, the rest was survivable, though not optimal. I'd kind of like to see front camber bolts become available, but I'm not in a panic !